Anthony Dio

Baller Thoughts: NBA All Star 2010 Edition

The 2010 NBA All Star Weekend is just around the corner, and I'm looking forward to seeing how Dallas will host this event.  This year's All Star Game is special because it will be held at the Cowboys Stadium, and a crowd of at least 80,000 people is expected.  That will be the biggest crowd ever to witness a basketball game.  In Texas, they like everything big.  And I bet Dallas won't disappoint.

Here are this year's NBA All Star selection:

2010 NBA ALL STARS

EAST ALL STARS:

Starters: Allen Iverson (Philadelphia), Dwyane Wade (Miami), LeBron James (Cleveland), Kevin Garnett (Boston), Dwight Howard (Orlando)

Reserves: Chris Bosh (Toronto), Al Horford (Atlanta), Joe Johnson (Atlanta), Paul Pierce (Boston), Rajon Rondo (Boston), Derrick Rose (Chicago), Gerald Wallace (Charlotte)

Coach: Stan Van Gundy (Orlando)

WEST ALL STARS:

Starters: Steve Nash (Phoenix), Kobe Bryant (L.A. Lakers), Carmelo Anthony (Denver), Tim Duncan (San Antonio), Amar'e Stoudemire (Phoenix)

Reserves: Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City), Pau Gasol (L.A. Lakers), Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas), Chris Paul (New Orleans), Zach Randolph (Memphis), Brandon Roy (Portland), Deron Williams (Utah)

Coach: George Karl (Denver)

*****

Starters are chosen through fan votes (top vote getters become starters).  Reserves are chosen by the NBA team coaches.  And in case any of these Stars gets injured, the NBA Commisioner selects the replacement.  As always, there would be arguments and criticisms regarding the All Star Selection.

I pretty much agree with the fan selection for Starters, with the exception of Allen Iverson.  No disrespect to Iverson...  He's a phenomenal athlete, I admire him, and I like how he keeps it real and all that.  But there are others who are more deserving to become a Starter.  But hey, the Starting Five's based on fan votes, so it's the people's call.  A.I. is still one of the most popular players around.  He may be well beyond his prime, and he can still play.  But he hasn't played that much this season, after his short stint with Memphis & going back to Philly.  Houston's Tracy McGrady, who is frequently injured & has played only a handful of games so far this season, almost made it as a Starter because of his popularity.  Maybe if Yao Ming is not injured, he would make it once again as a Starter because of the strong voting population in his native China, regardless of his stats and his performance level.  It may be unfair to other players who are more deserving, but that's how the system works.  There are plenty of talks right now regarding fair All Star selections in the future.

In regards to Reserves, I agree that the selected players are deserving All Stars.  This year, there are seven All Star first-timers; four in the East, and three in the West.  Oh thank God, Deron Williams made it - finally!  This is soooo long overdue.  There are just so many quality guards in the West, which makes the selection in that position a challenge.  I'm happy with the selection of Rajon Rondo; he's really carrying the Celtics, and he's shown progress, though he still needs to work on his jumpshots and freethrows.  I'm also happy that Charlotte and Oklahoma City had their first All Stars in their franchise history, in Gerald Wallace and Kevin Durant.  Zach Randolph is quite a surprise for me, but I think he's earned it this season.  As far as I'm concerned, Z-Bo should have been an All Star back in his Portland days, only if the West wasn't filled with quality forwards.  And finally, I wish that one of the Starters in the West would give up their starting position for Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki, in honor of the host city.  I think the German superstar will play big in the All Star Game.

My "should have been there" list for this year are the following:  Chris Kaman (L.A. Clippers), Chauncey Billups (Denver), Baron Davis (L.A. Clippers), Josh Smith (Atlanta), David Lee (New York), Shaquille O'Neal (Cleveland; oh yeah, I love it when the big man's in the All Star Game).

I always wish there are 2 or 3 more slots each in the East and West squads, because a few deserving players get cut from the All Star selection.  The players I mentioned above should be next in line in case an All Star gets injured.

My All Star Game prediction:  With their advantages in size and veteran talent, the West will win this year.

NBA All Star Weekend 2010, Dallas

A Great Start Of The Year For K24/7

January is about to end soon, and my band K24/7 is having a great start of the year.  Our album New Era is selling well on its first month (considering that for now, we are directly selling it during our shows), and the gigs are going well (considering that some of us in the band missed a few gigs due to illnesses).

Last week was a great & busy week for K24/7.  The week began with a radio guesting on 99.5RT's morning show with King DJ Logan and Cleo Caliente on Monday morning January 18.  The night before, we had a gig at Mugen in Metrowalk Ortigas, which normally finishes late at around 330am.  So after the gig, most of us didn't went home anymore.  We just hung out at a nearby 24-hour Starbucks outlet until sunrise.  Then we took the short 10-minute drive to Paragon Plaza, where the radio station is located.

