Miguel feels down after the Probation Night

June 30, 2008 12:46 AM

For some reason, Miguel seemed to be a little down after the Probationary Night. His co-Scholar Iñaki couldn’t help but notice his long face, so he asked him what his problem was. Miguel was obviously hesitant to open up. Though Iñaki was so insistent, Miguel still kept his mouth shut.

When Hansen entered the room, Miguel openly shared his thoughts. He admitted to him that he was feeling quite emotional due to a lot of things. His first concern was with his org and his orgmates. Miguel just couldn’t help but compare his group with the Hansen’s. Since Hansen’s group seemed to be more “organized” than his, he couldn’t help but ask questions on how they were able to keep themselves together. Hansen said that it was probably brought about by all his teammates’ love of fun. All of them just wanted to have fun, and probably that’s their common ground.

Miguel admitted that behind his team dilemma are his issues with some specific Scholars in his group. He was having quite a hard time dealing with some of them probably due to some cultural and age differences. He also noticed that fight for superiority within their group was rampant, which was probably the cause of their team’s lack of unity.

One apparent product of this lack of unity was the voting results a little earlier in the Second Probationary Night. Unlike team Pupilars who supported their two teammates, Sheng and Cris, in an unstable situation through their votes, some members of One Voice ended up voting against their own orgmate Jet. Miguel was included in this some who turned against their teammate.

After the voting, he couldn’t help but be doubtful of his decision. He felt as if it was a form of betrayal on his part, and he grew a little concerned of the idea that Jet might take the event against all of them.

On the other part of the Academy, Jet was having a word with Ross, one of his two orgmates that didn’t cast his name on the ballot. Could Miguel’s hunch be right? Could the topic of Jet and Ross’ discussion have something to do about the voting? Find out by staying tuned on Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2.

Jet and Sheng are on probation

June 29, 2008 11:24 PM

Unfortunately for the two organizations inside the Academy, they would have to go through the rest of the week only with basic necessities. With 6.03 and 6.18 GPAs for One Voice and Pupilars respectively, both teams failed to hit the 7.5 passing GPA that should have earned them their allowances for this week. Their low grades only reflected how disappointed the jurors were on their performances yesterday.

The Bottom Four for this week were Sheng, Cris, Jet, and Bea. Sheng wasn’t able to please the jurors. Isay Alvarez admitted that Sheng’s choice of song greatly affected their decision. She also said that Sheng somehow had problems with the song’s high notes. Cris’ problem, on the other hand, was the arrangement of her song. As Louie Ocampo said, it was somehow inappropriate for the song considering some factors, like its message. For Jet, sadly, he had quite a lot of noticeable flats that ruined his over-all performance. As for Bea, her talent was obviously raw, and unfortunately, the jurors took that against her. She was somehow problematic with intonation and projection on the stage.

Among the four, Jet and Sheng were the two left under probation. The Dream Mentors chose to save Bea because they saw a great potential in her that they would like to enhance. Cris, on the other hand, was given a second chance through the help of her co- Scholars through the revised voting system.

Most of the Scholars decided that Jet has to go after his votes outnumbered the other Probationary Scholar Sheng’s with 10-2. Do you agree with them or do you think he deserves another chance?

Vote now to show your support. text PDA(space)(name of Scholar) and send it to 2331 for Globe, Touch Mobile, and Sun Cellular subscribers or 231 for Smart, Talk 'n Text and Addict Mobile subscribers. Voting will be open until the next Gala Night, wherein the results will also be announced afterwards.

Keep yourself updated by staying tuned to Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2 Uberture and Primetime Edition.

The scholars go treasure hunting

June 29, 2008 5:06 PM

For the treasure hunting activity, the scholars had to dig in a gold chest that contained items significant of their best friends. Each had to recollect a memorable experience with it and share this to the class.

Star Scholar Liezel picked a picture with masks drawn on it. She and her friends were members of the drama club in high school and they grew closer in this organization. Apple dug a German album which represented her half-German friend.

Van, Sen and Bunny had food as a representation of their friends. “Saging” is Van’s nickname in a computer game where he met some of his friends. Sen and his twin on the other hand used to save up pennies to buy gummy bears. Bunny got sentimental as she remembered fishball bonding moments with her girls.

Jet retrieved a vintage shirt from the chest since he and his buddy used to talk about bands and rock and roll. Ross had a basketball which reminded him of his bud who urged him to play the sport. Later on he discovered his skill and became part of a college basketball league. Through a black box, Iñaki was reminded of his friend who was with him all throughout.

Cris remembered her godchild as she withdrew a blanket from the chest. A framed photo had Christian in tears as he recognized his best friend whom he lost contact with. Bugoy recalled the first meeting with his pal as he recovered a rosary drawing.

While Laarni had a pair of jeans, Bea’s keepsake was a Disney poster. Sheng had a unique pearl item gift which she and her friends had fun wishing on. Miguel was a standout since he didn’t have any particular person in mind, but rather treated horror movies as his best friend.

After which, everyone had to give a chocolate to their closest friend in the Academy. Cris and Liezel traded chocolate kisses while Iñaki and Miguel were each other’s buds. Hansen was torn between Bugoy and Van but decided that his little bro, Bugoy was the most special. Who did the others give their chocolates to? Check out this story and see the second batch of Probationary Scholars later on Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2!

Sheng gets upset with Gerard’s comments

June 29, 2008 3:28 AM

Among all the three jurors in the Second Gala Night, Gerard Salonga somehow stood out all throughout the show. Simply put, he was frank and quite tactless. His words were spared of a lot of sugarcoating that his co-jurors tried to maintain. It was quite hard not to notice all the comments he left because of their sharp quality. Unluckily for Sheng, she was one of the chosen dartboards.

