149. Philippine Tunes: Music Sheet Collection

 The Philippines has a rich musical heritage with a mix of indigenous, Spanish, and American influences. In the traditional Filipino music, notation was usually passed down orally and not written down. However, with the arrival of Western classical music in the Philippines during the American colonial period, Western staff notation became widely used for transcribing both classical and popular music.

During the American regime in the Philippines, which lasted from 1898 to 1946, music underwent a significant transformation and music sheets became more popular. The newly established public school system included music in the curriculum, leading to the establishment of music conservatories and colleges that produced the first generation of Filipino composers. These composers wrote in western idioms and forms, creating a classical art music tradition that continues to flourish today.

In addition to classical art music, the era also saw the development of a lighter type of music, such as stylized folk songs, theater music, and instrumental music. The sarswela tradition produced a large body of music consisting of songs patterned after opera arias, as well as short instrumental overtures and interludes.

With the rise of mass entertainment through film, film sheet music based on classical and traditional films became popular among the masses. Film scores encompassed a wide variety of styles, including Western classical music and Philippine music styles.

Filipinos were also influenced by American pop culture, leading to the creation of Pinoy pop, a wide range of music forms such as folk songs, dance tunes, ballads, Broadway-type songs, rock 'n' roll, disco, jazz, and rap. This style of music was created using western pop forms and reflects the American lifestyle in the Philippines during the era.

 Source: Philippine Music, A Historical Overview by Corazon Canave-Dioquino