The Disenchanted Kingdom morning radio show was a blast, and the updates & discussions opened up during the show were really funny.  King DJ Logan and Cleo gave us an interview & the opportunity to promote New Era.  Later on, we played a game called "Porno Poryes", where we have to guess if the flick title is an actual porn movie or not.  The record holder is Mark, a mainstay of the show, with his 8 out of 10 score.  We're not really a bunch of porn connoisseurs haha, but we somehow had the instinct of guessing whether it's a legit title or not.  And boy, are we good guessers, we got 9 out of 10 and we beat Mark's record haha!  But still, hands down to Mark, 8 out of 10 from an individual is respectable, while we broke his record as a group.  We really had fun that morning, and we thank the crew from 99.5RT for having us as guests in their morning show.

Later that week, on Friday morning, January 22, we had a TV guesting on ABS-CBN's morning show Umagang Kay Ganda.  We were requested to sing I Gotta Feeling by The Black Eyed Peas.  The morning show required us to sing an upbeat song to help jumpstart the morning.  We also got to see and talk to Donita Rose, one of the hosts of the show, which was cool because she's one of the most gorgeous Pinays in my book, plus she's a really nice person.  There are videos of that TV appearance uploaded by our friends on Facebook.

The morning radio and TV guestings we had that week seem to be good signs.  We broke the record on the radio show game.  We sung I Gotta Feeling, and the lines in that song go "I gotta feeling... That tonight's gonna be a good night."  The night of January 22 was a big night in the local R&B & hip-hop scene.  It was the awards night of Wave 891's 1st Urban Music Awards, which was held in Eastwood Mall.  K24/7 is nominated in the Best Urban Band category.  Actually, we weren't supposed to attend the event because we have a gig at Off The Grill that night.  But management insisted that we attend (which is another sign), then we'll just leave in time for our OTG gig.  The awards show was scheduled to start at 7pm.  But as expected, show was delayed, and it opened at 9pm (!).  The opening performance of Q-York, Kenjhons, Chelo Aestrid, and The Philippine Allstars was amazing!

At around 930pm, we decided that the rhythm section should go ahead to OTG.  With me being a fast-moving and time-conscious individual, I was the first to leave Eastwood.  But just as the rest of my bandmates were preparing to leave, the People's Choice Award was up next, and we were among the nominees.

We won.  K24/7.  Winner, People's Choice Award, at Wave 891's 1st Urban Music Awards.

I wish I was still in Eastwood when my bandmates went up the stage to receive the award.  I was already on the road when DJ Gia, our friend & the Wave DJ who presented the award, sent me a text message, congratulating me.  Then I replied, "We won?"  Yes, we won the People's Choice Award.

We may not have won the Best Urban Band award, but the People's Choice Award means a lot because this was decided by the people; by the listeners.  We are humbled by the award, for it showed that there are many people out there who believe in our band.  We are sincerely grateful to our dear friends and followers for the love, care, and support, for believing in K24/7, and for sticking with us through these years.

To be honest, I thought that it's just another popularity or hatak thing.  But later I felt and realized that it means more than that.  We love what DJ Gia said when she was presenting the award...

"The People's Choice Award stands out because among the numerous choices the listeners have for this category, they choose and decide to vote for and support the individual/group closest to their hearts. This award recognizes the voice of the people and will be given to the individual/group that has won the love and support of the listeners of Wave 891. And for the nominees here with us tonight, I believe that's what really matters at the end of the day."

And that said it all.

In behalf of K24/7, I would like to once again thank all our dear friends, loved ones, listeners, and followers for the tremendous love and support.  We owe you guys, and what we can do to give back in return is to simply keep working and performing harder, develop into better artists, and continue playing music that can inspire and hopefully empower and touch lives.

K24/7 would also like to congratulate all the winners and the nominees in the 1st Urban Music Awards.  And of course, congratulations and thank you very much to Wave 891.

A great start of the year, indeed!  I'm hoping that we can carry on the momentum in the coming months.

Our House Blessing

Finally, after 8 months of construction (and lots of waiting), we had our new Sampaloc home blessed last January 16.  It was a Saturday afternoon, and of course the Dio clan is complete. We had a few guests, who are mostly relatives from my Dad's side.  Because of parking space concerns, we didn't get to invite more relatives (from my Mom's side) and friends. But we intend to throw some more housewarming parties soon.  Anyway, I've already shared a few photos of my room, so this time I want to share a few photos of some details of our home.