As for his over-all evaluation of Sheng’s performance: he didn’t like it. He said it was somehow a pretentious act. He assumed that what she had showed them wasn’t really who she is, so all he could say to end Sheng’s misery was “practice harder and listen to your coaches.”

After the Gala Night, Sheng seemed to be a little shaken, which some of her co-Scholars immediately noticed. In the living room, where she was around the comfort of her friends, she confided what was bothering her.

Unfortunately, Gerard Salonga’s assessment hit her big time. A little teary-eyed, she shared that she had received a lot of bad comments about her performances before, but she had never ever encountered someone like him. She said that his comment was too painful for her to accept.

Surprisingly, Sheng wasn’t only the one with the same concern. Cris, who was mocked by the same juror for coming up with a sexy rendition of the song Come Together, also felt a little insulted instead of boosted.

Before dinner, the Dream Mentors had a little inspirational talk with the Scholars. They performed a little ego-boosting activity to liven up the obviously exhausted Scholars. The Mentors openly shared how proud they were to see a lot of improvements in them. And probably aware of the little talk that some of the Scholars had, they also added the importance of criticisms on a performer. They elaborated that these things shouldn’t be taken negatively because, supposedly, it should be the basis of one’s improvement.

A lot of them heard quite harsh comments on their performance. It’s already their Second Gala Night, but it seemed as if they still haven’t impressed the jurors that much. On the upcoming Gala Nights, who do you think would stand out until the end? Stay tuned on Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2, and witness the dramas behind dreams.

Laarni finally bares herself

June 28, 2008 2:05 AM

Pupilars won the inter-org activity held last night called “Choco Do-Re-Mi.” With this win, team Pupilars broke One Voice’s lead with a tie.

With One Voice as the last round’s losing team, they had to face a corresponding consequence. Again, one from their team had to perform the said consequence, and this time, Laarni was the brave soul who volunteered to take it.

Ironically, the task was very much suited for Laarni. The main goal of the consequence is to boost a performer’s self-confidence and take away all his or her inhibitions. It is somehow a test of how “bare” a singer could possibly get performance wise, and in this case, literally.

Laarni, as One Voice’s representative, had to striptease in front of her co-Scholars while singing her piece for Saturday. Upon hearing of the task, doubt could be read from her eyes but she still decided to proceed. The show was held in the garden, where a cubicle made of a translucent cloth was prepared to separate her from her live audience.

Surprisingly, Laarni did the task without any hesitation, and according to her co-Scholars, it was definitely a good show. For the first time in her life inside the Academy, Laarni didn’t fear exposing herself in front of others.

After her show, Teacher Monet made an announcement. According to him, Laarni had to be transferred to the other team, Pupilars. This decision was said to be another aspect of One Voice's consequence—to lose a teammate to the other org.

Before the formal transfer, Laarni couldn’t help but be emotional in the middle of her speech. For the very first time, she came face to face with her emotions towards some of her teammates in One Voice. Somehow, she also got excited of the reassignment since most of her close friends happen to belong to Pupilars.

Now that Laarni already transferred team, will there be an improvement on her performance inside the Academy? Will her absence in team One Voice be a plus or a minus on the GPA of the said team? Watch Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2’s Gala Performance Night tomorrow and judge it yourself.

A day of fun and laughter before their judgment day

June 27, 2008 11:49 PM

Since the next Gala Night is only a sleep away, the Scholars are forced once again to preserve their voices by refraining themselves from talking a day before the said performance night. This said technique has been taught to them last week by the Headmaster himself. He explained that this habit is practiced even by our country’s renowned singers like Sarah Geronimo and Christian Bautista.

A lot of people may think that silence inside the Academy is somehow equivalent to boredom. Surprisingly, these Scholars seem to be really good in finding ways to entertain themselves without actually disobeying the Academy rules. Others found ways to mix work with pleasure, while others were simply concerned with having fun for fun’s sake.

Apple seemed to be persistent in mastering her song even without the words, so as a past-time activity, she quietly hummed her song. In search for the right melody, she joined the Romantic Crooner, Miguel, in the living room so that he could play the guitar as she practices her piece.

Just a few inches away from the two who were busy rehearsing, another kind of fun was at hand. A pseudo silent movie was initiated by no other than Bugoy. He conducted his own stand-up comedy show to amuse not only himself but also Bea, Bunny, Hansen and Van. He was not contented with that, so he decided to keep the show going by walking back and forth the living area, mimicking a supermodel. The main part of his show was his funny striptease dancing portion that made his co-Scholars roll over with laughter.

Apple noticed the commotion in the other end of the room, so she immediately stood up from where she was sitting to join the fun. She accompanied Bugoy on stage, and since there are already 2 performers, Bugoy’s solo impromptu performance turned out to be a silent love story which further amused everyone.

It seemed as if the Scholars took a day off from all the pressures of tomorrow night’s performance, but the question remains, “are they all ready for it?” Find out for yourself tomorrow on the live telecast of Pinoy Dream Academy’s Gala Performance Night.

One Voice’s rendition makes it to the wedding

June 27, 2008 7:37 PM

Early this week Mr. Art Samaniego a.k.a Mr. In-Love sent an e-mail requesting the orgs to compose a melody for his poem. He and his fiancée are tying the knot and he wanted the scholars’ touch on his wedding song. The Dreamers had been part of his and his fiancée’s life that he wanted to include them in the most important day of their life.

