Arts & Culture

The Brown Academy of Music Cultivates Homegrown Talent

Artists of different sorts have continued to reign in Cebu’s local scene for more than a decade. These homegrown talents from the same Bisaya roots continue to make names for themselves and their respective crafts, shining a spotlight on the fields of music, theater, and film, to name a few.

Filipina singer and actress Anna Fegi-Brown, recognized by her powerful voice, high vocal range, and trademark curly hair, established her own academy for the arts of performance—the Brown Academy for Music with her beau, Adam Brown, who is both a musician and a music educator from the United states.

Anna is well known for her appearances in international and national stages, a long way from her humble beginnings with auditioning for Ryan Cayabyab for a pop group. It has always been her dream to establish a music school to give everyone equal chances to learn about music.

“We planned BAM while performing abroad in 2014 and 2015 and came back to Cebu in August 2015 to start putting everything in place from scouting locations to early marketing and hiring faculty members,” shares Anna.

The musician pair’s dream academy opened in early 2016 where they started off with about 9 staffers and had 40-50 students enrolled. Its headquarters were at the Northgate Centre in Banilad. It was a truly a far cry from today’s 260 talented students serenading the metro with oozing musical talent.

All the while performing abroad, Anna and Adam would plan out everything for the school from the curriculum down to the classroom setups. They took time to iron out everything and gather enough resources to establish the academy, plus having the opportunity to travel to nearly 60 different countries, which then became their inspiration when setting up the school.

“In two and a half years, our enrollment has gone up 650%, our faculty size has almost doubled, and the size of the school has tripled,” shares Anna of her talent-developing Academy. Just last year, Anna shares that a lot of her students’ parents kept requesting dance classes since they were already enrolling their children in voice lessons. Outsourcing local talent Monica Orellano of the Knapsack Dancers was a big step for them to take to develop their Academy.

Brown Academy of Music (BAM) has taught over 1,500 students since opening its doors in January 2016. Age truly doesn’t matter when it comes to enhancing your talent as their students range from just over a year old to those all the way up to 70 years old. With over 10 major culminating shows, there have been over 850 talents performing on stage.

“One of our long-range goals is that the music scene in Cebu is recognized as an equal to Manila. It would be nice that one day, artists have the option to stay and perform in Cebu rather than having to leave in order to make a living,” shares Anna.

When asked about their major strength, the dynamic duo highlights how they bring their own experience in performing into the school. Teaching music is not just a hobby for her and her husband, aside from it being their area of expertise, it continues to be their passion for over a decade now.

“When we are in front of the students and teaching them, we have been in their shoes as students and as young performers on stage,” Anna muses.

Passing on the talent and skills, the Academy’s Elite BAMStars, is a group who auditions every year to get in and a group that the duo personally and directly produces. The students have also had the chance to perform in shows with major stars both locally and internationally, with whom they have shared lasting experiences and insights with, having a glimpse of the showbiz industry.

Sharing the Academy’s pride, Anna shares that it continues to exist with the aim of bringing true music education to Cebu. Providing the highest quality music education, based upon the fundamentals of music, wherein students would be able to find their own voice, nurturing their creativity and artistry is what makes the Brown Academy of Music live on.

The vision to create a world-hub of music education that enhances the music and arts community of Cebu and elevates the local community on the national level has been the root of everything the Browns have gone through to make the Academy possible. Creating melodies and speaking one’s heart out through music was is what BAM is trying to establish in Cebu, and in its 2nd year of existence, it continues to live on the dream, one stage at a time.

Related Topics:Adam Brown Anna Fegi Brown BAM Brown Academy of Music Local talent

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Arts & Culture

Queer Coding in Cinema: The Best Shows to Binge for Pride Month 2025

compiled by Edge Javier

As Pride Month 2025 goes into full swing, the best way to celebrate LGBTQIA+ voices is with a binge-worthy lineup of shows that center queer stories, joy, love, resilience — and yes, of course, drama. From groundbreaking recent series to must-watch staples and fan favorites, here are the top shows to stream this June that reflect the vibrant spectrum of the queer-coded experience.

1. Heartstopper – Season 3 (Netflix)
Nick and Charlie are back, and the coming-of-age sweetness is stronger than ever. Season 3 explores deeper emotional territory while keeping the wholesome tone fans adore. Expect more queer joy, nuanced relationships, and tearjerker moments that feel like a warm hug.

2. Drag Me to Dinner (Hulu)
Hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, this chaotic culinary competition pairs drag duos in a battle to throw the most fabulous themed dinner party. With outrageous challenges, surprise twists, and plenty of camp, queens serve up equal parts food, flair, and fierce shade. It’s RuPaul meets Top Chef—served with a side of sequins.

3. Queer Planet (Apple TV+)
Hosted by Janelle Monáe, this visually stunning docuseries dives into queerness in the animal kingdom and parallels in human identities. It’s smart, groundbreaking, and perfect for those who want to feel seen—and informed.

4. Fellow Travelers (Paramount+)
This period romance-drama set during the Lavender Scare continues to grip audiences with its tragic beauty and sharp historical insight. If you missed Season 1, now is the perfect time to catch up before the highly anticipated Season 2 lands later this year.