This photo was shot in our living room before the house blessing rites.  The priest is Fr. Conti, my Dad's cousin.  FYI, when my Mom & Dad got married in 1968, Fr. Conti was the priest; and that was Fr. Conti's first-ever marriage rite.  Shown in the photo are Fr. Conti, my Dad, some of my sisters, bros in law  & nieces, and a few relatives.  My Mom's there somewhere; she must be getting some candles...

Here's a photo of our home's facade.  Our home may look big on the outside, but not really.  Our home's size is just enough for our household.  This part of the property used to be a huge garage, when my Lolo Benito Dio was still running his jeepney business back in the day.  Then it was converted to a billiard hall during the 90's.  Now, our humble home stands on that ground.

Our front door used to be the sliding doors from our den in our old Cubao home.

Here are a couple of photos of our living room.  The big brown door leads to my room.  And on one corner stands my dad's cast iron mini-bar.  The walls are still bare, and I think my sister Karen is planning to make a couple of paintings.  On our home's second level are two bedrooms, a bathroom, and the dining/kitchen area.  Just like my Lola's home, the dining room/kitchen areas are in the second floor.  So, our home's first level is like a welcome/reception/entertainment area, and the second level is like the "homey" part.  Dad had a small multi-purpose room constructed outside, at the garage.  That room has a big sink, a restroom for men, and enough space for cooking, and that can be useful in case we throw big parties.

The stained glass art used to be at the dining area of our old Cubao home.  Now, it is positioned as a divider in our home's first level.  This is just beside the staircase.  Behind the stained glass is a hallway leading to the bathroom and a back door.  My folks placed an altar in front of the stained glass.

Here are details of our staircase and the stained glass divider.  I took this photo on Christmas Eve, using my sister Monica's camera (I had to copy this photo from my niece's Facebook profile).  The stainless steel railings took two weeks to build.  My Dad really looked over this job to make sure that every detail made is correct, and it was a job well done by our master welder.

Here'a a photo of the dining area.  This was during the house blessing, so the table was set up & there was plenty of food.  I thought of posting more second floor photos, but I decided that these are enough, for privacy reasons.


After the house blessing, my family celebrated the 3rd birthday of my niece Vicky D. Grau.  It was a dinner celebration, and too bad I had to leave early because we had a gig that night.  I was the first to have dinner, and how I wished that I can still stay because I was enjoying all the good food.


Special thanks to all the people who helped us build our new home - to my uncle Arch. Tito Ramirez, to our skilled workers and to our suppliers.  Plus, special mention to my Dad, for devoting so much time and effort in putting up our new home.  I salute all of you, and may God shower you all with more blessings.

All photos courtesy of Karen Dio (except the staircase shot).

The Neil Peart Influence, Part 2: The Drum Solo That Changed My Drumming Life

New Era... And Beyond

Here's something about my band K24/7...

Our album New Era was finally revealed mid-December.  Like I said on my New Era blog, the album is a product of approximately 5 years of blood, sweat, and tears.  It's a dream come true for me; my first-ever album as a professional musician.  I can now say that I'm a certified recording artist.  I'm hoping for more recordings in my career.

Now that the first batch of New Era albums are available, where will my band go from there?  This question has been running in my head for days now.

The first set of people who have possession of our new album are loyal friends and followers, relatives and loved ones, and individuals who have helped us through the years, particularly with the recording and production of the album.  We have received mostly positive feedbacks and reactions from our music, and we sincerely appreciate all these.  All the hard work is beginning to pay off.

For those who have their New Era copies, I want to point out a minor flaw on the album design...  Some of you may not notice it, but on the back cover part, we mislabeled tracks # 8 and 9, which are Pangako and Come Back.  Pangako should be Track # 8, while Come Back should be Track # 9.  We intend to correct that on our next batch of cds.  Anyway, to those who already have their New Era copies, don't worry about the minor design flaw.  The cds you have right now are the first-ever batch; consider it as a collectible (that is, if we make it big someday).

Going back...  We are still yet to promote New Era on a bigger scale.  We haven't made any formal album launch yet.  The band and management are working on it, so that would be something to look forward to in the coming weeks.

For me, the title "New Era" is symbolic.  During the Holiday season, we were greeting "Happy New Era" on Facebook.  For me, it means a lot.  "New Era" does not only mean a new year for us, but also a whole new decade.  And for me, the new decade is a time for greater change.  It's time to step up; to level up.  As for K24/7, the time has come to make greater developments in our music and career.

