1. Vocal Timbre and Voice Types
Vocal timbre refers to the quality or color of tone being produced by a singer. In other words, it
is the character of a sound or voice. Because of vocal timbre, we can tell the voice difference
between two people speaking even if we are seeing them.
Four Main Voice Types
The four main voice types for humans are soprano, alto, tenor, and bass.
Soprano
The soprano voice type is the highest of the female voices. This voice type is typically
characterized by the singer's bright tone and strong head voice but has a relatively weaker middle
voice. A female soprano is able to sing more high notes. She is able to sustain a high pitch. Most
sopranos get the lead role for opera shows or musical stage plays in theaters.
Famous Filipino soprano singers include Lea Salonga, Rachell Ann Go, Lani Misalucha, and
Regine Velasquez.
Alto or Contralto
The alto or contralto voice type is the lowest of the Female voices. This voice type is typically
characterized by the singer’s unique voice which is said to be darker and richer in tone.
Female alto or contralto singers have a low voice type but very close to the male tenor voice type.
Singers with this kind of voice are able to handle most of the songs that men sing.
Famous Filipino alto or contralto singers are Jaya, Pops Fernandez, and Nora Aunor.
Tenor
The tenor voice type is the highest of the main male vocal types. A male tenor singer would be
able to sing most high notes with ease and can vocalize the head voice notes with strength and
brightness.
Famous tenor international singers are Luciano Pavarotti, Jose Carreras, and Placido Domingo. In
the Philippines, we also have tenor singers. They are Jed Madela, Nolyn Cabahug, and Rodell
Rosel.
Bass
The bass voice type is the lowest of the male voice types. A Bass singer is characterized to have
a strong low voice and a deep dark tone quality.
Bass singers are easily distinguished in choirs and A Cappella renditions. Famous international
bass singers include Barry White, James Morris. And Samuel Ramey.
Notable Filipino bass singers are Jonathan Zaens and George Hernandez.
2. To know your own voice type, the following criteria should be determined:
1. Vocal Range - You should know the lowest and the highest notes your voice can reach.
Your vocal exercises will depend on the notes you can possibly hit.
2. Vocal Register Changes - Your voice goes through different changes in tone and quality
as you sing from low notes to higher notes. Knowing when and where you need to change
your vocal register helps determine what kind of voice type you possess.
3. Tone - Knowing your vocal tone will help you to know the kind of songs you can perform
and what songs you should do without especially when in front of an audience.
4. Vocal Strength - This may also refer to your vocal range within which your voice is at its
most comfortable and you sing your best.
5. Speech Voice Level - This refers to your normal voice when you are speaking and
conversing with other people in a normal manner. Your normal voice can help determine
the kind of voice type you have.
3. DIFFERENT TEXTILE TRADITIONS IN THE DIFFERENT CULTURAL TRIBES OF THE
PHILIPPINES
Textile traditions contribute greatly to the cultures not only in the Philippines but around the world.
Tribes in the Philippines have their own distinct clothing that represents and distinguishes their
cultures from one another.
SCULPTURE AND WEAVING
Sculpture
Sculpture in visual arts deals with three-dimensional art. If has four defining characteristics:
1. If is the only three-dimensional art form.
2. It is representational.
3. If is viewed as an art in solid form.
4. Traditionally, it is by two ways-carving or modeling.
A sculpture is created by shaping or combining materials. Aside from carving and modeling.
Sculpture may also be assembled by gluing or by making the materials harden by using fire.
Any solid three-dimensional art piece is a sculpture.
4. Textile Craft
Textile craft uses plant, animal, or synthetic fibers to construct objects. The word textile is from
the Latin word texere which means “to weave.”
Textiles have been used since the olden times as a cover up for the human body. They also serve
as status symbols for different groups of people. They are also used to keep possessions and
valuable belongings safe. They can also be used to decorate furniture and houses.
Textile Craft in the Philippines: Weaving
Weaving is a method wherein two distinct sets of yarn or threads are interlaced at right angles to
form a fabric or cloth.
Most of the cultural tribes in the Philippines are excellent weavers. These products are getting
attention from cultures all over the world. This allows each tribe to enhance their living while
keeping their weaving tradition alive.
Basey, Samar Buri Mats
Basey, Samar is known for its woven products such as mats, wall decorations, and placemats. They
are most famous for their banig, A banig is a handwoven mat used for sleeping and sitting. It is
made of buri palm, pandan, or seagrass leaves. These leaves are dried and dyed then cut into strips
before weaving them into mats. Colorful banigs are more expensive than simple ones.