On Uberture, Mr. In-Love had to choose which among the two fantastic renditions he would want to use for his wedding. The Pupilars had an acoustic touch to theirs while One Voice had a choir element to it. In the end, Art chose One Voice since he connected with Jet’s performance.

Belonging is the category of the Top 5 countdowns. After two tension-filled weeks, the scholars genuinely started to bond.

Laarni seemed to start to fit in with her classmates as she fooled around with Christian. The two wrestled and pretended to do mock martial arts. Though hot champorado accidentally spilled on her, she was good natured about it and all laughed with her. Even when she had to entertain the scholars with a striptease as a consequence for losing last night’s chocolate game, she accepted it with no hesitation.

Bugoy was the center of attention as he admitted to not having his first kiss yet. Cris volunteered herself and gave him a smack.

The scholars’ spirits are high after spending quality time with one another. But will the peace remain when Sheng’s about to burst with anger on her uncooperative orgmates? Watch this story plus the continuation of Laarni’s striptease dare on the primetime edition of Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2!

Jet gets a scolding

June 27, 2008 3:49 PM

The day before their 2^nd Gala night, and the scholars weren’t ready yet. Some had difficulty in enunciation while the others had problems in breathing. Though they had expressive singing classes yesterday, some failed to internalize their song and connect with the others.

On top of this, Jet was a total disappointment as he was completely distracted and sang out of tune. Teacher Monet then took over the morning session with Teacher Kitchy and confronted the scholars.

Compared to everyone who also had an unsatisfactory performance, Jet’s presentation was the worst. Though Jet felt a bit off this morning, this was no reason to compromise his performance. Christian felt queasy the whole morning and was excused, but he delivered unlike the Video Jock.

Teacher Monet gathered the scholars in the living room and all fell quiet as the mentor vented out his frustrations. The In-house mentor observed that they hadn’t improved since Monday. The scholars were given the freedom to choose their songs but still they couldn’t carry it out properly.

The Voice Coach also wanted to lessen the feedback on the scholars imitating the cover artist and thus changed the arrangement. Though he invested effort, the scholars still failed to bring out their personalities in their number.

Though Teacher Monet was frustrated with their performances under par, he reassured them that he was there to help them develop and hone their talents. Will the scholars be able to make the necessary adjustments in their performances for their 2^nd Gala night? Catch this story and see what makes it to the Top 5 Countdown on Uberture!

Three problems inside the Academy

June 27, 2008 2:01 AM

In Direk Joey’s Media Performance class, the instructor couldn’t help but notice Van’s poor class performance yesterday. The concerned Scholar admitted that he was quite pre-occupied with a family concern while singing in front of his classmates, thus resulting to a substandard output. After class, Direk Joey decided to have a word with Van regarding this problem. Without hesitation, Van openly shared what was bothering him. According to him, he was feeling uneasy of the fact that he lied to his mother. He said that he hid the fact that he would be staying in the Academy for three months, at most, because he feared that his mom would not approve of it.

On the other hand, without Van’s knowledge, a certain Scholar is having a trouble of her own that pretty much concerns him. Feeling confused, Cris sought Bugoy’s advice regarding her budding love triangle with Van and Sen. With an air of frankness, Bugoy immediately told the Singing Interior Designer that it was still too early for her to decide, since she still doesn’t know the men concerned that well, yet.

And while Cris was stuck with a love problem, Chivas finally came face to face with his health problem. Having 3 health-related incidents already, the Academy got concerned with Chivas’ health status. Headmaster Ryan Cayabyab feared that if they let Chivas stay longer inside the Academy, it could actually pose danger to his health, so they decided to forcefully expel him for his sake.

The said decision has been thought about by the Student Father a lot of times before. He was feeling a little awkward of the fact that he was becoming a burden to his co-Scholars, and the Academy itself. Before the Headmaster actually gave out his decision, Chivas already came up with the same decision that he openly shared with Teacher Monet.

With Chivas’ exit, Laarni and Iñaki’s probation is now lifted. They will be saved from this week’s supposed expulsion night, since Chivas already took the honor of being the first one to leave the Academy.

For more updates on the latest happenings inside the Academy, stay tuned on Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2 and let the dream BIGin!

Bitter Sweet Academy

June 26, 2008 11:47 PM

Chivas’ unpredicted expulsion came as a surprise for everyone in the Academy. And if there would be someone who could taste the bitterness of his exit, it will definitely be his better half, Bunny.

Pupilars org sympathizes with Bunny. All of them know how hard it could possibly get for their teammate. As a form of support, the members of the said org are doing their best to keep Bunny’s mind off Chivas’ farewell, and up with other happy thoughts.

To help her stop thinking about the sad event that happened earlier, Pupilars also decided to switch their places around the dining table. They said that through this, Bunny wouldn’t have to bear with an empty seat beside her--the seat where her husband used to sit on.

On the brighter side of things, the Scholars were up for a “sweet” activity. In the middle of Teacher Monet’s explanation of the inter-org activity, the Scholars couldn’t hide their anticipation. The said activity would somehow be a fulfillment of their childhood fantasies because the exciting activity happens to involve a pool and chocolate.

The Scholars might need to relive their almost forgotten sweet tooth to join the game. Part of the activity requires them to dive in a pool of chocolate. The main goal of this game is to recover musical notes in the chocolate filled pool using their mouths. The said notes that they will gather will be placed on a board in sequential order. The first team to arrange the notes in the right manner wins.

Since this activity is another inter-org activity, each org’s performance in this activity could dictate whether or not they will be the working class for next week.

