So this is the beginning of the rest of my life. Actually my “Chapter 1” started long ago and other chapters have since then filled the time between then and now. But I suppose this part of my life is just a little too unique to be included in the same book. So allow me to tell you my story thus far. Or atleast the single most prevailing aspect of that story.
They say I have been singing ever since I was a baby. I hummed a tune before I even learned to talk. I guess it wasn’t much of a surprise because both my parents were (actually they still are) professional singers. My exposure to music was almost a nonstop process. My dad’s the rocker and my mom’s the jazzer. What a combination huh?
When my parents saw my interest in singing, they neither pushed it nor discouraged it. Relatives asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up and I gave them answers such as: doctor (until somebody told me at the age of five that I would have to work with a lot of blood), bus driver (because my school bus driver in the second grade was so friendly and she seemed to love her job), archaeologist (because it sounded so mature for a nine-year-old to say—I didn’t even know what it meant at the time), and at some point I also wanted to be a teacher (one of the most important jobs in the world).
On the other hand there was always singing. I would sing karaoke every weekend at the bar where my dad worked, until my parents decided to run their own restaurant. Then I would sing karaoke there every weekend. I guess some people thought I could sing because local producers asked me to be the front act for several Filipino singers touring in the DC metro area. They were awesome experiences but it was clear I still had much improving to do. I then recorded my first album with James Levy, a genius of a musician and former bandmate of my mom. Another awesome experience but still I thought I could have done better.
Fast-forward to 2007 and here I am in the Philippines, my home country, recording my second album. This time, it is an attempt to national success rather than regional buzz. At this point, I’ve added more shows to my singing resumé. And (I surely hope) I have improved since my days as the “teen singing sensation” as someone had dubbed me in the Filipino community of DC. All along I have always wanted to be some great singer, and now, I’m being given a really good chance.
I’m starting this blog to chronicle my journey as an aspiring artist. My first album in the Philippines is set to be out within the next couple of months. If you’re tuning in as early as now, I hope you can be a witness to something great for me this year. So join me for the ride.
