Jennifer Marie J. Yang, MD

My piano teacher (my last lesson was in 1993 or 1994 but I still consider her my piano teacher) passed away yesterday from a recurrence of breast cancer. I went to the first night of her wake tonight, where her family, friends, colleagues and students gathered to celebrate her life. As musicians, it was but fitting and natural to be comforted by playing and appreciating the music that has brought us all together.

Thank you Prof. Maurie Borromeo for taking me in as a 6th grade student, and helping me rediscover the healing power and joy of music making after a period of pre-teen “what I am I doing piano lessons for?” For the next 6 years my weekends started with 8 AM piano lessons on Saturday mornings – foundational, formative, and eventually made me realize that while piano playing was something I could do fairly well, I probably wouldn’t make a decent living doing piano performance kasi hindi talaga pang-concert level ang skills… so hindi ako tumuloy ng UPCMu [University of the Philippines College of Music rough translation: I realized my skills weren’t going to make me a concert pianist… so I didn’t push through with auditioning for tertiary-level/pre-professional studies at the UP College of Music]. After I graduated from high school, she welcomed me into her home for twice monthly private lessons as I tried to maintain my skills, pero mahirap talaga kung hindi ka nakaka-practice kasi nakatira ka sa dorm during weekdays at walang piano doon [but it was difficult since I lived in a dormitory during weekdays and didn’t have access to a piano]. Plus college schoolwork of course which got in the way and took up a lot of my time. We kept in touch even after I left for the USA for specialty training and found work there. The last time I spoke to her was at a UP Concert Chorus concert in December 2019 when I was home for the holidays before my two-year expensive sabbatical in Australia.

But things have come full circle in a different form: I am grateful to be back at the College of Music in a different way, through personal and professional networks of people whose lives have been touched by you and your dedication to a career of shaping pianists and pedagogues. I truly appreciate the inspiration and continuing legacy that you have built at Abelardo Hall and beyond. Yun ang pamana ninyo sa aming lahat [that is the legacy you have left for all of us].

Rest in peace, I am happy that there is no more suffering. Virtual hugs to all of us left behind and may we all be comforted in good memories.