Pupilars org currently has one point on their scoreboard, while One Voice team is on the lead with 2. To find out whether One Voice defended their lead or Pupilars broke it with a tie, stay tuned on Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2 Uberture.

Chivas is expelled from the Academy

June 26, 2008 7:04 PM

Somehow all the scholars were breaking down this week one way or another. Best friends Bugoy and Sen still have an ongoing 'tampuhan' and Laarni seems not to be on speaking terms too with Bea. Van also broke down to Direk Joey and told the teacher about his problem with his mom.

However, Chivas wins hands down in the breakdown division. Last night Chivas told his wife Bunny that he was feeling a little off once again. Although he looked normal, saying he had no fever, he mentioned that he was feeling a little bit different. He asked Bunny to accompany him to the boys' room and before he even got a foot away from the sofa where the Pupilars were rehearsing from a task, he collapsed and went unconcious.

His having another attack led the mentors, specially Headmaster Ryan Cayabyab, to decide on expelling him from the Academy. As much as they wanted Chivas to stay because of his exceptional talent, they could not risk his health and also Bunny's, who was constantly worrying about him. Chivas accepted his fate with an open heart. Although he is saddened to leave his new found friends and wife behind, he knows that what has happened is the best solution not only for him but for everyone.

Uberture host Billy Crawford accompanied Chivas on his exit from the Academy. But before he stepped outside the Academy doors, he showered Bunny with kisses and gave each scholar a tight hug. Everyone was teary eyed to see him go. He was welcomed back to the outside world by his older sister and son.

Catch Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2's primetime edition later with Toni for the full story on Chivas' expulsion plus Van's tearful confession to the Performance Master about lying to his mother.

Expressive Singing with the Headmaster

June 26, 2008 4:16 PM

Mr. C introduced the technique of expressive singing and performance to the scholars. Since it was important to touch and transform the audience, he provided them with a technique of intensity that they could use in some songs to connect more with the crowd.

Maestro Ryan arranged a medley of his compositions by which all would have to sing and express their emotions to. The songs he chose were songs of desperation which required much internalization and feelings. He emphasized the need for urgency, intensity and desperation as they convey the message of the song.

As the scholars were paired and then sang their parts, Mr. C noticed a few glitches in their delivery. Hansen’s style was choppy and he compared it to a train that was off its track. Jet on the other hand was too serious with his and seemed angry as he sang.

The Headmaster called the first batch to sing the medley. Miguel, Bea, Iñaki, Jet, Apple, and Sheng then took their positions. Most of them had satisfactory performances however they lacked feelings. He called Sheng’s attention and demonstrated how to sing her part. The Stand-Up Comic’s delivery was choppy thus lost its intensity.

When the next batch had their turn, it only took a while for them to get their version. Christian particularly was praised for quickly learning the technique. The Small Boy Wonder was applauded by his classmates and he was used as an example all throughout the session. If Christian beamed with pride, Sen wasn’t a standout with his performance. He sang softly and there was no strength with it as it is too airy.

One Voice wins the Helium Singing challenge

June 25, 2008 7:13 PM

Earlier the orgs practiced singing the folk song, “Bahay Kubo” for today’s recess game. By harmoniously blending their voices, everyone was quite ready and was looking forward to winning. However they learned later from Billy that they would be inhaling helium from ballons and will be singing in chipmunk voices.

The Pupilars, who performed first, couldn’t sing in unison. One Voice saw this and turned this to their advantage. They signaled one another to gulp air all at the same time and everyone sang in perfect harmony. In the end, Billy and Teacher Monet decided that they had a better performance.

On the countdown are the top 5 events that needed “more practice”. Top Five was the scholars need to practice on their relaxation choreography. The orgs had to use facial exercises as dance steps in the said activity. Bea led One Voice while Sheng choreographed the Pupilars.

Top Four was One Voice’s need for practicing coordination and involving all their members in one activity. The Pupilars won the dance contest on the basis that they were united and had smooth communication with one another.

Top Three is Laarni’s possible need for practicing her cooking skills. Bea confronted Laarni and told her not to whine about the lack of food. Everyone was starving and yet they didn’t complain about it. Laarni defended herself and told Bea that she was just expressing what she felt and was not complaining at all. Miguel, who was present during this confrontation, sided with Laarni this time and told his girlfriend to stop.

Top Two on the list was Jet’s need to practice on his number for this Saturday’s gala night. The Video Jock couldn’t believe that he was part of last week’s bottom four. Jet was pretty sure that he would nail his Gala song, “Skyline Pigeon”. Too confident was he that he couldn’t admit that he wasn’t polished yet. During his practice with Teacher Monet he had a lot of excuses – he blamed the pitch, he had the voice mentor slow down the pace, and even said the song was difficult.

Top One was a funny sequence of events courtesy of Bugoy. The Farmer’s Son is a hilarious figure in the house convincing Van to lift him up for no reason at all, and then had him and Sen assist him in working out. Also, Bugoy kidded around with the other scholars as he dressed like an infant and baby talked.

Catch more chart topping events from the scholars later on Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2’s primetime edition! Turns out Bea and Laarni’s discussion became a full blown shouting match with Miguel telling his girlfriend to back-off. Would they still be able to fix this “problem” or will they need Teacher Monet’s intervention for the nth time? Don’t miss this!

The scholars sing with attitude

June 25, 2008 5:21 PM

Media Performance class with Direk Joey challenged the scholars to show their personality in singing. Each had the option of singing “Harana” or “If I Could Reach You” without mimicking the original artists.

