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Testimonials
My husband and I just listened to "Castaway", and I have to tell you that it is one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard in my life. It's ethereal! Excellent work, Rodney! I can't wait to buy the album.
- Carman F. (USA) |
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About Rodney
Biography, achievements and accomplishments .
Who is Rodney Ronquillo?
Who am I you may ask and why are you on this site?
Perhaps you found this site on google, through a friend's website, may at some local outing (if you're from Toronto.)
As you can see from this website, I am a musician. But I do more than just the usual piano playing (that you can see from my photo in the header on this website.)
Well, let me take you through my Biography, to give you a better Idea of where I began and how I became this musician that you are reading about in front of you now.
Born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, I am the first of three children to Filipino parents. After 6 months adjusting to the world around me, we moved to a suburb in the east end where I would grow up with my brothers.
Around the age of four, my mother brought me to the Yamaha music schools, where I would spend 6 months learning the ABCs of piano. I did not really feel comfortable with my piano teacher, that much I can tell you.
I dropped out of piano school after some confusion with my schedule - i had an early piano lesson and to a kid, it still means the same thing in timing. When I finished my class, i didn't see my parents. I had thought they would never come back. So at the age of four, I walked home on my own.
For the next couple of years, I worked on my art skills. I took an interest in Charlie Brown and Snoopy.
The turning point came in the sixth grade, when a girl in my class was playing piano. I was very much interested in her, and thought that if I could play piano, I might be able to ask her out.
So at the age of 12, I went back to piano lessons and spent more time learning.
Turns out that even though I was able to connect with her, I was too shy to ask her out. So I spent more time on the piano than I did working on asking her out.
One weekend during that time, I discovered that I had perfect pitch, which is the ability to recognize pitches without the use of an instrument. I also found that I could imagine up songs and actually play them out; whatever was in my head would end up on the piano keys.
I later went to study at the Ontario College of Art and Design, mostly because I wanted to get a job in design and not have to make music become a boring study; I wanted it to be fun.
After I graduated from College and started work as a designer, I saved up every penny I could to build my recording studio.
I eventually worked with a couple of singers and produced my first CD. Not a financially affordable endeavour, but it was something to start with.
I later got to work on a compilation CD with Jim Stoeber, a fellow producer from Winnipeg, whom I later became friends with. We've worked on over 5 CD projects since.
Besides Winnipeg, my work has also spanned the other side of the globe - Europe. I got the pleasure to work with a young artist by the name of Jamie Stevens in Cologne, Germany. We've worked on over three albums together, some of them hitting the charts in Cologne.
All of the producing, collaborating and songwriting was fun, but I wanted to venture more into another world that I had been wanting to try for so long, which was to be a singer-songwriter and performer. With this, I enrolled in singing lessons with the Royans School for the Performing arts. I was so happy with the results that I decided that this was going to be the school for me.
I later met my future significant other, Chyrell Samson (a local singer) and produced her first debut CD. Upon discovering that I could sing, she and I worked together as performers for many events and functions. So many doors were opened from there. We were also known for singing "The Prayer" at many weddings.
Through the Royans School, I got a chance to work with many students and talented artists. The one student that I worked with but never knew much about his background was Brian Melo. We recorded harmonies together at Metalworks Studios in Mississauga, Ontario. Jokingly, i always forgot his name, but he never forgot mine.
On September 11th, 2007, I definetly would not forget his name because he was later crowned Canadian Idol. There is a saying that you never know who you'll work with or associate with - because everyone is a potential star.
So, that's pretty much my biography. In a nutshell, I am Singer, Songwriter, Keyboard and Piano Player, Composer, Arranger, Producer and Recording Engineer. In short, a musician with many hats, but a musician nevertheless.
My mission is to be able to leave every gig and every recording that I do with audiences having a smile on their face. Smiling because they were touched and inspired, understood and comforted, and most of all, enjoyed the musical experience that I created for them.
That pretty much sums it up for sure.
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Untitled Document
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Be sure to check out my upcoming events:
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