so footloose is over! those 6 weeks of hard work and learning to dance was one of the hardest things i've had to go through (performing wise) but it was all worth it in the end. if you didnt go you missed out! and i'm mad at you! haha jk.. no but foreal... you missed out.
so with my project "MUSIC SPEAKS" coming up, i got so much to do. my band is coming in today (minus andrew rhim) and we're gonna practice for next week cuz we're recording 3 tracks at a studio!!! =]] i'm excited. andrew's comin down with us monday morning cuz me noah and shiori and rb are going to the Bay to visit this weekend! =]
noah comes in in like an hour and shiori comes in at night around 1030pm. i'm excited! woow! also if you were wondering how FAP went.. it was great. so many talented people. and so many good memories.
hope you guys are excited about MUSIC SPEAKS. thanks for all your help so far, i'll have a donation button soon for you guys to donate to the cause. thanks yall.
so i got the lead role at a production of Footloose! the Musical at Riverside City College. i've been workin super hard on my dancing and singing and dancing and singing at the same time... haha its been a long six weeks preparing for this show. it'd be awesome if you came out.
come see me as Ren McCormack!
Footloose The Musical Riverside City College Riverside, CA Landis Performing Arts Theatre 951 222 8100 for tickets!
July 30, 31 at 7pm August 1 at 2pm
Thanks yallllll!
quick synopsis Footloose is a 1984 American musical film that tells the story of Ren McCormack, played by Kevin Bacon, a teenager who was raised in Chicago. McCormack moves to a small town where the local government has banned dancing and rock music. Ren and his classmates want to have a senior prom with music and dancing. They must figure out a way to get around the law and Reverend Shaw Moore, played by John Lithgow, who blames rock music's influence for the death of his first child.
i'm producing a concert along with some of my friends RB, Dustin, & Krissy and we need help with sponsorships.
Here is the synopsis of the mission of MUSIC SPEAKS!
About MUSIC SPEAKS: The Mission By AJ Rafael & Jasmine Rafael "Music Speaks" has an important mission, aiming to spread awareness about Autism, and encourage action that would improve the conditions of the lives and families that it affects. A personal experience that inspired this goal is when my nephew, Nathan, was diagnosed with Autism when he was about two years old. Despite his condition, Nathan is a loving, fun, and active child who is very responsive to all of us, and is born with the love of music and dance. The more we love and watch over Nathan as he grows older, the more frustrating it can be knowing that his peers will never fully understand his situation, and these misunderstandings could lead to prejudice and pain for him throughout his life. "Music Speaks" means utilizing the gifts of Music and Dance to inspire those fortunate enough to be born without autism to speak out for those who were, by being aware of their condition and taking action towards improving their living conditions and perhaps even uncovering the mystery behind its cause.
this concert benefits Autism Speaks, a charity dedicated to funding global biomedical research into the causes, prevention, treatments, and cure for autism.
please spread the word.
The event is a 2-day event: August 28th and 29th, 2009.
August 28th will be the main event called MUSIC SPEAKS! featuring the AJ Rafael Band, MVCC, and other amazing acts! and the 29th will be a follow-up entitled MUSIC SPEAKS: unplugged (featuring acoustic performances by Melissa Polinar, Cathy Nguyen & More)
thanks so much! and if you need any other information or anything like that, message me on myspace or email ajrafaelmusic@gmail.com with "MUSIC SPEAKS" as the subject.
I do realize its been almost a month since I've updated. I do apologize.
Just a quick happy fathers day to all fathers. Esp my father up in heaven and andrew garcia, one of my best friends. Well... what's been up w me lately? I started a disney series on youtube. Check those vids out. There's 4 of them so far. I also started up my choir MVCC again. Love them. Were rehearsing for a HUGE concert in august.
August 28 and 29: MUSIC SPEAKS. Ft. The AJ RAFAEL BAND.
Yep I'm bringin em in from boston. Its gonna be epic! official lineup will be announced soon. Let's hype it up. Heritage forum in anaheim, ca.
Anyway, also been chillin w jenny suk, great singer from youtube, this whole past week. She's been chillin in socal when she was supposed to be in norcal. Thanks jenny for comin out and sharing ur talent with us. We miss u already.