Direk Joey started off the session by warning them against being copycats. Imitating their idols is not the only way to make themselves known in the industry. The audience most definitely doesn’t want a cover version of their rockstars.

To start of the challenge, Christian volunteered first to sing “Harana”. Bea noticed that it was the first time the Small Boy Wonder sang with a lower pitch. Direk Joey saw his potential on being cute and pushed him to sell that image.

Sheng required a mature audience as her number oozed with sexiness that Direk Joey felt it was too over the top. Iñaki was the opposite as his presentation was light, funny and amusing. However, he has yet to play it cool and to not try too hard.

Apple’s performance was sugar sweet and it seemed like she was scared of losing the child-like image. It was though as if she didn’t want to grow up in fear of people disliking her. Direk Joey hoped that in her next performance, she would project a womanly image and not a little girl.

On the other hand, Sen, Van and Ross disappointed the performance coach. Sen didn’t know the lyrics of the song and Van’s presentation was devoid of emotion that he was just asked to take his seat. Ross’ problem according to the director was that he was vain is very conscious of his looks.

Laarni was a revelation this afternoon though. The Independent Woman broke away from the fluidity of choir music and just let it all loose. Though the approach wasn’t the best for her voice quality, Direk Joey was impressed with her courage on trying something new.

If Cris had too many movements in her performance, Bea was too restricted and too reserved. Liezel on the other hand had that natural timbre to her voice which required less effort in conveying emotion. Bugoy was also the most sincere as he gave his signature RnB touch to the OPM song. The Farmer’s Son was advised however to be confident in singing.

Teacher Kitchy coaches the Pupilars

June 25, 2008 2:14 PM

The Pupilars had Teacher Kitchy all to themselves in today’s morning session and they took advantage of it. Before everything, they were gathered to vocalize and given a reminder to use their eyes to express themselves.

Though Liezel’s voice had that cool, clear quality she still had to work on deep breathing. Her “Count on Me” rendition needed that extra air supply for her to sustain long notes. Sen on the other hand had to emphasize the lyrics of the song to evoke the proper emotions.

Cris’ number was a bit complicated since she had to build up voice power on a single note. Teacher Kitchy then had her press on her abdomen to increase air supply. Bugoy was a bit tense with his piece and was advised to relax and massage his jaw.

While Sheng had problems in breathing, Christian was a bit uptight in singing. Bea had much difficulty in her number and the Voice Mentor had to guide her from style, technique and the technicalities of singing.

Laarni’s rendition of a Broadway musical was satisfactory. However, she had the habit of closing her eyes while performing. Miguel, who was with One Voice, was called in to practice his unique piece of an English-Mandarin version of “Farewell”. Will this version be Miguel’s winning piece for this Saturday’s Gala? Check out the PDA Multiply Site and tune in to Uberture for fresh updates!

Two birthdays

June 25, 2008 1:07 AM

In exchange of the opportunity to witness his second child’s birth, a special assignment was given to Jet. He had to make his co-Scholars go to bed early so that he could quietly creep his way out the door and straight to a lying-in clinic in Binangonan, Rizal, where her fiancée is about to give birth to their child.

He admitted that he and his fiancée were expecting a baby girl, but surprisingly, their blessing happened to be another baby boy. When he got back in the Academy, the excited father could not spill a word regarding his new baby. For him to do so, he had to perform another task – he had to drink blended saluyot juice from a baby bottle.

Without any hesitation, he did the task just to have the privilege of sharing his story regarding his newly born son. His stomach probably made some complaints, but his enthusiasm to take pride of the fact that he is now a father of two was enough inspiration for him to finish the whole bottle.

He felt so contented that he had a chance to be by his fiancée’s side as she gave birth to their youngest, and with that he was very thankful.

Aside from Jet’s son, Scholar Laarni also celebrated her birthday yesterday. It sure was a special day for Laarni, because for once, she felt that she belongs inside the Academy.

As an in-house teacher, Sir Monet greeted Laarni a happy birthday with a bouquet of flowers early that morning. Having a great morning greeting at hand, Laarni was inspired to prepare something special for her co-Scholars, so she made an apple jam for all of them. Most of her co-Scholars appreciated her effort, but sadly, her “in-house critics” made no exceptions. Even though it was Laarni’s birthday, Bea and Iñaki couldn’t help but make fun of her cooking due to her weird choice of mixtures.

Despite another backstabbing session, the day still remained to be Laarni’s. For Uberture, Billy Crawford paid her a surprise visit to personally greet her with a cake. After that, her co-Scholars also performed their surprise present for her—a song and dance number they had prepared that same morning.

It sure was a special day for Laarni, and she couldn’t be more thankful for it. Could this possibly be the start of her good relationship with all her co-Scholars? Find out on Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2.

Miguel jumps off the wagon

June 24, 2008 10:36 PM

It was only yesterday when Laarni celebrated her 23^rd birthday. To make up for her short-comings that some of her co-Scholars seem to notice every time, with complete details, she decided to prepare an apple jam for everyone. Most of the Scholars were impressed with Laarni’s effort to reach out to her co-Scholars. It only shows that she took their advice seriously.

While others had seen the good side of it, some just couldn’t stop finding flaws from this good deed and take her down once more. Included in this group are Laarni’s top two detractors, Bea and Iñaki. Being a cook herself, Bea couldn’t help but notice Laarni’s unusual choice of condiments for her recipe. She found it way too weird to add salt and oregano to an apple jam mixture, so they decided to make fun of it.

