City Light Soundtrack

A little bit of dreaming and a lot of hard work can get you where you want to be. A LOT OF DREAMING PLUS HARD WORK? That gets you even farther.

I'm playing on the second day. Come over guys, it's at the Sunset Pavillon in Sofitel. Lots of amaaaazing artists and JOHN ABERCROMBIE! It's such a tremendous honor to be part of this lineup, this festival. Thank you to Mr. Eddie Ochoa for the opportunity. Cheers.

So I've decided to start recording again. This time entirely at home to cut costs and well, to basically do everything exactly how I want it to be. Of course I'll still be collaborating with long-time friend and producer Kelvin Uy (I still trust his ear and judgement over mine) and my band of course, especially Edward and Manchos (guitar and keys, respectively). Also, this album is going to be released entirely online (again to cut costs and to obviously try something out)

Originally I had planned to rehash some old stories leftover from the first two albums but things change, I've met someone new, and well...things are different now. I'm gonna be blogging about the entire experience so I hope you'll join me. Gonna go out of the country in a few weeks to play a few shows and a festival or two, excited for that too. Cheers guys. OH and here's what I want the album cover to look like:

I want to share with you something, something I know a lot of you can relate to. I have a dream, a lofty and idealistic dream: I want my music to take me all the way, I want to play the world, win a grammy, tour with my heroes, the works. I want to be able to play a big enough stage for one reason- I want to affect the world.

And the biggest reason why I still dream this dream is very simple, two reasons: My father and my mother. They are the biggest reason why I can even dream like this. They are the only reason why I still dream at all. Their support is unconditional, regardless if my dad or mom and I argue like crazy, or that we fight like oil and water, or that there were times I disappointed them and broke their hearts. They always had and will always have my back, no matter what. I'm lucky and blessed like that.

Don't get me wrong here, it's not a spoonfed existence (although I'd love it to be hehe), it's far from that because my parents love me enough to let me learn, to make mistakes, to have a really hard time and almost go crazy trying JUST so I could learn the value of hard work and actually bleeding and crying for something. They love me enough to let me go through everything, but far from on my own, far from alone. I always know that they're there on the fringes, waiting for that moment it gets too much for me- that's when they step in and fight off the world and its demons, that's when they come in with guns of love blazing, my dad the sword and my mom the shield. That's why I'm telling you, I couldn't have done this, this long, without them.

I'm not writing this to glorify them or put them on a pedestal, no no no, although I do love them to bits and pieces. I'm writing this to share something with my generation. I see a lot of pain and separation and lack of forgiveness and resentment going on and I want to share something with you guys: parents are human beings too. They're people too, with their own shit to deal with, their own hurts and pains, their own baggage, hell, their own LIVES. I used to pick on every mistake my mom ever made, I used to pick on every issue I had with my dad, they're my parents, they're not allowed to do that...etc etc. My mom always said and asked me to "cut her some slack", and well I never did. Until recently. And when I started doing that, a peace in my heart grew. It was hard of course at the start, near impossible- to look at my parents as PEOPLE, capable of failure and their own drama. But the more I did, the more forgiveness became easy, and the more life itself got easier. They're our parents, yes, and they're supposed to be the BEST example to us, but get this- they had parents too, they had issues too (some still do) with their parents, and they had to deal with all of it as well. The moment we start giving them a FRACTION of the patience and allowance they give us (THINK about that), that's the moment things get better.

Our parents will never be perfect, they're not supposed to be, just the same way we will never be perfect in the eyes of our own kids. But no one in the universe will love us the way our parents do. Even when they hate us, even when it feels like they don't care or are distant, think first- what did I do? What CAN I do? They're people to. If you can spend so much time and effort on your band, your girlfriend, or your friends, what's an hour a day to take care of our parents? Or even just a text, or a phone call? They're gonna be gone sooner than we all think, it's stupid not to make every second with them worth it.

The music video on top speaks a strong message, it basically is (for me at least) a blessing from parents and the always-open invitation to come home. Think for a second, that is so powerful: You can leave and follow your dreams, dreams I know you are good enough to achieve BUT if it doesn't work out, or if it gets too hard, or it's taking a bit longer than expected, you can always come back home.

I know I did.