DECEMBER SIX seemed like an ordinary day in the Loyola Schools. But Juniors Lester Cruz, John Paul del Mundo and Deane Miguel made sure that day would be anything but typical.
At four in the afternoon, around a hundred students were heading towards the Matteo Field with MP3 players in their hands and earphones plugged in their ears. As soon as the second bell for 4:30pm rang, they all pressed play.
Soon enough, students started yawning in exaggeration and giving each other high-fives. Then, they all headed towards SEC Walk and sat on the benches, pretending to ride a bicycle uphill.
Twenty minutes later, the students gathered at SEC Field, staging what looked like a humans versus zombies fight. Then, they stopped and pointed to the sky, as if catching the sight of an Unidentified Flying Object. The whole event was concluded by students blowing bubbles all over the area.
The event was the Ateneo MP3 Experiment. It was inspired by a similar experiment by ImprovEverywhere, a comedic performance art group based in New York.
Breaking routine
The idea of an MP3 experiment in Ateneo started when Miguel watched ImprovEverywhere’s MP3 experiment on YouTube. “I found [the MP3 Experiment] so hilarious that I just wanted one of my very own,” Miguel said.
She talked to Cruz and del Mundo, and then decided to push through with the plan after realizing how feasible it was.
Cruz said that it had always been his dream to “shake things up in school.”
“Personally, I really like breaking routines and boredom in places, so I guess that’s what got me inspired and excited for [the MP3 Experiment].”
Invites, music, logistics
The first step in organizing the Ateneo MP3 Experiment was to invite participants via Facebook.
“It was at that time of the year where nothing was really happening in school and there was very little to look forward to, so making this [MP3 Experiment] happen during this time made a lot of sense to us,” said Del Mundo.
A week after the invitations were sent, at least a thousand people had confirmed attendance to the event.
One of the participants was junior Ian Nathan Somosa, who was a fan of ImprovEverywhere. “When I heard via [a] Facebook event that someone decided to adapt the MP3 Experiment right in Ateneo, I was totally game for it,” he said.
Cruz and del Mundo recorded the music, while Miguel’s voice was recorded and pitched down to get the same “omnipotent voice” on the ImprovEverywhere MP3.
Cruz said that logistics was the “make-or-break” of the experiment, which was why they did a dry run a week before the event. “If the MP3 was too long for a certain activity, people would get bored and leave,” he added.
Synchrony
Minutes before the experiment was schedule to start, the sky was cloudy. “I thought it was going to rain and everyone might not end up going because of it,” del Mundo shared.
However, nervous thoughts were dispelled when the sky cleared up and people started arriving in Matteo Field.
Cruz said that he was smiling while the whole experiment was taking place.
Miguel agreed that the MP3 experiment was overwhelming. “Seeing everyone—all united by a single MP3 file—was amazing,” she said.
Since it was the first MP3 experiment held in the Ateneo, Somosa didn’t set his expectations too high. “I’m just glad a lot of people showed up, and that definitely made it a lot more exciting,” he said.
Senior Maria Therese Lansangan, meanwhile, also found the whole experience overwhelming. “I had a lot of fun! It was something you definitely don’t see every day,” she said.
Another experiment?
Miguel said to expect another MP3 experiment next year. However, Cruz said that “[The next MP3 experiment] will be different… and great.”
“As for other experiments, keep an eye out. We might just cause another ruckus somewhere,” Miguel added.