Their issue towards her didn’t end there. This evening, another incident shook the Academy upside down. In the middle of Bea and Laarni’s discussion in the dining room regarding a misunderstanding a little earlier, the little spark of conflict ended up engulfing both parties into the flames of a burning argument.

While the two were exchanging differing ideas, other Scholars couldn’t help but overhear the two who were already at the verge of shouting. Miguel was the one who approached the two to finally mediate. Unfortunately, his presence in between wasn’t enough to stop the two from exchanging hurtful words. Laarni finally blurted out her true emotions towards some of her co-Scholars. And as she did, tears couldn’t stop from flowing down her cheeks.

With the sight of Laarni crying, Miguel suddenly snapped. And before he knew it, he too was included in the raging argument. Surprisingly, Miguel took Laarni’s side. Miguel’s sudden change of mood made the other scholars nervous. They just couldn’t imagine how a quiet romantic turned out to be a roaring tiger.

Could this event turn things for the happy couple sour? Stay tuned on Pinoy Dream Academy, and know the exact details regarding the big dispute inside the Academy.

A series of “How Tos” on Uberture

June 24, 2008 7:11 PM

Uberture host, Billy Crawford once again invaded the Academy today and taught the scholars the art of popping, a kind of funk and street dance. The scholars tried to do the robotic step to the best of their efforts and Teacher Monet could not help but dance too. The Scholars turned the tables on Billy though for he was later given an impromptu pole dancing lesson with Sheng.

Uber Da Tops chart was also packed with “How To’s”. Fifth on the list was working out a la Christian. The Small Boy Wonder had unique moves on getting himself fit. He jogged while holding a baseball bat and later flapped his arms like a bird.

Top Four was a how to on pole dancing. Sheng showed her stuff on the pole and Cris tried hard to imitate her. However, the girls weren’t as adept in the “sport” as the boys were. Van, Bugoy, Sen and Christian took turns on the pole and did their moves with ease.

Top Three was how to sing for Bugoy. Liezel wasn’t that expressive in singing a love song in class because she hasn’t had a boyfriend yet. So Direk Joey advised her to think of someone to inspire, giving Bugoy as an example. The scholars teased them no end and even suggested they looked good together. As Liezel sang though, Bugoy made his goo-goo eyes at her.

How to eat rice per grain is today’s Top Two. Since One Voice didn’t seem to see the value of the rice they were eating, Teacher Monet gave them a punishment. For one week, the org had to eat rice in a small palayok using only a toothpick. Iñaki was all complains but Ross was still grateful that they had rice and something to eat at least.

Top One is a how to by Laarni on how to cook apple jam. Bea felt that Laarni is copying her fondness for making jam, and found it weird that she added some oregano leaves and salt in the concoction. She and friend, Iñaki then poked fun at the attempt. Cris on the other hand wasn’t too happy with how the others treated Laarni especially on her birthday. She confided this to Liezel who was also thinking the same.

Will Cris voice out her thoughts on Laarni and One Voice’s ill-treatment of her? Don’t miss updates on this and Jet’s second time to be a father on Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2’s primetime edition.

Inspiration plus perspiration

June 24, 2008 2:47 PM

To inspire the scholars to take their performances a notch higher, Teacher Kitchy showed them presentations of renowned singers. Some of which were Michael Buble, John Legend and Stevie Wonder. She had the scholars look closely at the relaxed facial muscles and correct posture to prove a point.

Also, the Overall Voice Mentor emphasized the importance of keeping away from vices and living a healthy lifestyle in order to preserve their voice quality.

After viewing the performances, the scholars were psyched to make an above average song number. However, they still failed to measure to Teacher Kitchy’s standards.

If Bea had the wrong choice of song, Apple lacked air supply due to sleeping late. Ross sang flat and had a shaky jaw while Miguel was advised to change the tone of some parts of his song. Iñaki’s version of “Superstar” was too uptight and his neck was stiff in trying to reach the notes. Laarni was emotionless and was urged by the mentor to believe the lyrics and lend life to the words. Jet was concerned on making a strong impact with his number but instead mistook it for volume and power.

Teacher Kitchy wasn’t all pleased with the practice and reminded them to absorb every bit of learning and experience. Truly, the scholars needed a whole lot of hard work to turn their renditions into dazzling performances. The Voice Mentor just hoped that they remain open enough to learn what they had to.

With less than a week before their next performance, will the scholars be able to absorb all information and technique for the show? Stay updated by catching Uberture with host Billy Crawford!

Paranormal activities fill the Academy

June 24, 2008 12:56 AM

Iñaki felt quite uneasy while he was chatting with some Scholars out in the garden. According to him, a different kind of aura seemed to have joined them in the middle of their conversation. With the eerie feeling outside, all of them have decided to go inside and stay in the living room instead.

In the middle of their stories, Iñaki felt the urge to look over his shoulders, which also led him to a quick peek inside the open girls’ room. He was astonished that at the view of Bunny sitting on the bed, Laarni’s head suddenly came out of nowhere, tilted in quite an unusual way, then everything turned black.

Too surprised of the strange view, he got too emotional that he ended up crying, and begging for some one to shut the room’s door. His co-Scholars had to walk him back to the boys’ room just to calm him down. When he was finally calm, he couldn’t help but disclose to his co-Scholars an accusation that Laarni could possibly be involved in witchcraft. He added that what happened a little earlier could probably a spell that Laarni did to him.

Laarni instantly denied this accusation when she had a chance to speak with Miguel. She said that she is not involved in any form of witchcraft. The only thing she is guilty of is having hard feelings against some of her co-Scholars who seem to be too hard on her.

