For the first time in my life as an artist, I have experienced something totally different. My first recording session took place on Tuesday evening, January 8th, 2005. On the way to the studio, I had to stop at a nearby Starbucks for some heavy caffeine. The server asked me how my evening was going and I said excitedly, "this is a night that I won't forget...it's my first night to record!" He excitedly wished me "good luck" and said "bring me a copy of the CD when you're done!" Soon afterwards, I hurriedly drove to the Phase III Music Studio in Hercules thinking "this is going to be a fun and interesting evening!"

The recording session did not start until 11 pm due to some technical issues. The sound technician and my musical arranger were there with me. Together, all three of us were constantly checking the sound, the music, and my vocals, making sure, everything was in top shape. Although the recording session lasted very late (until 4 am), it was an absolutely amazing experience! I never dreamt that I would be in a recording booth with a headphone like what you saw on the American Idol tv show I was nervous and emotional on my first song, "O Sole Mio", a classic Italian love song. Surprisingly, it recorded close to perfect and I started getting chills as I listened to its playback. I was a little teary eye because of its melancholic melody and at the same time, I felt something very special at that moment. The sound technician gave me his "thumbs up" after hearing it which was a relief for me since I was experiencing "recording jitters" on my first take. I felt more pressure during the recording than at a live performance knowing my vocals would be archived for the rest of my life!

As I faced a blank wall in the recording booth, I closed my eyes and applied my feelings on each song. Then, I was able feel each word, each note. Four out of the seven tracks I recorded came out almost flawless on their first takes. By 3 am, I started getting tired with all my emotional renditions. While we all reviewed the tracks, I could not believe that it was me singing. My voice which came out of these high-tech speakers, sounded so much clearer and better than my karaoke machine. The latest technology in musical equipments made my first session a real treat! "There's no turning back now on being a singer", I assured myself.

Driving back to Fremont at almost 5 am, I could not believe this new adventure I have got myself into. Producing my own CD is not a joke. I have been investing lots of time, energy and money into this project. However, it is a "labor of love" and hopefully, it will pay off. What's important for me is I wish that everyone who will hear it will appreciate the uniqueness of my style and will feel what I felt on each song. I created this CD because I'm a music lover myself and I want everyone to enjoy it as much as I do. I started working on this project months ago by taking voice lessons, doing research, finding a music studio, photographer, etc. and I'm very pleased that I'm now seeing "the light at the end of the tunnel". The whole year of singing I did at Papillon contributed tremendously to the vocal skills I have now. Hard work and persistence definitely paid off! On this project, the fun parts were choosing the songs and then, recording them. There are more recording sessions still to come and if everything goes well, the CD will be released by next month. Designing the CD cover/inserts with the help of my graphic designer is another task that I have truly enjoyed. It is hard to put into words how beautiful it will be since it will also showcase my paintings and my writings. You'll be the judge!