Above are some of the famous banigs from Basey, Samar.
Iloilo Bamban Mats
5. The Bamban mat is another famous banig from the Visayan region. It is made from the bamban
rind, making it quite difficult to shape and bend but once finished, it gives a natural glossy effect
on the mat. Bamban mats do not have other colors aside from its natural color. It is still used widely
in Iloilo.
Badjao and Samal Mats
Design-wise, the Badjao and Samal mats are very interesting. They use a pandanus plant which is
abundant in Tawi-Tawi where these tribes are found. Once harvested, they remove the rib of the
leaf and rolled into a coil then tied. After that, it is cooked through the boiling water in a pot held
by a rock to keep it in the bottom. This process removes some of its color. Then, the coil is placed
and dried under the sun. As it dries, its natural colors fade, thus, it can be dyed in different colors.
The tribes use chemical dyes for their mats.
Mats made by these groups have four general patterns
1. Stripes
2. Multicolored squares
3. Checkered
4. Zigzag
Romblon Buri Mats
The mats made in Romblon are unique. They are made of buri palm but the most distinct
characteristic of these mats is their lacey edges.
They are used in special occasions Like weddings or when an important guest is visiting.
6. Lesson: MEDICINE MISUSE AND ABUSE
Drugs are chemicals that change the way a person’s body works. Some are legal, like medicines
prescribed by doctors or sold in stores. For adults, cigarettes and alcohol are legal drugs, too. But
cigarettes and alcohol are illegal for kids. It is also illegal and dangerous for kids to abuse
medicines or use drugs like marijuana or cocaine.
Misuse or abuse of medicine has something to do with the individual’s intentions or motivations
when using or taking medicines.
When a person knows that he or she will get a pleasant or euphoric feeling by taking a drug, he or
she takes it at higher doses than prescribed. That is an example of drug abuse because the person
is specifically looking for that euphoric response.
In contrast, there is drug misuse. An example is when a person is not able to fall asleep after taking
a single sleeping pill, he may take another pill an hour later, thinking, “That will do the job.”
Another is when a person may offer his or her headache medication to a friend who is in pain.
Those are examples of drug misuse because these people did not follow medical instructions. They
were not looking to “get high” from the drugs but they were treating themselves against the
directions of their health care providers.
The most commonly abused prescription drugs fall into three categories: painkillers, depressants,
and stimulants.
Painkillers or analgesics are drugs that are used to relieve pain, like “paracetamol” that is
commonly used by kids with fever.
7. Stimulants are drugs that stimulate the central nervous system into working faster. Taking these
drugs makes the heart beat faster. Your blood pressure goes higher and it makes it hard for you to
go to sleep. The body is so busy that it sometimes makes you forget to feel hungry. These drugs
include caffeine, nicotine, amphetamines, cocaine, ecstasy, and others.
Depressants are drugs that have opposite effect to stimulants. They slow down the central nervous
system. This make your heart beat slower, breathing gets slower, blood pressure goes down, and
the body may feel relaxed. These drugs include alcohol, tranquilizers, inhalants, and solvents (like
glue).
Self-medication
There are times when a person, out of desperation, would resort to self-medication. It refers to the
treatment of common health problems with medicines especially designed and labeled for use
without medical supervision and approved as safe and effective for such use.
Medicines for self-medication are often called nonprescription or over-the-counter (OTC) and are
available without a doctor’s prescription through pharmacies. In some countries like the
Philippines, OTC products are also available in supermarkets and other outlets.
Every day, everywhere, consumers reach for self-care products to help them through their common
health problems. They do so because it may be easier for them, it may be more cost or time
efficient, they may not feel their situation merits making an appointment with a healthcare
professional, or they may have few or no other options. The challenge and opportunity for
governments, healthcare professionals, and providers of self-medication products, then, is to have
a responsible framework in place for self-medication.
There is evidence that consumers can and do practice self- medication responsibly. There Is also
support showing that consumers recognize and respect nonprescription medicines. As a whole,
they use them appropriately, carefully, and safely; and they read nonprescription drug labeling.
Studies show that people are typically cautious and careful when they do turn to nonprescription
medicines. They read labels and they generally take products for less than the maximum period of
time indicated on the label.
8. Consumers are taking a more active role in their health care, even through self-medication.
The risks that are associated with self-medication include:
1. Inaccurate diagnosis
2. Using inappropriate medications that cause side effects
3. Masking the symptoms of a serious condition
4. Delaying medical advice
5. Inaccurate dosage that leads to accidental overdose