While witchcrafts and other forms of sorcery were being discussed on one side of the room, Cupid had a spell of his own on the other side. Cris, Van and Sen seem to be building a “way-beyond-normal” relationship of their own. Van and Sen seem to like the Singing Interior Designer Cris, while the said lass seems to have an eye for Van. It sure smells trouble, considering that Cris also has a boyfriend waiting for her outside the Academy.

One Voice team becomes “picky”

June 23, 2008 10:35 PM

One Voice just got off the consequence of having no food on their tables for a whole week. One person stood for their team in order to get them out of the great dilemma. But just when they thought that food supply is not a problem anymore, Teacher Monet brings out another task that made them view eating in another perspective.

Issues on rice shortage don’t seem to bother the One Voice org in any way. As Teacher Monet noticed, the team was quite spendthrift with rice. It seemed as if that the One Voice Scholars had gotten used to digging up more rice than they can finish, and leaving wasted left-overs on their plates has become a usual habit.

To teach them a valuable lesson, Teacher Monet decided to give them a very challenging task that deals with the point of discussion itself -- rice. The Dream Mentor gathered the concerned team in the dining room, and then he started to give out small clay pots to each of them. Each clay pothas a cupful of rice in it, and a toothpick on top.

The Scholars were instructed to finish all the rice inside the bowl using nothing but a toothpick. The Scholars had to eat the cupful of rice grain by grain using their toothpicks. As another part of the instructions, a “no left-over” policy was also strictly applied.

As expected, the Scholars kept on whining about the task. Some Scholars were annoyed because the task will interrupt their “no rice” diet, and others kept on complaining because they figured that it was a mere waste of time.

Teacher Monet just couldn’t stand all the objections, so he decided to join the team in their misery, in order to prove another point. He said that a task is a task, and all they have to do is abide by the rules. He added that the task would surely take time, but that’s how their lesson should be taught.

How long will eating be such a burden for One Voice? Will One Voice finally learn their lesson this time? Watch Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2 to find answers, and stay updated on the happenings inside the Academy.

Happy Birthday Laarni!

June 23, 2008 7:40 PM

Billy Crawford made Laarni’s day when he surprised her with a cake on Uber today. He also introduced the special gift of her fellow scholars presented to her. Earlier this afternoon, the dreamers secretly practiced a song and dance number especially for the birthday girl. Sheng led the group and all did the L.A walk while singing “I will Survive”. Laarni couldn’t contain her excitement as she energetically sang along with her batch.

Last of the three gifts was a song number by Laarni’s choir mates, the Malate Church Choir. The group sang a heavenly rendition of the Headmaster’s composition, “Memorare.” Laarni couldn’t help but be brought to tears by the unexpected performance.

Intensity Five is today’s category for Uber da Tops. Top Five was the intense jealousy Bea felt towards Apple. The closeness between Apple and Miguel is becoming apparent to the scholars especially to the Sweet Chanteusse. However as much as she tried to warn Miguel with looks that could kill, he was completely oblivious.

The intense Kulitan between Van and Cris made it to the top four of the list. Cris was persistent in tickling Van and catching his attention which led to a series of kulitans between the two. Bugoy wanted to join in but the two were too into their “thing” that Bugoy felt left out.

Top Three was Iñaki’s intense cooking skills. Though he vowed not to do kitchen work since Bea’s critique of his sinigang, he was up the next day to prepare lunch. He was so intent on doing a fine job that he tasked Miguel to be his assistant, and even took tips from the expert chef herself.

Top Two was a voice message by Bugoy’s father. At first, the Farmer’s Son had second thoughts if he was hearing the message correctly. But when it was played the again, he burst into tears as soon as he realized it was indeed his father. Bugoy was advised by his tatay to mingle with the other scholars and always remember God.

Landing on the top spot was the class’ pole dancing lessons from Teacher Sheng. The Stand-Up Comic awed the rest with her exceptional skill on the pole. The girls seemed to have problems executing her lessons but the boys were able to twirl around the pole without any difficulty.

What events would make it to the list tomorrow? And how did the scholars fair in their first assignment from Mr. C? Catch this later on the primetime edition of Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2!

Proper Pronunciation with Teacher Kitchy

June 23, 2008 2:04 PM

Being a good performer isn’t just about delivering a remarkable performance. It is also important to send the message across. But how could they when the letters are poorly pronounced and the lyrics are misunderstood thus, disabling them to deliver effectively?

Teacher Kitchy noted the common problem of exchanging the f’s and v’s. Bugoy openly admitted to having this syndrome which he wanted to correct. The Overall Voice Mentor then gave them a few exercises on tongue twisters that would sharpen their muscle memory and make correct pronunciation second nature to them.

As for their performances last Saturday, the voice coach acknowledged everyone for giving a satisfactory performance despite the short amount of time. However, she still had a few pointers on how they could better their presentation.

If Laarni, Van and Miguel had tight facial muscles, Liezel, Ross and Christian were relaxed. Christian however, still had to work on his pitch while Van had yet to go all out on his performance.

Proper alignment was an issue for Iñaki, Jet and Sen. Chivas perfected it aside from being able to breathe correctly. Though his wife Bunny had good alignment as well, she had a tense voice which was a point against her.

Apple was praised for proper breathing but it wasn’t the same with Bea and Sheng. Bea particularly had to learn proper phrasing since cutting the sentence midway affects the emotional impact on the audience.