In the past 3 years or so, my life with K24/7 was pretty much routine.  The last few years were mostly spent by playing at Off The Grill, Mugen, and occasionally at Taboo on weekends, plus the occasional events and parties.  I'm not complaining; in fact we are forever grateful to these establishments for the opportunity to perform and establish a "home court" venue and crowd.  Plenty of moments and memories were made from those gigs.  Right now, I think it's about time for a growing band like K24/7 to reach for greater heights and aim for bigger goals.  I'm thinking about more albums, major concerts, overseas tours, frequent TV appearances, product endorsements... The works!  For me, K24/7 is more that just a bar band, a party band, or a cover band.  We can do more.  And we must do it this decade.  I'm sure longtime K24/7 friends and followers will agree with me.

This will be the new journey of K24/7 from now on.  This is going to be a very interesting decade.

Iron Man 2 - Trailer

Here's one reason I'm excited for 2010. I'm a big fan. I can't wait...

January 2010 Random Thoughts

My band is at Off The Grill right now, grooving and rocking.  While I am here at home, on the road to recovery.  It's my first time to miss a K24/7 gig due to illness.  The first week of the new year and the new decade is a physically tough and uncomfortable time for me.  Like I said on my previous blog, I had the upset stomach, which caused backache and had me chilling (literally) for a few days.  The first three days of 2010 were tough.  It was a holiday weekend, we had gigs on those 3 nights, and every gig was a physical challenge.  I am pretty much capable of psyching up myself before a gig.  Whenever I'm sick or just feeling strange, I make myself believe that I'm very strong and I just let it out on the drumkit.  I'm a fighter in that sense.  I also try not to show any signs of weaknesses, because I don't want my bandmates, audience, or people around us to worry (though this doesn't work all the time).  But last weekend, there was no hiding in my physical condition.  I had to lie down during breaks.  I had to observe economy in motion.  I was so relieved after the Mugen gig last Sunday, the last of the weekend gigs.  It was finally time for me to take a much-needed rest.

I've been taking my rest here at home since Monday.  It wasn't really a relaxing kind of rest, as I was still feeling the pain in my tummy and my lower back, plus some occasional chills.  Sometimes I feel warm; sometimes cold.  My movements were in slow motion.  I was hoping that Monday would be my final day of recovery, so that I would be back to normal by Tuesday, the day I rehearse for the Sunday church services.  But, it wasn't that simple.  The next morning, I told Bread Of Life that I'm sick, I won't be able to make it, and get a sub for the service.  Thinking that my condition's not improving, I also decided that it's time to see a doctor.

Before going to the doctor, good thing my Mom bumped in to my aunt, Tita Helen, who helped cure me.  She gave me the hilot and advised me on what to take to help make myself feel better.  I wish Tita Helen was around way earlier (though it's ironic that she lives just a doorstep away).  I was praying that I'd be just fine, because I had the feeling that they might check me in to a hospital (again, it's ironic that poor fragile me was never confined yet in a hospital; and I'm not really looking forward to my first time).  My Dad's brother and Tita Helen's husband Tito Mars stood by his word - "Before going to the doctor, see Tita Helen first."  I'm glad she's there, and my condition has improved, thanks to her.  We have doctors in the family.  Maybe Tita Helen should have been a doctor or a physical therapist.  I got cured the old school way.

So, yeah, I'm missing the OTG gig now.  It was just called last night, so I had to decide if it's a go for me.  As much as I don't want to miss a gig, my health wins this time and I decided to take some more rest.  So there goes my Iron Man award haha!  I wish I'm at OTG right now, playing music with my bandmates.  I'm pretty sure the gig's going smoothly right now.  I'm not worried; my mentor and friend, Benjie Mendez of South Border is filling in for me.  Maybe my bandmates are worried haha, Bagets could be giving them the musical examination right now.  But it's all cool, we are all brothers in music, and I think Benjie enjoys playing with my bandmates.  I'm sure it's still all good.  I'll be ready by Friday...  Can't wait for the weekend.

*****


It was our first Christmas in our new home here in Sampaloc, and our family's holiday season went really great.  There were plenty of good fortune and blessings for the family in 2009.  I already mentioned about the new house, my 2 new nieces...  Dio clan was blessed in 2K9, and we ended the year with a couple of high notes.

First, my brother in law Jito was able to set a business deal, and he was able to acquire 3 Monterey Meat Shops.  He was eyeing on this business opportunity for months, and finally he was able to acquire it on mid-December.  It's a family business, so my siblings, brothers in law, and some of our parents had our share on the investment.  My bros in law are mainly running the biz, and I credit them for a job well done.  So, please buy meat at our Monterey Shops (UniMart Greenhills, Cash & Carry Makati, & Makati Supermarket in Alabang).

