KZ to show what hard work means as Top Class mentor
MANILA, Philippines — KZ Tandingan knows that it takes talent to shine. But she also believes that success comes to those who never fail to work hard.
Having been tapped as the vocal mentor of Top Class: Rise to P-Pop Stardom, the Asia’s Soul Supreme is set to instill the value of hard work in the Top 30 trainees. They will undergo a battery of tests and rigorous training for several weeks to determine who among them have what it takes to be part of a P-pop group.
“I’m super excited and happy for this, but of course, I feel a bit nervous since I am not used to imparting lessons on singing as a mentor,” KZ told The STAR about her new endeavor after a mall show at the Glorietta Activity Center last Sunday to drumbeat the P-Pop talent reality competition. “Dati kasi may mag-papa-critic lang sa akin, asking what I can say to this and that and then I just directly tell my observation.”
The Cornerstone Entertainment artist added, “This is my first time to really sit down and do the explaining regarding my work or about singing.”
The state-of-the-art campus of National University Laguna will serve as the home of Top Class with KZ teaching the ABCs of vocal music performance in a classroom setting, mentoring multiple trainees at a time.
She said mentoring requires a lot of patience to really connect with her “students.”
“It’s much different when you’re in front of people singing kasi kung ano yung gusto mong ayusin sa sarili mo, you can easily point it out and improve, but if you are actually standing in front and trying to teach another person or trying to have another person improve his craft, kailangan ng mas mahabang pasensya.”
KZ deems it necessary to put herself in their shoes “to understand their feelings. For example, if I am one of the boys, would I appreciate someone teaching me in a harsh way or would I absorb things better when they are told in a fun way?,” she said. “So, as a mentor, you really have to be patient and strict, but at the same time you should not make them hate the lesson. Hindi rin kasi sila matututo kung hindi ka strict.”
All the mentors, including Brian Puspos (dance) and Shanti Dope (rap) have already met the trainees. KZ said she has just started giving lectures to them along with the challenges they must surpass, “but they are not pushed to the limit yet since we are still in the first stage.”
As much as possible, KZ tries to make her approach less complicated by trying to find a balance in everything — from the lessons to the challenges — including her attitude towards them.
“Hindi ako maluwag at hindi rin naman ako sobrang strict because if I become very strict, I just might end up making them hate the craft na tipong ayaw na pumasok dahil feeling nila hindi sila p’wedeng magkamali. I believe that they should see the classroom as a safe space for everybody at kaya ka pumapasok ay para matuto. Mentors should not expect excellence right away. My duty is to make them enjoy the process of learning. It should be challenging but fun,” she said.
KZ, too, can’t wait for the day when all the trainees get to undergo the rigorous tasks.
“I’m excited to see what the outcome would be once they are pushed to the limit. Two things can happen: it’s either they grow beyond what they are today or they break and get eliminated in the competition.”
This early, KZ can easily tell that most of the boys, if not all, have a great chance to rise to the top.
“All of them can sing but still, there are those who really stand out,” she shared. “However, it’s not the end of the road for others because as an artist, I believe na talo ng masipag at matiyaga ang may talento.
“One must not fail to work hard and that is what I am going to repeatedly tell them and I will show them what hard work means,” she added.
In fact, one famous cager once said that hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.
According to KZ, there is another coach who will share techniques in performing and they will work together in harnessing the boys’ vocal power.
As a product of a talent search herself, the singer-songwriter was asked to give her pieces of advice to the Top Class trainees and her answers were, “I always tell them at the end of every session that if you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail. So, you have to put in the work because if not, then don’t expect to get the best output. Excellence doesn’t happen overnight. You need to work hard for it.”
With a lot on her plate these days, KZ never denied that she does not get to spend as much time with her husband TJ Monterde.
“I think it’s a big factor that he knows what being in this kind of industry requires of us since we are in the same boat, so to speak. This year, I did not get to spend my birthday with him because he had a gig. I was sad because my husband was not around on my special day, pero may mga araw na mangyayari talaga yung ganun. But we always make sure to spend quality time together whenever we get the chance.”
(Top Class: Rise to P-Pop Stardom, a joint production of TV5 through Cignal Entertainment, Cornerstone Entertainment and Kumu, will air every Saturday beginning today at 5 p.m. on TV5 and will stream on Kumu. Host is Catriona Gray with Albie Casiño and Yuki Takahashi as co-hosts. For updates, follow Top Class on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube and Kumu.)
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