Music has always been central to Pat Lasaten and Agnes Reoma. Even before Ben&amp;Ben, they had already found their rhythm both as artists and as a couple.

PHOTOGRAPHY&nbsp;Shaira Luna
CREATIVE DIRECTION AND STYLING Maura Rodriguez
It&rsquo;s not every day that you get to pursue your passion alongside your partner&mdash;let alone as part of one of the country&rsquo;s most celebrated bands. But for keyboardist Pat Lasaten and bassist Agnes Reoma, music has always been central to their journey, both individually and as a couple.

Long before they joined Ben&amp;Ben, they were already used to working together. &ldquo;Ever since school, sanay na kami to work together,&rdquo; Pat shares. &ldquo;Before Ben&amp;Ben, we were actually in another band. So one thing that really fuels our relationship is work kasi we&rsquo;re both leaders in our own right. Our work ethic complements each other.&rdquo;
Their dynamic, shaped by years of collaboration, has made working together second nature though it doesn&rsquo;t come without its challenges. &ldquo;Very career-oriented rin kasi kaming dalawa, so it&rsquo;s not hard to be in work mode,&rdquo; Pat adds. &ldquo;Pero ang mahirap sa amin is &lsquo;yong compartmentalization. For example, I&rsquo;m in a mood na gusto ko lang maglaro ng games, then biglang si [Agnes] will bring up something about the band.&rdquo; Despite the occasional blurred lines between work and personal life, they&rsquo;ve learned how to navigate it together.

&ldquo;Before Ben&amp;Ben, we were actually in another band. So one thing that really fuels our relationship is work kasi we&rsquo;re both leaders in our own right. Our work ethic complements each other.&rdquo; - Pat

Agnes explained that their bond also plays out musically. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re able to create something na hindi magiging as good if we worked on something as individuals,&rdquo; she says. Their ability to collaborate effortlessly extends beyond personal connection into their music. Pat concurs, &ldquo;I try to be as objective as possible, especially when I put the artist hat on.&rdquo; Likewise, their musical partnership brings an added layer of synergy. Agnes notes the importance of her bass, which she sees as the backbone of the song. &ldquo;If I just really change the groove, nag-iiba &lsquo;yong genre or mood of the song.&rdquo;
Beyond the work and the music, there&rsquo;s something about their shared love for their craft that has&nbsp; made their bond even stronger.&ldquo; Music speaks to the heart in ways words cannot express,&rdquo; Agnes reflects. &ldquo;During our first few gigs and the launch of our EP, we weren&rsquo;t friends yet. I didn&rsquo;t even talk to my bandmates before. But when we played music, we felt very connected, and I think that&rsquo;s what glues us as a band.&rdquo;

&ldquo;We&rsquo;re able to create something na hindi magiging as good if&nbsp; we worked on something as individuals.&rdquo; - Agnes

After a decade together, they&rsquo;ve come to understand what truly makes a relationship last. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t be afraid of conflict or to fight,&rdquo; they say. &ldquo;But the magic happens when you get past that because that&rsquo;s where you see the reason why you&rsquo;ll stay. That&rsquo;s the glue that makes the relationship work&mdash;fighting but still having respect for each other.&rdquo;
As for the songs that best describe their relationship? Pat quickly names Stickwitu by The Pussycat Dolls, while Agnes chooses Your Universe by Rico Blanco. Both are two different songs but they have the same message: love, in all its forms, is something worth holding on to.
PRODUCERS&nbsp;Loris Pe&ntilde;a and Maura Rodriguez
MAKEUP and GROOMING&nbsp;Don de Jesus
HAIR&nbsp;Miggy Carbonilla
STYLIST ASSISTANT&nbsp;Tere Gabat
PHOTOGRAPHER'S ASSISTANT&nbsp;Emelito Lansangan

Pat Lasaten and Agnes Reoma Are Shaping Music and Love on Their Own Terms

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