New kids on the block

What do you get when you have five young and talented boys who dream of making it big in the local music scene? For Sam Joyner, that spells out a band in the making, needing just the right venue to hone the skills that they already have in buckets.

“The music is in their blood and I think they were pretty much born to be [musical] players,” Joyner said in an interview yesterday. “Right away, I recognized that we needed to form a band.
With a professional by their side, 11-year-old Jacob Ilo, 12-year-old Vincent Namauleg, nine-year-old Josh Borja, 10-year-old Jake Borja, and Raymond Villagomez joined forces with the intention of being part of the local music stream.

The band, known for now as the Ukulele Boys, was formed about four weeks ago. Joyner said the group is still thinking of an official name for the band. (He said they settled on the Ukulele Boys for now as all five members are adept in playing the ukulele.)

“We were in [Kagman Elementary School] jamming one day and to my surprise, I thought to myself, ‘Wow, these guys are super-talented,’” Joyner said. “Right off the bat I saw the potential.”

The group currently practices everyday in preparation for an upcoming gig hosted by the Koblerville Community Center.

“That’s what we’re preparing for. We have been invited to play on New Year’s Eve,” Joyner said.

All band members, exclusive of Namauleg, are students at Kagman Elementary School. Namauleg is currently enrolled at Cha Cha Oceanview Junior High School. All are also members of a drum corps headed by Joyner that takes part in various marches and parades on island.

When asked why he joined up with the group, Namauleg said he wants to develop his talent for music. “I want it to grow and want to be a star like Parker—a well-known local musician.”

Josh Borja, the youngest member of the band, said he picked up music from his grandmother, Rosa C. Borja, and had been interested in music since his days as a Head Start student.

Joyner said Josh as a “super talent” and praised the boy’s grandmother for the excellent training she gave him. “At this time, the music is in him and he can hear notes and play them. All he needs to do is hear it once or twice. He can improvise, listen to the song and play the melody….It’s pretty hard for anybody, and he’s only 9 year-s old.”

Jake, for his part, cited that he was greatly influenced by members of his family, who played the drums. “I like to play the drums, especially because it’s very fun to learn,” he said.

Joyner describes Jake as one who is “going to be one of the best drummers on the island.” “He wants to be a drummer, and it’s in his blood too,” he said.

Young Jacob, who has fun learning how to play different instruments, said his penchant for radio music started him off. “I like to listen to the radio, so I got interested. It’s fun and I also want to be a big star, so I’m learning a lot from Mr. Joyner,” Ilo said.

Joyner said that Namauleg and Ilo are well-rounded musicians and sees a bright future in their musical careers.

“Vincent is all-around and is very good in guitar and the ukulele,” he said. “Jacob is also very good in guitar and ukulele. Watch out for those two guys in the future because they’re going to be among the best.”

As for Villagomez, Joyner said he is the premier rapper of the group who is exceptionally talented.

Joyner also disclosed that the group is slated to record an album “soon,” and expects positive results from this project.

“This group is going to be recording something, so be on the lookout for it. We’re going to have a CD.”