Maymay Entrata and her vocal coach, Jade Riccio —the mentor responsible for bringing out the actress-singer’s inner diva in the mega-hit song “Amakabogera” — have a new venture together. Maymay is one of the investors of Jade’s RMA Studio Academy, which recently moved to a new location in Kapitolyo, Pasig.

Dubbed as the first “all-in-one creative hub” in Asia. The music Academy now boasts of private cubicles for one-on-one lessons (from vocals to instruments), a content studio for photo and video shoots, rehearsal rooms for solo and ensemble, and band practices (all acoustically treated and have sound control), plus a world-class recording studio.

Jade has gone a long way from being a young student from Palawan to a scholar at the University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music to being the sought-after performer and vocal coach she is today.

The revitalized RMA Studio Academy is another milestone in Jade’s remarkable career. “Everything here is what I envisioned ever since,” the vocal coach says with unmistakable pride.

She adds, “When I was in college, I was often asked, ‘Anong gusto mong gawin pagkagraduate mo?’ Ang lagi kong sinasagot ay ‘Aside from being a performer is magkaron ng recording studio!’”

RMA students and other aspiring musical artists don’t need to look far for a facility with the tools to bring their creative vision to life. RMA’s recording studio has the latest professional-grade microphones, mixing consoles, and a wide array of effects processors and instruments. There is also a white baby grand piano worth almost Php 2 million for the use of RMA students and clients.

RMA started as a small recording studio that doubled as a venue for music lessons. Maymay did not hesitate to join Jade when the expansion plan was presented. “Sabi nga niya sa akin, ‘In-entrust ko nga sa iyo ang boses ko, pera ko pa kaya?’ Eh, boses na niya ‘yon,” Jade says of Maymay.

Their team-up began in 2021 when Jade met Maymay after the former’s performance on “ASAP” with Ina Raymundo’s daughter Erika Poturnak — one of the vocal coach’s first students. Back then, Maymay had released a few songs and was about to record a new one. Upon finding out the challenging vocal requirements of “Amakabogera”, Jade requested ABS-CBN management to give her and the actress-singer a few more days to prepare. “Instead of five days, sabi ko I need two weeks of daily, two-hour sessions with Maymay so she could be 100 percent ready,” Jade recounts.

And, the rest, as they say, is history. The catchy tune “Amakabogera” unwrapped Maymay’s range and became a big hit on the streaming platforms and on social media. It delighted fans and cemented Maymay’s stature as a multi-hyphenate (actress-model-singer).

When word got around that Jade helped transform Maymay into a singing diva, enrollment at RMA increased by more than 100 percent. “We got 20 to 60 inquiries a day,” reveals Jade.

Today, RMA Studio Academy has almost 300 students. Faculty is composed of 23 coaches headed by Jade herself. The school offers not just lessons in voice but also in piano, guitar, drums and saxophone; voice remains as the most popular course.

Aside from Maymay, Jade’s voice students include celebrities such as Miss Universe Philippines Michelle Dee, young social media star Scarlet Snow Belo, film/stage actor Pepe Herrera, singer-actress Sam Cruz, GMA Sparkle artists Max Collins and Caitlyn Stave, social media personality Mikaela Martinez, The Voice Kids’ finalist Guiliana Chiong, Aliw Awards 2023 Best Child Performers Natalie Grace Yanson and Amari Sotto (daughter of Joy Sotto and QC Vice Mayor Gian Sotto), Aliw Awards 2019 Best New Female Artist Niña Campos and celebrity kids Oli Manzano (daughter of Andi Manzano and GP Reyes), Ondrea Sotto (daughter of Kristine Hermosa and Oyo Boy Sotto), Heather Chua (daughter of Nadine Samonte), and Alex and Aryanna Vargas (daughter of Alfred and Yasmin Vargas). Jade has also coached singer Darren Espanto, actress Belle Mariano, and a lot more. 

Last Nov. 11, around 20 of the RMA students performed in a recital, "Art is Calling for Me,” held at the Carlos P. Romulo RCBC Auditorium. The event featured several production numbers and was backed by a live orchestra and ballet dancers, it won a Best Special Event Production award at the 2023 Aliw Awards.

Maymay is thankful to have Jade as her mentor in the music business. “As a teacher, siya ay hardworking. Napakasipag. Talagang aalagan ka niya hindi lang  bilang estudyante kundi bilang isang kapamilya,” Maymay says of Jade. “Hindi ko akalain magbi-build po kami ng friendship… Natutuwa ako na nandiyan siya sa buhay ko. Siya ang dahilan kung bakit ako nandito ngayon sa music industry.”

Maymay joins Bacolod-based entrepreneur Pia Yanson, Jade’s sister Sandy, and others as co-investors in RMA Studio Academy.

Seeing students become confident, full-fledged musical artists motivates Jade to grow RMA further. “Their dedication is quite insane,” Jade says of the talented young men and women. “I am proud of each and every one. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be as inspired as I am. I hope our journey will continue until we have more academies. Who knows?”

For more information about RMA Studio Academy, visit rmastudioacademy.com or follow RMA Studio Academy on TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.