I'm driving with my family right now (moms driving) to a lunch party. I sang "dance with my father" at church before mass started today. Its been 9 fathers day's without him. To think my little sister justine just had one fathers day with my dad is what really breaks my heart. I wish justine was old enough to get to know him. But I'm sure she knows how much of a legacy he left with all of us. I love that jasmine still has music in her life... writing songs and singing. Justine sings in my moms childrens choir (the same one my dad left behind, altho there r new kids obviously) and both my sisters dance at a studio and they both were blessed with a great gift to dance. My mom still leads choir at church while I help her out by playing. Its been like this for the last 10 years without him and I'm glad it hasn't changed. Life is too short. Don't take it for granted. Live life with no regrets. Live life to the fullest. Live life with the music blasting and the windows down. Life = love, love = music.
so my dog, kitchie (not the one who had the puppies), wakes me up every morning at 9am. regardless of how early or late i sleep; i wake up at 9 everyday and the day is forced upon me. so im starting this just like how i write most of my songs... without knowing where it's going. my sister, jasmine (killajamzz), is watching the Twilight bonus features on blu-ray right now and my other sister, justine, is at school at the moment. i just got my piano tuned by the way. expect more videos with just piano... that instrument is powerful, let me tell ya.
BAND[AID] was last friday. it was a benefit show featuring local talent. it was one crazy experience. the crowd was ridiculously supportive and it honestly was one of the best crowds i've played for. sold over 50 Peace, Love, and AJ shirts and received some pretty awesome gifts from some fans. from a stuffed koala bear to a batman easter egg. thank you to dusty and rb for always handling the merch so well. here's a video, i need to speak no longer about this show, the videos explain it all.
so im back in cali, and have seen pretty much everyone... although most people are still in school, we've all been chillin. got a gym pass, and am trying to look decent for the beach this summer haha. since i've been back, i watched kina live at UCLA, watched Star Trek with david choi and friends, said goodbye to a dear friend Randolph at the airport as he was leaving to the philippines, played piano for Lydia Paek again and it was so refreshing, and stayed up past 2am every single day. more to come. much love.
also spent this weekend with jesse barrera , gracienne, larry, and jamil, tin and alan from SD. heres a pic of my puppies jesse and grace took.
but because i knew you, i have been changed... for good. -stephen schwartz
i will never forget walking down from 85 park drive-- my first apartment-- and up boylston st back to berklee, my random adventures to the prudential center to kill time in between classes, the inspiration i gained watching awesome shows at the BPC, trotting down newbury street shopping without checking my balance in my account beforehand, bringing people to bodega (thinking its a convenience store) and johnny cupcakes (thinking its a bakery) for their first time, band rehearsals with my very own "band", going to domino's at 2:45AM just before it closes at 3, knowing when the Red Sox lost because of the expression on everyone's face as they walk in crowds going opposite of fenway, taking the T (subway/train) and holding in laughter as i see someone who's about to throw up on the stranger next to them because they're so wasted, falling and tripping in the T as i try to play it off even though everyone saw me while they don't offer to help me up, the first college dance i've been to-- "Snowball" (crazy times), donna's background vocals class, staying in classrooms jammin till 1:30AM or until the security kicks us out, eating at mcdonalds or wendys for days at a time because they're the only cheap food places around berklee, playing piano at st cecilia's and feeling the music in a totally different way than normal, being in the Bob Marley Ensemble with one of my best friends carly, waking up and looking at my phone seeing that i've missed my hip hop writing and production class for the 3rd time in a row, walking around in a LA Lakers hat and hearing a random voice say "F*** LA!", getting my haircut at Floyd's Barbershop next to the nasty chinese food place Nan Ling that everyone only eats at cuz its open till 3AM, going to Shaw's in the middle of the night, bugging andrew to sleepover at his place cuz me, kris, and angel are too lazy to walk home, making my first snow angels in my first northeastern winter, singing backups for singers night, trying out and getting called back and learning from failure, my teachers, blogTV sessions from berklee classrooms and/or andrew's apt, walking around northeastern's campus wishing that berklee had one, dance parties in the berklee classrooms (CLUB 208!), the library that had every music book ever printed, the heartwarming welcome cecily and jess gave me when i didn't have a place to stay, my roomates dwight/kels and pablo and our interesting and random moments, the musicians that have made me wanna practice the minute i was out of their presence, going outside during a full moon eating a banana for good luck, crossing the street that seemed to always have cars on it therefore having to run every single time, visitors who i brought around Boston to explore as i was doing as well, being with my family in a hotel all weekend, helping people with their MUSIC homework opposed to math and science and things like this, the first trip i made in boston to the aquarium, my last jam session with Ahmir at BU in the stairwell, seeing john mayer on the streets of boston-- and i will never forget the people that i have met during my stay here that will hold places in my heart until the end of time.