Next, my youngest sister Karen and her boyfriend, video editor Ted Mosuela announced their engagement on Christmas eve, in front of the whole family during Noche Buena.  It was funny because one of my bros in law Louie loves to kid around, and he would often tease Ted if he would make an announcement, which normally happened during family meals.  This time, it was for real.  Over dinner, Louie asked Ted if he has an announcement.  And so, that was Karen & Ted's cue to reveal the news.  Everybody was jubilant after Ted's announcement.  Soon after that, everyone's asking Louie if he knew all along, and no he did not.  Only two people in the family knew before the announcement - me and my eldest sis Rica.  I'm really happy for Karen.  Ted is a good guy, and he makes my sister happy.  The happiness of my kid sister means a lot to me.

I love all my sisters, but Karen is the closest to me.  We are just 13 months apart, and we practically grew up together.  Sometimes I think we are like twins, yet we are different in many ways.  We fight a lot when we were kids, but we get along most of the time.  I admire her in many ways, especially her artistic talents.  I've seen her during her rough and dark times, which is tough for me as a brother.  That's why I was hoping and praying that she'll be blessed with happiness in life.  And the prayers were answered.

Congratulations, Karen & Ted!  The wedding will be on 111111 (11 Nov '11, a Friday), so there's plenty of time to prepare.  I'm sure the wedding will be great.

Now that my youngest sis is engaged, Louie's teasing me this time... "Any announcements, bro?"

*****

 
I remember having this interesting conversation with my Lola's and cousins' helper Bella sometime late November.  That time, we were still sleeping at my Lola's house next door, though most of our stuff were already moved in to our new house.  Here's an excerpt, simplified and translated in English...

Bella:  Why are you still sleeping here in Lola's house?

me:  Because we don't have water yet in the new house.  We still lack some utilities.

Bella:  Can you feel something here in Lola's house?

me:  Yes.  I was having the bangungot.  But I haven't had it lately.

Bella:  One night, while you were sleeping, I saw this girl sitting right beside you.

me:  Really?  How does she look like?

Bella:  Black, like a shadow...  That's why I don't like going up the third floor alone.

me:  If it's my Lolo, it's okay, but who could that be?

Okay, so there's a spirit who was keeping an eye on me during my stay at my Lola's house.  But why?  Was she there to protect me?  Or could she be the one causing my series of bangungot attacks?  Who else has seen or felt her?  Who is she?  Why me?

When we finally moved to the new house, I joked to Bella, "You can sleep in my room now."  She laughed, and she was like, "No thanks.  I'll sleep with your Lola."

***

Okay, that's all for now.  I need to rest.  I think I'll go to sleep now.  Any imaginary friends there to keep me company?  Kidding...

Happy New Era! My First 2K10 Blog is About Strength and Sports

Happy New Era, friends and loved ones!

New year, new decade, new era...  2010 seems to be a very promising year.  I ended 2K9 and began my 2K10 by working hard as usual, and going through pain and sickness through the New Year weekend.  I didn't really have enough rest during the Holidays.  Before the New Year, I had the asthma attack, which was the heaviest I had in the longest time.  It was so heavy, I was forced to use a puff/inhaler, which I stopped using in the last 7 years.  Then on New Year's Eve, I had too many "mixes" of food and drinks, which caused an upset stomach, which led to a stiff back, then followed by high fever.

In my 5 years and 10 months with K24/7, I never missed a gig because of sickness.  I only missed a couple because of family weddings (one of those two gigs, I followed after the reception to play the last set).  I would love to think of myself as the "Iron Man" in the band because of my almost unblemished gig attendance.  But last weekend, especially our gig last night at Mugen, I finally reached my limit.  I've become accustomed to performing even when I'm not feeling well.  This time around, I finally need to take a break.

I'm not the healthiest and strongest person.  That is why each day is a challenge for me to become the strongest person that I can be.  I was a thin, frail, asthmatic kid growing up.  Though I played basketball and rode on my skateboard almost everyday in our backyard when I was little, I was frequently on check with my asthma.  I also had poor appetite, eating little veggies and more junk and sweets.  When I grew older, that's when I realized that I need to take better care of myself and be physically stronger.  When I became a professional drummer, that's when I began to become more careful with my body.  Especially nowadays, when I'm not getting any younger and the gigs seem to become more physically demanding, the more I take extra care of myself.  Drumming and sports have its parallels, which is why I consider myself as an athlete, as discussed in this old blog of mine.  As much as I can, I act and behave like an athlete.  I rest, relax, and conserve my body whenever I have the opportunity.  I don't make any big movements when not needed.  I try to eat right.  I'm being as disciplined as I can.