5. The Buccaneers – Season 2 (Apple TV+)
The unapologetically queer period drama returns with more scandal, sapphic yearning, and feminist rebellion among American heiresses navigating high society in 1870s London. Think Bridgerton, but with more edge and better sapphic representation.

6. Our Flag Means Death – The Finale Special (Max)
This fan-favorite pirate rom-com wraps up with a one-hour finale special airing this June. Whether you’re rewatching from the start or jumping into the last hurrah, this show remains a shining example of queer love told with heart and humor.

7. This Is Me Now… The Series (Prime Video)
Following Jennifer Lopez’s genre-blurring film-musical hybrid, the series version delves into themes of love, identity, and self-acceptance, and features cameos by queer icons and allies. It’s campy, messy, and made for Pride Month mood-boosting.

8. Sort Of – Final Season (Max)
This critically acclaimed dramedy about a gender-fluid millennial navigating love, grief, and identity in Toronto comes to a close with an emotionally rich final season. A thoughtful and often hilarious story that never loses its beating heart.

9. Red, White & Royal Blue – Limited Series (Prime Video)
After the hit film adaptation, the beloved queer romance returns in a serialized format, expanding on Alex and Henry’s story with new twists and deeper character arcs. It’s romantic escapism, elevated.

10. POSE: The Legacy (FX/Hulu)
This documentary miniseries honors the cultural legacy of POSE and the real-life ballroom legends who inspired it. Featuring interviews with cast, creators, and icons from the scene, it’s a must-watch tribute to queer history and resilience.

Whether you’re looking for laughter, tears, romance, or revolution, these Pride Month picks for 2025 offer it all—while honoring the complexity and beauty of LGBTQIA+ lives. So press play, turn up the volume, and let queer stories shine this June and beyond. Happy Pride! 🏳️‍🌈

Arts & Culture

Chaos and Clarity: Zen Aesthetic in Oj Hofer’s Art

by Jing Ramos |

Oj Hofer, our fashion contributing editor, is a Fine Arts graduate from the University of the Philippines. Though he began painting at the age of eight, his artistic journey took a transformative turn in 2013. While volunteering as a costume designer for Siddhartha: The Musical, he encountered Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s One-Stroke Calligraphy, sparking a deep devotion to Japanese sumi-e painting and kanji calligraphy. Over the years, he refined his craft, using his art to share the Dharma through exhibitions while supporting the Hsing Yun Educational Foundation. In 2022, his spiritual path deepened at Nan Tien University, where he embraced Zen and Humanistic Buddhism, shaping his artistic philosophy.

“Plum Blossoms in Moonlight.” Serigraphy on abaca.

In his recent works, Hofer merges traditional calligraphy with serigraphy, drawing inspiration from his friend Charles Lahti—an internationally recognized New York-based painter and printmaker. Lahti, known for his collaborations with post-war American artists like Robert Rauschenberg, Donald Judd, Andy Warhol, and LeRoy Neiman, introduced Hofer to silkscreen techniques. Through a workshop Lahti conducted in Cebu—arranged by their mutual friend Greg Urra—Hofer integrated silkscreen into his Zen artworks, particularly those on abaca.

“The Circle of Harmony” Serigraphy and Calligraphy on abaca.

Hofer’s cross-disciplinary approach challenges conventional Zen aesthetics. His layered paintings on abaca may seem far from tranquil at first glance, but closer contemplation reveals a meditative core. His serigraph of an Enso circle, for example, initially appears chaotic, filled with Tang Dynasty poetry and overlapping, repetitive forms. Yet, by focusing on a single calligraphic element, the viewer experiences a moment of clarity—a glimpse of awakening within the visual complexity.

“Monkey Mind” Serigraphy and Calligraphy on abaca.

Even more engaging is his diptych Monkey Mind. At odds with the traditional Zen emphasis on negative space, this piece is deliberately busy, reflecting the restless nature of the mind. A distracted viewer may struggle to find a focal point, but one attuned to emptiness and presence will perceive clarity amidst the seeming disarray.

Ink and intention—creating calligraphy in support of one of my advocacies.

By fusing Zen philosophy with the discipline of serigraphy, Hofer invites his audience to look beyond surface impressions and discover stillness within movement, balance within complexity. His art does not merely depict Zen—it embodies the paradoxes at its core, offering a path to mindfulness through the act of seeing and the experience of doing.

Arts & Culture

What is Sappia? The Rice Myth Goddess of Bohol Who Helped Feed the People During a Great Famine

by Emma Gomez

The story began when the people of Bohol started to experience hunger and famine. All the livestocks were inedible and the fields were dried out leaving only weeds planted on the ground. The people prayed to the goddess of mercy, Sappia, to ask for food.

Sappia, the rice myth goddess of Bohol

Sappia, from the heavens, heard the cries of the people. She saw the dense population of weeds and offered to help them. Sappia thought of nourishing the weeds to be edible and healthy for the people of Bohol. Straightaway, she sprinkled the weed with milk from her bossom. She emptied each breast until blood came out. Before she left, she whispered to the weeds that they may be nourished and be able to feed the people.

When harvest season came, the people of Bohol quickly gathered the nourished weeds. They observed that the ones sprinkled with milk were white, while the other were red. They called the new plant rice and they replanted these in honor of Sappia, and for the people to devour.