THE HISTORY OF FAYCCA AND TUNOG PiL-AM

The Filipino American Youth Center for Culture and the Arts (FAYCCA) was incorporated in the State of Washington as a nonprofit organization in September 30, 2003. Its vision was borne out of the doctoral research of Pamela Costes among the Filipino American youth in Tacoma, Washington. It was initially conceived to house a youth ensemble called Tunog Pilipinong Lumad ng Amerika (Sound of the Filipino Natives of America) or TUNOG PiL-AM and to advance the goals of its young members to express their Filipino American identities in creative ways. FAYCCA has been founded on the idea to offer a youth-led Filipino American nonprofit organization, one that enables the youth to articulate their visions for the Filipino American community through Philippine arts.

TUNOG PiL-AM had its roots from an affiliate organization in 1999. It started out as a traditional Kulintang ensemble (southern Philippine gongs and drum ensemble) with only seven members. But the musical preferences of the youth and the demands of the Filipino American community to be more inclusive in performances prompted its director to expand the traditional five-player ensemble to a full-blown 15-19 player ensemble, culminating in an orchestra of Philippine instruments. Working closely with the Filipino American youth, Pamela Costes tried her hands on composing music for traditional Philippine instruments. Her compositions are based on the traditional rhythms she learned as a student of musicology at the University of the Philippines mixed with Filipino American sensibilities in music making. The style that now came to be known as TUNOG PiL-AM is a unique and creative expression of the Filipino American youth (ages 12-23). This type of ensemble, with its contemporary flair using only traditional Philippine instruments, is a first of its kind in the whole of the United States. The phenomenon that unfolded incidentally became the topic of Ms. Costes’ doctoral dissertation in ethnomusicology at the University of Washington. However, it is important to note that TUNOG PiL-AM is the carrying musical ensemble of FAYCCA and should not be mistaken as its only program.

At present, FAYCCA hopes to promote Filipino American youth creativity through original works, moving away from copying models from Philippine performing troupes. Its vision is to become a center for learning Philippine and Filipino American culture. It seeks to increase the interest of the American public to Filipino culture and plans to open up classes in Philippine music and the arts at all age and skill levels. Through its programs like TUNOG PiL-AM, FAYCCA aims to encourage the creation of a unique Filipino American expression in the arts while teaching its members to respect the Filipino traditions that serve as basis for their inspiration.