Though I am not an active sportsman (which is a frustration of mine), I get plenty of inspiration from sports.  I get pretty much inspired by success stories from sports, particularly in basketball.  In fact, it makes me cry at times...  Michael Jordan's game-winning plays against Utah in 1998, the dramatic Miami Heat championship in 2006, "The Shot" of Dino Aldeguer back in '99 for La Salle's championship, the 2007 La Salle UAAP Championship where the Archers swept the heavily favored and seemingly undefeatable UE Red Warriors...  Oh yes, I cried on those.  I can somehow relate to how hard the journey is before ultimately reaching the top prize.  Some people may think like, "Yeah, it's just basketball..."  But, for those who take basketball with a very high level of passion and pride, achieving goals and aspirations mean so much.  I kind of relate drumming with the motivational and psychological factors of sports, and carried with me the discipline, professionalism, and blue-collar work ethic.

Remember that crucial Finals "flu game" when Michael Jordan saved the day for the Bulls, even if he had the flu and was feeling really weak?  What heart, pride, and determination!  I was totally inspired by that (and yes, I cried on that too).


First Random Thoughts blog of 2K10 coming up...

Happy Birthday, Sir Jun Regalado!

Happy Holidays, folks!

Today, December 31, is the birthday of Jun Regalado, the Godfather of Philippine drumming and one of the finest Filipino musicians ever.  Happy Birthday Sir Jun!

Thanks to his son, ace session drummer Junjun Regalado (who is a fellow DLSU Pops Orchestra alumnus), I was able to meet the legend.  Even if I never had any formal lessons with Sir Jun (though I would love to have the time and opportunity to take formal lessons from him someday), I've learned a lot from him, mostly from his drum clinics and sharing sessions.  I have tremendous respect and admiration for Sir Jun, and I look up to him as a mentor and inspiration.

Another great thing about Sir Jun is he is a class act and a very kind and caring man.  I remember that drum clinic he had years ago at the Monk's Dream jazz bar in Powerplant Mall, Rockwell, Makati.  As always, Sir Jun conducted an effective and informative drum clinic.  After the clinic, while waiting for his crew to finish packing up his drum gear, Sir Jun went to our table, sat with us, then had some more drum and music talk.  He's one of the nicest senyors I've ever met.

A couple of weeks ago, I was thrilled that Sir Jun is on Facebook, and he added me on his friend's list, then sent me a message.  Here are excerpts of his message, sent to me last December 13.  The message is not only for me, but for all Pinoy drummers out there...

*****

"Hi Anthony! Jun Regalado here, belated happy birthday last Dec 5. It's been 2 years that I haven't received messages in my email from Pinoydrums. Please do me favor to remind all Pinoy drummers to play their drums on the eve of Dec.31, which happens to be my birthday.  But that's not the point; it's one way to welcome the New Year. For us drummers it's the only time of the year when we can freely play and express our drum playing in our houses that we don't feel disturbing the neighborhood. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!"

"Kindly share my messages and reminders to all Pinoydrummers!  Let's enjoy life as a musician and be friends of all musicians around us."

*****

Thank you very much, Sir Jun!  Happy Happy Birthday!  I wish you good health, more happiness & more music & drumming.

K24/7 - New Era: A Dream Come True

December 18, 2009...  This is a date that I will remember.  It was a Friday night, and my band K24/7 is scheduled for our usual weekend gig at Off The Grill.  It was pretty much routine... Until our manager Alona David gave us the most pleasant surprise.  My bandmates and I were each handed a couple of CDs, with Ate Alona greeting us a sweet Merry Christmas...

It was our new album.  K24/7: New Era.

Earlier this week, Ate Alona, road manager Jason Reyes, and I met up to check the final CD design and listen to the final audio mix, before the production of the first batch of CDs.  It was all good, and it's a go.  We were expecting the manufacturing to be finished sometime next week.  It went ahead of schedule.   And so, management gave us the surprise last night. 

For me, it's a dream come true.  It's definitely a long time coming.  I am now on my 12th year as a professional musician, and I've been with K24/7 since early 2004.  One of my career dreams is to become a recording artist and to make albums.  Finally, this dream came true.  This is my first album/recording credit as a professional artist, and this wasn't handed to us in a silver platter.  New Era is approximately 5 years in the making; a product created from blood, sweat, and tears.

When I held my copy of New Era for the first time, I took a moment, holding the album with both hands, and I just stared at it.  I had this mini flashback of the last 5 years I had with the band, and that moment when my bandmates began making the first demos.  In those 5 years, K24/7 has faced adversities along the way.  We went through the tough times, from studio and gig mishaps to bandmember changes, from songwriting hardships to production concerns... We went through various challenges, whether musical, personal, financial, or whatever imaginable obstacle.  And just as we thought that things seem to be on track, something would come up.  Wow, those 5 tough years...  What a journey it has been!  Unbelievable.

