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Celebrities go to this vocal coach to teach their kids

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Leah C. Salterio

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Vocal coach Jade Riccio performs at the recital " Art="" is="" Calling="" for="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/entertainment/11/16/jade-1.jpg"/><figcaption>Vocal coach Jade Riccio performs at the recital &#x27;Art Is Calling for Me&#x27;</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA -- “Art Is Calling for Me,” the first recital of the students of soprano, vocal coach and “Pilipinas Got Talent” Season 5 finalist Jade Riccio, was definitely a star-studded affair.Celebrities trooped to the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium at RCBC Plaza over the weekend, to watch and support their kids in their debut performance.Among the young performers was Amari Sotto, the 7-year-old daughter of Quezon City Vice Mayor Gian Sotto and his wife Joy Woolbright; and Scarlet Snow Belo, the eight-year-old daughter of Dr. Hayden Kho and wife Dr. Vicki Belo.<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Dr. Hayden Kho and daughter Scarlet Snow Belo" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/entertainment/11/16/jade-2.jpg"/><figcaption>Dr. Hayden Kho and daughter Scarlet Snow Belo</figcaption></figure></div>“They were all amazing,” Riccio told ABS-CBN News. “We worked on this recital for months and they were all so wonderful.“Backstage, everyone was saying, ‘Coach, I’m so scared. I don’t know what to do.’ But look at them. Look at every single one of them. They were all so wonderful and fantastic. Of course, they have stage parents, but I am a stage coach, as well.”Riccio, who is now being managed by GR Rodis, put up the Riccio Music and Artistry (RMA) Studio Academy during the pandemic in 2020. She is teaches all kinds of music genres to her students, from Broadway to kundiman, jazz, OPM (Original Pilipino Music) and even opera. <div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Alfred Vargas with daughters Ary and Alex" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/entertainment/11/16/jade-3.jpg"/><figcaption>Alfred Vargas with daughters Ary and Alex</figcaption></figure></div>Among the courses are piano, voice, guitar, violin, drums and saxophone lessons. Students can learn to harmonize, blend and perform with other artists through choral singing, music, rhythm and movement, ensemble singing, dance, musical theater workshop, music theory and production. “I think that’s the thing that inspires my students the most,” Riccio admitted. “We are able to sing in different genres. I am workaholic. I am very passionate in what I do. You can just imagine all the efforts that we shared to mount this recital with all the students.“We performed with a live orchestra. This is the first concert I put up. It was my first time directing, as well. I’m the music and artistic director of the concert. I wasn’t able to sleep last night.”<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Kristine Hermosa with daughter Ondrea Bliss" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/entertainment/11/16/jade-4.jpg"/><figcaption>Kristine Hermosa with daughter Ondrea Bliss</figcaption></figure></div>Riccio has around 300 students and 23 coaches at RMA Studio Academy. But for the concert, there were 26 students who performed.The youngest among Riccio’s students is Amari Sotto, the second to the youngest in the Sotto brood of six children. Ever since his daughter was two, Amari already loved to sing. “May vibrato na siya when she sings,” the dad proudly said. “Her mom also sings, but not anymore. She’s busy with the family and with social media.”Twenty-two-year-old Niña Campos, a two-time Aliw awardee, is the oldest student at 22. She was the one who opened the show with “Art is Calling for Me,” with pianist GJ Frias.<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Cesar Montano and Sunshine Cruz, with brother Diego Loyzaga (extreme right) and Cesar" s="" girlfriend="" came="" to="" support="" Samantha="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/entertainment/11/16/jade-5.jpg"/><figcaption>Cesar Montano and Sunshine Cruz, with brother Diego Loyzaga (extreme right) and Cesar&#x27;s girlfriend Kath, came to support Samantha Cruz</figcaption></figure></div>What followed was a string of her solo numbers like “Je Veux Vivre,” Bachianas “Brasileiras No. 5,” One Republic’s “Secrets,” translated into Italian, “The Winner Takes It All,” where she was joined by Riccio, and a hair-raising rendition of “The Prayer (Aking Dasal)” in Tagalog, with Pepe Herrera.The students rendered a Queen medley – “We Will Rock You,” “Love of My Life,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “This Thing Called Love” and “We Are the Champions.”Maymay Entrata’s “Amakabogera” was rendered by the young students – Scarlet Snow Belo and Amari Sotto, Olivia Manzano Reyes, Aliyana Alvarez and Caitlyn Stave, among others.Meanwhile, Ondrea Sotto, Alex and Ary Vargas, Samantha Cruz, Manzano-Reyes and Alvarez were among those who sang a medley of “You’ll Be in My Heart” and “Girl On Fire.”Riccio performed “I Wanne Be Like You” with sax diva Nicole Tejedor Reluya, joined by Keito Hayano, Pepe Herrera, RMA soloists and students.Among the celebrity parents who supported, cheered and clapped for their children were Oto Boy Sotto and wife Kristine Hermosa, who were there for their only daughter, 12-year-old Ondrea Bliss.“Nakita ko ‘yung potential ng bata,” said Hermosa. “Siya ang may gusto nito. Sabi ko, ito ‘yung wala ako.“First time niya to take voice lessons and first time to perform onstage. We are all so proud of her. I always remind her to just do her best in everything that she does and do it for God.“Sometimes, she asked, ‘Why do I do this?’ I tell her, you’re making God happy. I love singing so I always sing at home.”The four boys – Kiel, Caleb, Vin and Isaac – play the piano, while Ondrea has been practicing the ukulele. Meanwhile, dad Oyo Boy always asked his daughter if he she always practices the songs that Teacher Jade teaches her. “I always get a positive answer,” he said.“We watched her in the rehearsals, but tonight, kinakabahan kami talaga. Iba pa rin ang actual performance.”As for Scarlet Snow Belo, her dad said: “We encourage her to try everything like dancing, sports, playing the piano, singing. She really made a lot of friends here and she enjoyed it. She’s Miss Congeniality here. Her friends are all teenagers.“I don’t know if she has interest in performing, but she loves to sing. I think she did very well in the concert recital. We’re very proud of her. Obviously, she took after her mom, but we vocalize together.”Estranged couple Cesar Montano and Sunshine Cruz were also in the auditorium to support their daughter, Samantha, with brother Diego Loyzaga.Alfred Vargas was a proud dad after seeing his daughters Ary and Alex performed onstage.Andi Manzano-Reyes also brought her hubby, GP Reyes, mom Rose Manzano, as well as two younger daughters, Amelia and Lucia, to cheer on eldest daughter Olivia.Couple Rambo Nuñez and Maja Salvador came for the former’s niece, Aliyana Alvarez, also the first grandchild of Marilen Nuñez.More from the Sotto clan came to show support for the two girls, Ondrea and Amari. Pauleen Luna, Danica Pingris and Ciara Sotto were in the audience.Other celebrities were Nadine Samonte, Cristalle Belo-Pitt and Lance Raymundo.At the helm of “Art Is Calling for Me” is Joey Nombres, with Ervin Lumauag as choirmaster, Ela Figura as Creative Assistant and Jesryl Black as dance coach.Groups who backed up the RMA students were Manila String Machine, Ballet Manila, and PIMA Guitar Quintet.

Celebrities trooped to the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium at RCBC Plaza over the weekend, to watch and support their kids in their debut performance.