The other side of the court

MANILA, Philippines - “You will never know how much you can do until you try.”

This is probably the greatest lesson that I learned after the success of my second album titled May Minamahal — my first under Viva Records, and most especially, my first as a producer myself.

For me, singing is one thing, and co-producing my own album is totally another, which is not a piece of cake. If singing itself requires tremendous training, the complicated process of producing is at par, if not of equal relevance, to the success of an album. My entire experience made me realize the importance of people “behind the scenes”— that simply because their voices are not heard as compared to the recording artists doesn’t make them any less of a worker. They are just silent ones.

I have to say that during the process of creating my album, the more I see, the more I appreciate the work of a producer. Recording companies, events, teleseryes and movies — they all have producers and I can’t imagine what they have been through just to come up with a very good show or product.

Producing was not something that I planned or aspired for. In fact, I saw the sudden shift from singing to producing to as a basketball game wherein my teammates unexpectedly passed the ball to me, with much surprise.

Uncertainty and fear haunted me at first. Am I worth the risk that the team made? Nevertheless, I grabbed the opportunity and proved all his doubts wrong.

It’s like the ball was on my court and people are looking at me — on what I will do with the ball — and I believe I did well.

As a neophyte, I admit that I really had a lot to learn, ranging from the most basic to the more advanced. It was the song-selection process that was most difficult for me, which includes the negotiation with composers and publishers regarding rates and song revivals and rearrangements.

I never thought that revival songs are more expensive than original ones, and that OPM songs are more expensive than foreign ones.

Just when I thought that things could not get any more complicated, I began to feel the pressure and burden brought by the arrangement of songs, the recording itself, the pictorial, album layout and the music video. The art of producing does not end with song selection.

Despite all the hardships caused by venturing the other side of the court which I initially know nothing about, I realized that I matured both as a person and an artist when I went out of my comfort zone.

After I accomplished all those steps, I just woke up one day and realized that I had my second album already, ready to be released. Then I told myself that it was really hard but not impossible.

Prior to my producing stint, while the joy of hearing my songs in the radio is already fulfilling, the sense of accomplishment after I produced May Minamahal is even more rewarding.

It feels good when you learn that your produced music or video hits the music chart. It is really heartwarming when organizers of different events invite you to sing it.

May Minamahal features revivals of five OPM hits including the carrier single Akala Mo by Aiza Seguerra; May Minamahal; Mangarap Ka; Agot Isidro’s Beginning Today; and Nonoy Zuñiga’s Kaputol Ng Isang Awit, with O Holy Night as a bonus track.

I extend my gratitude to the people who helped me surpass all the challenges all throughout and made May Minamahal possible.

I thank Viva Entertainment for throwing the ball in my court, for giving me this experience. I think this is one of the greatest achievements of my life.