It was a huge sigh of relief.  I felt like all the stress in my mind and body was took off of me.  Suddenly, I broke a smile and there was peace of mind, like a big monkey was mightily taken off my back.  And it felt really good.  While writing this blog, I have our album playing in the background.  I may have listened to our songs thousands of times.  This time, it sounds and feels way much sweeter.

At times, we were on the verge of losing hope, going through depressive stages, and the like.  But we just hung on to our dreams, and we never gave up and called it quits.  I like what our dear friend Jean Ramiro told us one time...  She described K24/7 as a very resilient group.  Now, I see New Era as a testimony to K24/7's strength, persistence, and determination.

I always believe that God has His reasons, and in life, there are reasons why things happen.  Looking back at what happened in the last 5 years...  Yeah, we know the album is waaaaay overdue.  But the wait seems well worth it.  I am grateful to the Lord for all the blessings, and as well as for the adversities and the lessons learned.

Our acknowledgements are well-documented in our album sleeve, and I would like to thank all the wonderful people who love, support, and believe in K24/7.  Personally, I sincerely thank you all from the bottom of my heart.  Thank you so much for hanging on with us; for the patience in waiting for our album to come out.  I would also like to offer my deepest gratitude to the unsung heroes...  To our management - Alona David, producer Alvin Llanderal, and Jason Reyes; and to everybody involved with the production of New Era...  Thank you very much for helping make my dream & K24/7's dream come true.

Now that our album is finally out, this is just the beginning of a new chapter in K24/7's history.

Let me know what you think or feel about New Era.  I'll most likely write more blogs about our album in the near future.

*****

K24/7: NEW ERA is currently available at our gigs.  Drop by at any of our gigs, and go grab your copy!  Php250 only.  For info, sked, and updates, just visit K24/7's Facebook Page.

My Studio Room Design Project, Part 2

To read/review Part 1 of this blog (posted on November 24, 2009), click here.

*****

My built-in shelf/table/closet system for my room was finished two weeks ago, in time for my birthday.  These last couple of weeks, I've been busy in my room, loading in and organizing my stuff.  I'm not yet done, and I feel like this will be an ongoing work in progress.

On Part 1 (link above), I discussed about the design aspects of my project, the thinking behind it, and its construction phase.  Here in Part 2, I want to share the finishing stage of the project, and how it looks like right now, as of this writing.

 
The photo above shows our painter Rodel applying putty and white primer.  It seems nice in white, but I don't think it compliments my room's dominant red shade.  I mentioned on Part 1 that I prefer the system painted in a dark shade of brown, to match my room's door.  Rodel painted one portion of a door for a sample.   But it was too dark, and it didn't feel right.

 
And so, I thought about it overnight...  And, voila!  I decided to have it painted red.  When my room's door is open, and somebody's outside, peeking or staring into my room, the first thing he/she will notice is my built-in system.  I thought that I've always wanted my room red, yet the first thing people see from outside or when they enter my room is this shelf/closet system which is of different color, which I thought defeats my purpose of having a red room.  Plus, this will be favorable for Rodel, because instead of dealing with 2 or 3 different colors, and working on edges and corners, it would be a breeze for him to just paint everything in one color.  And so, red it is.

That shade of red looks quite pretty, isn't it?  Plus, the closet doors already have its louvers installed, for ventilation.

 
These are the closet door "handles" that I chose for my system.  Stainless steel.  Slick.  Modern.  Minimalist.  Non-distracting.  Sweet.

And here's my finished built-in shelf/table/closet system!

   

Left side (shelves/table)... and right side (closet).

The photo above shows a worm's eye view of the shelf/table side.  I'm really happy with how the CD shelves turned out.  And it's wonderful that the dimensions worked in harmony.  I like how all the shelves are neatly lined up.

 
Once the project's finished, I immediately loaded in most of my books and magazines on the bigger left-side shelves; then, my CDs, DVDs, Reader's Digest magazines on the table side's shelves.  Internet's finally working, and so I moved in my computer to its new home a couple of days ago.  One by one, I've been adding a few decors, frames, and some conversation pieces.  I'm thinking of putting these battery-operated stick-on lighting on the shelves for some shelf lighting.  I also got some audio/video/gaming gear in my room, which are all placed on this big, black, steel furniture, which was my old project back in my college days.

This last photo isn't project-related anymore, but I just want to share it.  Here's a view of one corner of my room, showing my drum gear & a nice big table at the corner, which can be useful for holding study materials, mixers, sticks, tools, gadgets, and various stuff.  And as you can see, I still need to do some cleaning in my room.  I still got stuff lying around.  I'm still gonna need a nice rug for my drumkit and a sofa bed.  Plus, I'll be working on sound absorbers, baffles, and/or acoustic foams in the near future, to help make this room a sweet-sounding studio room.  That should be another interesting project.