you kicked snow in my hi-tops, you blasted rain in my face at 20mph, you caught me outside without a jacket during a storm, you made me look at nature differently, you gave me fresh air and endless sky, you gave me the freedom to walk your streets with nothing but music on my mind, and you have made me a better person. i will miss you, Boston.
plane leaves at 6:40PM from Logan Airport. oh how i hate goodbyes. lets make this "goodbye" a "see ya later" k? goin' home. AJ
the final curtain call. my time here is over. -jesse barrera
well in 4 days. i'm almost outta here. and one thing that has been on my mind for a while is staying here at Berklee. it's so hard to think that i won't be around next fall, or spring, and i'm not sure how long it will take for me to come back, it could be never. but right now, i hope you guys understand that some places are not for everyone. as much as i enjoyed Berklee College of Music, i must bid my goodbye. for now at least. right now, what's important to me is being with my family and focusing solely on my career as an artist. it's almost been 5 years since i've written my first song, and since then i have worked so hard on songwriting, singing, and performing. i'm not saying i deserve anything because everything i have is a blessing and i wouldn't mind if this was as far as i got, but i long to spread my music to as many people possible, and i think right now the ball is rolling for me and it's all about timing. i hope you all support my decision, and know that i have had plenty of fights with my family about my decision. as far as my mom goes, she supports me 100% and i am very blessed to have her support because i know its hard to support someone trying to make a living off of music. while i'm out in California, i'll be taking a few classes at RCC (since i'm already enrolled and was attending a year prior) and just taking it slow for now. hope you guys know that i have thought long and hard about this, and right now i think i need to be in California. believe it or not, jam sessions till 4am happen more on the west coast. i love you guys. and i'll keep you guys posted with everything.
people at Berklee (and the rest of Boston); thank you for your friendship, and teachers too-- all of you are inspiring. i wish you all the best of luck. and for those i shared close friendships with; i will miss getting classrooms with you all and staying until security kicked us out at 1AM. thank you for believing in me, and for the good times. i will never forget them.
but im not gone yet, i got 4 more days. and my family is here with me until monday, but wednesday i go back to the west coast, stay at my house for a day, then fly up to Canada for a show in Winnipeg on the 15th (more info on my myspace), and im back home for good.
ps sorry its been a while, i was waiting for the right time to write about this. take care ya'll
had so much fun this weekend. landed in Virginia on friday morning, and met Suzanne who is one of my really good friends now. Vince Lacsamana got me out for this show (check him out on youtube!) Jeremy (aka Passion) landed like 30 mins after me and we went to the house we stayed at. there were 4 mattresses set up for JR Aquino, me, Gabe Bondoc, and Jeremy. it was awesome. we had FIVE GUYS burger and fries which was freakin BOMB with JR after we picked him up from the bus station. we met plenty of people that night, jammed out till late in the morning with disney songs and old school R&B and boy band songs, and Gabe and Christina Luna arrived late at night, and we CONTINUED our jam session.
saturday was the conference and we had all woken up very early to attend. the first workshop was the asian american music industry workshop led by Christina Luna. she is the head of LunaCo and is an amazing business person and manages the likes of Gabe, Leejay, Legaci, and more. the conference was awesome because we all got to speak (the artists) on our views about the industry, our internet marketing, and music in general. i believe it was a successful workshop with all the students who attended learning something new. we went to georgetown later that night and ate at chipotle, and walked around and took pictures at these very nice fountains.
