BY GAY ACE DOMINGO
Athletes who are also singers are very rare. When we do find one who is simultaneously carving paths in sports and music with equal passion, his journey is indeed worth talking about.
Theodore “Teddy” Travis (who turned 24 just last week) is a football player and an independent music artist. He captained the Pilipinas Dragons Football Club in the 2023 Copa Paulino Alcantara of the Philippines Football League (PFL), and before that, Teddy played for Mendiola FC 1991 also in PFL.
He’s actually been playing football since he was four years when his family lived in Singapore. Teddy continued to play in youth clubs and in the varsity team as a high school student at La Salle Greenhills. For college, he got an athletic scholarship at Upper Iowa University where he graduated with a degree in business.
As for the musical part of him, Teddy discloses he been a music lover for almost as long as he has been playing football. “A big part of me getting into music was when I got an iPod Nano for Christmas back when I was still a kid. I would bring it with me wherever I would go.”
Music is also in his genes. “I come from a family of wonderful singers,” he says. “From my grandmother, to my mom Xenia (Magpusao-Travis), to my mom’s siblings.”
In his senior year of high school at La Salle Greenhills, Teddy was selected as a vocalist of Kundirana. “I am proud to be in the prestigious music group where famous artists such as Gary Valenciano, Ogie Alcasid, and Randy Santiago also came from.”
When friends found out that Teddy could sing, he was invited to perform at events. The faith of his loved ones gave him the confidence to explore his musical side further.
Teddy is now into composing and producing songs. His genre is a mix of R&B, hip hop and ballads. Composing gives the budding artist both a thrill and a challenge. “Sometimes there are just those songs that, when you are in the moment, can be written in an instant. All my songs are written from my own experiences, experiences of friends, or a certain idea that I have.”
Since 2021, Teddy has slowly but surely created an impressive body of work (available on music streaming platforms) that is worth about two musical albums. A number of tracks are collaborations with local independent music artists such as Lags, Mercury Retrograde, Ian Diokno, and L!FE.
“All of these guys are from my former high school La Salle Green Hills!” Teddy says with a smile.
Their closeness helps especially when Teddy is faced with a creative block. “A lot of my original songs I did not write all by myself,” he admits. “I would get the help of my producer or friends whenever I would be stuck on a certain line or a certain melody that I can’t quite follow up on.”
For Teddy going independent is still his preferred route in the industry. “It is both difficult and easy at the same time. Difficult because I have to create my music by myself, promote my music by myself, and find gigs by myself. On the other hand, it is easy because I have the freedom to make whatever I want without anyone telling me not to.”
It also allows him the flexibility of time to help his parents Leonard Edward and Xenia with errands, work from home and discover more of the world. “I am reading about renewable energy since my parents tell me that it is an important industry,” Teddy reveals.
Music will still rank high among his pursuits. Teddy declares, “My music goals are 1) to definitely have more live gigs, 2) release an album, and 3) meet and collaborate with more people in the music industry.”
