An Interview With The TomCat
Today we caught up with the Philippines' adopted son Tom Colvin. Tom is a foreigner that's slowly becoming more of a Filipino. His insights into Filipino culture and our country in general are amazing. We could only wish every Filipino reads Tom and learns to love the Philippines like he does.
YOU spend YOUR time by splitting it between the Philippines and Mexico. Why do YOU love the Philippines?
I moved to Manila in 1986 to join the Information Office at the Asian Development Bank and have become a genuine American "expatriot." For me, the Philippines is my real home. Strangely, the Philippines is more like the environment that I grew up in, the American South, than is current-day America, which I barely recognize anymore since it has changed so fundamentally.
What's so special about the Filipino?
When I first moved to Manila, I decided not to run around in the usual ADB expat circles. I joined the Camera Club of the Philippines and the Makati Rotary Club, to make FILIPINO friends. Then I got into the alternative music scene, where I've met so many Filipinos. What's so special to me has been the REAL friendliness of the Filipino. Behind the famous smile is a truly warm heart.
What's YOUR job like?
Twelve years ago I was fortunate enough to step away from the 9-to-5 grind working for unimaginative bosses. Now I do what I love: music, research into Philippine history, writing. I'm a very lucky guy, waking every morning to a day [and night] full of projects I enjoy.
What's the key to being an amazing writer?
What's amazing is the fact that I do actually sit down from time to time to write. I think there is nothing more difficult or demanding than writing. I often resist, especially on the bigger writing projects. Once I'm seated at the keyboard, the words come -- but getting myself into the seat is a real challenge. I think most writers share this challenge, and the successful ones somehow develop the self-discipline to sit down.
Tell us something about us (Filipinos) that YOU know but we might not know.
Filipinos have a way of accepting the world as it is and still figuring out a way of living with a smile.
What are YOU trying to achieve in the Philippine Monument Project?
I started documenting Philippine commemorative statues and monuments in 1994, thinking that would be my contribution to the 1998 celebration of Philippine Independence. The project combines my interests in history, photography, writing and sculpture -- and it got me out into the provinces searching for little-known monuments, learning a lot of Philippine history and meeting many people. The project, still unfinished, has led to other even more-challenging history projects, all growing out of my fascination with the King Carlos IV monument in front of the Manila Cathedral. Those projects, actually, are now my major writing challenges: the research is mostly done; now it's time to write. The historical events that I'm now retelling are inspiring and show that the Philippines has, perhaps surprisingly, been in the mainstream of human history.
Tell us more about YOUR music.
For me, there's nothing more satisfying than playing music. Good fortune led me to Binky Lampano and Butch Saulog, who in late 1991 became my musical compatriots and mentors. My association with Binky and LAMPANO ALLEY is, hands down, the most exhilirating experience of my entire life. Not enough people here in the Philippines appreciate just what an astonishing musician -- and individual -- Binky is. And bandmates Simon Tan and Edwin Vergara too. LAMPANO ALLEY may be in hibernation now, but, trust me, we'll be back one of these days, with new material by Binky that will shake the rafters.
What's YOUR favorite book?
This is a difficult question for me. I suppose it's The Prophet by Khalil Gibran, which I discovered in my mid-teens. That would be followed closely by the writings of Thomas Merton and Alan Watts. Those choices are surprising, even to me, as I'm not known as a particularly "religious" person. But I do think they speak most eloquently about spirituality and the human condition.
Who are YOUR personal heroes?
Who are my heroes? The next people I meet in the street, that's who. In my life, I've met presidents and prime ministers, famous writers and musicians, and more -- but I've learned that all of them are just people. What I do admire are the ordinary people who get up early each day to face an uncertain and difficult world, and do so with a smile and a generous heart, who touch everyone they encounter with a positive energy that contributes to a better day. They are the true heroes.
What are YOU hungry for?
I'm hungry for a world where we ALL love one another and recognize and accept the godliness in each and every one, despite our individual flaws and shortcomings.
About Tom Colvin
Born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 1939, Tom Colvin has devoted his life to working in the non-profit sector, first as a teacher, later as a professional advocating the causes of education and international development as a writer, audio-visual producer and media-relations specialist. He worked at the Choate School, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, Occidental College and the Asian Development Bank. Over his lifetime, he has identified himself with the downtrodden, the outcast, the misfit, the misunderstood, seeing in all of them a potential spark and flame that can set them free and serve as a beacon for those who follow.
Currently he maintains his personal website at www.words-sounds-images.com, which captures the essense of his work as writer, photographer and musician. He also maintains a blog for aspiring and professional writers interested in improving their productivity: www.becoming-a-writer-seriously.com. This blog was chosen in 2007 as one of the top twenty websites by the editor of Writer's Digest and is currently ranked by Google as one of the top websites for writers.
In the Philippines, he is best known as "Tomcat," the harmonica player with the seminal blues band Lampano Alley. He continues to be active musically, performing as guest artist with various bands and featured frequently on RJ Underground Radio with his audacious blues originals with the project band Tomcat & the Dawgs. Currently, he is preparing a program to teach harmonica and basic music theory to Filipino youth.
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