the show on sunday was definitely one of the most awesome experiences out-of-state i've ever had. ill literacy was there, a hip hop spoken word group, rick cordero was also there, a director and founder of 3/21 media, who has directed the likes of snoop dogg, nas, the roots, and many more. there were many great performances that day, and the show lasted 5 and a half hours!!! sounds long, but every act was good. i know you've probably been to those shows that were that long, waiting for your friend to go up or your favorite artist but inbetween were some really long and lame performances, just being honest. hahah. anyway this show was full of awesome talent and entertainment. jr went on and killed it, and later on gabe went on (whose guitar skills amaze me even more each time i see him perform, then jeremy (passion) went on and called me jr and gabe up to the stage to sing "something special" by usher with him. epic moment, def something i'll never forget. i went on last and played showstopper, starlit nights with turn your lights down low in place of the bridge, a disney medley, my soldier, she was mine ft jr aquino on the chorus hahah, and i just want you. i asked everyone to come to the front to come sing along right before the bridge, and it was so awesome. i didnt realize how many fans i had in this area they call the DMV. i was humbled.
pictures, signings, and cd sellings went great and lasted for an hour or more, then we all ate at honey pig (this bomb korean bbq place, SO BOMB) and said our goodbyes, went back to the house, said more goodbyes, slept very late in the morning, and was dropped off by timi, alan, and suzanne, and said my last goodbyes, while everyone was still sleeping at the house (jr, gabe and jeremy). i was pretty sad on the plane ride back to boston, but everyone's gotta go back to reality sometime.
i came home to a very stressful day to be honest, but that can come later.
heres a video i did with gabe at vince lacsamana's house.
love yall so much AJ
ps "I JUST WANT YOU" the techno version is up for download for FREE on my myspace. read profile for details
wow its been a while. im so sorry. i owe you guys an update. to everyone who's been trying to contact me via internet, cell phone, whatever, im sorry its been so hard to contact me lately. i have been struggling with so much: music, love, family, and everything else.
since the last blog, you've probably been wondering about Dustin's status. his operation went well, but the after results are not the best news. his heart was transplanted correctly, but the heart doesn't pump blood fast enough, so complications will slowly start happening. the doctor told him that he only has 13 months to live.
this is the most tragic news anyone can get, especially for the fact that he is a 15-year-old kid who loves music and his family. please pray for him, and i hope the doctors are wrong. i pray to God that he gets better.
(read the previous blogpost and watch the video if you don't know what i am talking about)
anyway last weekend, i dedicated all my songs to him and shared his story with everyone back in california. everyone was touched by his story and his strength and the way that music has touched his soul. please continue to pray.
i have been talking to my friends and we are all discussing a possible fundraiser to get him and his mom out here in the US for a big show this summer. anyone down to help out for that?
anyway, my most recent video has been featured on YOUTUBE.COM on the main page and it's an awesome feeling, it almost feels like ur at the top of the world for a second. "Those Lips". this is all because of all of your support and love. you all deserve some cupcakes. LOVE YOU ALL!!! thank you for being my motivation to keep going and to keep playing. music is the only thing in this world right now that makes sense. keep it alive, and keep it in your life.
this blog is overdue. and im sorry about that. i just wanted to take this time to tell you about whats goin on in my life.
just hit 6MILLION plays on my myspace. what the freak. #48 top unsigned artist on MYSPACE. #65 most subscribed all time musicians on youtube. thank you from the bottom of my heart.
but other than cyberspace, ive been chillin w good friends and awesome musicians lately. actually not chillin, but doin work, as in music and writing and practicing. sometimes i feel as if ive put too much on my plate. but i know God won't give me more than i can handle.
ive got a couple of shows coming up. tomorrow (friday) in UMass Boston at 6PM and the rest are on my calendar on my MYSPACE. PLEASE PLEASE check it out i might be going to a town near you.
anyway, this pretty much explains what ive been going through.
meet Jess Delgado (http://youtube.com/jessddelgado, http://myspace.com/jddelgado), & my amazing musician friends Andrew Rhim (http://youtube.com/sorreymusic, http://myspace.com/sorrey, http://twitter.com/andrewrhim) & Kris Collins (http://youtube.com/skuby08, http://twitter.com/kriswak)
i love you all as much as i love music. well, almost.