Cris, Bugoy and Jet on the other hand were advised on the technicalities of performing. Cris had her hat way down over her eye hindering her from connecting with the people. To give that oomph to his performance, Bugoy had to sustain the last note of his song. Jet was a comic figure to his classmates since he had that goofy smile all throughout which did nothing but tighten his facial muscles.

With all the critiques staring them in the face, would the scholars absorb and employ the necessary techniques to set the stage on fire for their next Gala night? Catch the latest updates on your favorite scholars on Uberture!

Laarni and Iñaki are the Season’s first Probationary Scholars

June 23, 2008 1:40 AM

The names Laarni, Iñaki, Christian and Bea were included in the list of Bottom Four Scholars. Fortunately for the last two, they were given another chance to prove themselves inside the Academy, thus leaving the other two under probation.

Christian found his second chance in the Dream Mentors’ hands. Given the opportunity to choose, the Dream-credible team had decided to retain Christian inside the Academy because they were moved by the Boy Wonder’s persistence. They said that compared to the other three Scholars, Christian was the one who had shown the greatest interest to learn, so they decided to give him that chance.

Bea, on the other hand, got off the hook through the other Scholars’ unanimous decision. She got eight out of the 13 votes. Her co-Scholars said that she deserves to stay inside the Academy because she still has a lot of things to learn. Her great relationship with other Scholars also served as her plus points.

As for the results of their group effort, Pupilars were able to hit the passing score with their 7.88 GPA. As promised, their 500-peso-per-student extra allowance for the week was handed over to them by no other than the Headmaster himself, Mr. C. Team One Voice, on the other hand, didn’t have the same privilege. Their GPA was only 6.86 – way lower than the passing which is 7.5. Unfortunately for them, they will have to survive the week only with basic necessities that the Academy will provide.

Laarni and Iñaki are now in a very crucial situation. In less than a week’s time will be the next Gala Performance Night. By then, one of them has to step out of the Academy and lose the chance of being hailed the Season’s Grand Star Dreamer.

Who do you think deserves to stay behind? Speak your mind and show your support to the deserving Scholar. To vote, text PDA(space)(name of Scholar) and send it to 2331 for Globe, Touch Mobile, and Sun Cellular subscribers or 231 for Smart, Talk 'n Text and Addict Mobile subscribers. Voting will be open until the next Gala Night, wherein the results will also be announced afterwards.

For more updates on the Scholars, stay tuned on Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2, where the dream BIGins.

Chivas seeks another visit to the hospital

June 22, 2008 10:41 PM

As most people know, the Student Father Scholar, Chivas, just got back in the Academy yesterday after spending a whole day in the hospital. He had an unexpected attack of hyperventilation syndrome while inside the Academy last Friday. This afternoon, Chivas needed to pay another surprise visit to the doctor.

Unfortunately, Chivas experienced a terrible headache few hours before the announcement of the first set of Probationary Scholars – too terrible that he was able to utter words that he could regret in the end. Probably delirious with the enormous pain he was experiencing, he blurted out to his better half his intention to leave the Academy. Surprisingly, Bunny didn’t even try to stop him in any way. Actually, she even said that if he wanted to go, then he might as well go as early as now. Upon hearing his wife’s response, it seemed that the sick Scholar got into his senses, so he ended up rephrasing his statement. Probably with the intolerable pain he was feeling, he limited himself with two choices: to consult a doctor as soon as possible or leave the Academy if its staff won’t allow him to do so.

Luckily, Chivas, together with his wife, were allowed to go outside, so that the sick Scholar could immediately seek proper medical attention. He had to undergo certain tests, including MRI, to check whether or not his headache is worse than it seems.

Now, the said Scholar is back in the Academy, but he still is under close observation until his test results are released.

Chivas’ health condition seems to be getting worse the longer he stays inside the Academy. Could his unstable health cost him his chance to be the next Grand Star Dreamer? If so, which of the two will he choose? Will he even have the privilege to choose after the doctors reveal their findings? Watch out for more updates on Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2.

Late night gossips

June 22, 2008 1:53 AM

The Scholars just finished the pressure of their first Gala Performance Night, now they are at the verge of relaxation back in the Academy. For most of the Scholars in the Academy, relaxation includes late night chit-chats mixed with juicy backstabbing sessions – something that they happen to be very good at.

In the middle of the night, a certain group of Scholars assembled outside. The main topic of their discussion was Laarni. According to some of them, Laarni lacks proper hygiene and personal care, and this irritates them at some point. Certain incidents all of them had shared certified this assumption of theirs. Aside from her unsanitary ways, certain issues regarding her attitude were also opened up. One famous complaint about her was her way of relating to her co-Scholars. Some said that she was too clingy, while some said she loves interrupting people in the middle of conversations.

And though some scholars take part on the backstabbing galore, there are also some who got somewhat annoyed with the idea, so they decided to take action rather than take part of the gossiping.

Included in this move to take action on the problem, a group of concerned Scholars decided to finally speak with Laarni. They tried hard to extract her true emotions, to finally have her share her thoughts to them. Slowly, they were able to do so, but they didn’t get to her core.

The one who was able to get through her was Miguel. Miguel invited Laarni to a one on one session to finally get to her senses the problems that their co-Scholars see in her. Another goal he wanted to accomplish in the small talk he had with Laarni was to make her feel that there is someone ready to listen to her in any case she needs someone to talk to. Miguel didn’t want Laarni to suppress her feelings, which could also later on lead to emotional instability on her part. He wanted to help her in his own little way.

What could possibly happen after Miguel’s one on one session with Laarni? Will things around the Academy change after it? Know for yourself by watching Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2.