Birthday 2009

 
On this day, God wants you to know...

... that today you have a cause for celebration. Today, you should celebrate what an unbelievable life you have had so far: the accomplishments, the many blessings, and, yes, even the hardships because they have served to make you stronger. Just as a gem cannot be polished without friction, nor can a life be perfected ...without trials. Take a time to acknowledge your life and to praise yourself.

This was the message I received from the God Wants You To Know application on Facebook at the morning of December 4, the day before my birthday.  The timing is perfect; so appropriate because it was in time for my birthday weekend.  This message made my day, making me feel much better.  Thank you Lord for my 30th birthday.  I can't believe it... I'm 30. 

These last few weeks, I was dreading the fact that I'm entering a new age group.  Turning 30 feels like a fresh start.  Being in my 20's felt like a major warm-up for my prime; the things I've done in my 20's are now my gauges or basis for further improving myself.  Now that I'm in the 30 club, I feel like this will be the beginning of certain turning points for many aspects in my life.  I don't really feel like I'm 30; I still feel like I'm more of mid-20's.  I can't escape the fact that I just hit 30, and I'm not ashamed of my age.  Reflecting on what has happened this year and in the last few years, I've been having my bittersweet sentiments.

The message, which seemed to have described a theme of my life in the last few years, means a lot to me.  Though I don't feel like celebrating, I don't think I've accomplished so much yet in my young life, and I will definitely not praise or acknowledge myself, I agree that I've been through certain challenges; especially this 2009, which is pretty much a very difficult year for many people.  To be frank, I've been wanting this year to finally end, as I look forward to a hopefully brighter and merrier 2010.  While looking back at my blogs this year, I also reflect mostly on my frustrations and emotional challenges.  It's a tough year.  At the beginning of the year, I envisioned 2009 as a year of transitions.  I did have some obvious transitions, namely moving houses and getting thinner (and hopefully healthier).  But, some of the things I was hoping to happen didn't come to fruition.

Career-wise, I feel idle.  It's like in professional sports.  I feel like I've been grooming for a championship; that level where I'm really focused, working hard, and doing whatever I can to achieve my goals and aspirations.  However, it's not yet time because of certain elements and situations which came along the way.  And I'm not getting any younger.  Regarding my personal life, it's idle as well.  I don't want to talk about personal matters in my blog; but bottomline is, though I'm not really in a hurry to find my match, I'm feeling more pressure this time.  I have relatives, and even my Mom at times, mentioning to me about having a girlfriend and settling down someday.   I'm now a more careful person who prefers not to rush and force things.  Eventually, I know that will just happen sooner or later, in God's time.  There's a saying which goes, "If God wants to bless you, He puts a person in your life."  I guess it isn't time yet for me.

Yet, the situations I've gone through have indeed made me a much stronger human being.  It made me realize my strengths, my weaknesses, my capabilities, my vulnerabilities, my bright and dark sides...  I feel like I know myself much better now than ever before.  And it kinda scares the heck out of me.  I feel like I'm becoming a much more complicated person, and some of the traits I have can be a curse.  But, this is how I am.

I also have my good fortunes this year, particularly with my family.  We have a new house, we are blessed with two new family members (I have 2 new nieces born this year), and we're about to enter this business venture (which will eventually be a family business).  In general, family's doing great.  Plus, it's a dream come true for me to have a new studio room, where I can finally return to serious practice/woodshedding and focus much further on my drumming and music, which I've been yearning to do all these years.  And yes, this website is also a blessing for me.  I am very thankful for these huge blessings.  Year 2009 will end on a positive note.

I spent a pretty much quiet birthday this year.  I don't feel like celebrating, and I'm not really into big parties anyway.  Last Friday night, my band and I performed at Wave 89.1's Urban Music Awards jump-off party in Eastwood City.  I think it's becoming a tradition that I get sick every year on my birthday week.  I wasn't feeling well; I had the slight fever and allergies, then the bodyache later on.  But I've become used to performing even when I'm sick or feeling terrible, so I just sucked it in and played the best I can.  The Wave gig went well, and I appreciate the love and support given to my band.  Then, we proceeded to Off The Grill for our usual weekly gig.  That gig was a salubong to my birthday, and I received cakes and presents from dear friends (thank you very much).  I spent my Saturday birthday weekend at home, mostly resting and sleeping.  Then, it will be my usual Sunday routine - church service in the morning, and Mugen gig in the evening.

I am very grateful for all the greetings and messages, whether through phone, text messages, online, or in person.  Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart!  You guys made my day!  I sincerely appreciate it.