First I would like to give you a brief history on how this page came about. I invested in a recording studio just for the sake of recording my music and express my creativity. I was not intending to make a business out of it.

Then one day my friend Doug Halper, flute, hammered-dulcimer, guitarist, pianist, music teacher extraordinary, came to my studio to see if we could do a session for a song he had created for a non-profit organization entitled Songs Of Love.

Long story short, we had a great time creating it and that was it. Then one day, out of the blue I received this email from an artist by the name of Armand, whom have spoken with Doug and asked if I was willing to help him and his partner Angelina record an album they have in the works.

Here is the thing, I have never been financially compensated for recording anybody's music because as I said, my studio was only for my own recordings. And what I did with Doug was not for hire either, it was only a favor to a friend.

And to be honest, I didn't feel confident enough to charge them for studio time because I didn't know if I could live up to their standards. So they asked how much do I charged, and I had to come up with a figure so I said, $25 per hour. He sends me an email back saying; "we have never paid anything less than $50 an hour so we would be willing to pay you that much." I agreed.

So the first project I was presented with was an album they wanted to call, Follow Your Dreams. Angelina happens to be a gifted souls with an angelic opera voice that will blow your mind. If you don't believe me, wait till you hear the most amazing rendition of Ave Maria in a second.

Their idea was to make a simple album with just some flutes, percussion, acoustic guitar and some vocals. The first song he wanted to work with was called Let Down Your Guard. That song was supposed to be a simple keyboard and vocals.

So they came to the studio and recorded it. Once they left, my creativity began to express so I mixed that song, and created another version of the same song adding electric guitars, bass, guitar solo, etc., When they came back to the studio I said to them, "Look, I know you did not ask me to add any instruments and extra mixing, specially since you are paying me by the hour. So what I did is, I created this other version of that same song. If you like it better, then you can pay me for the time I put into it. If you prefer to keep your version, that's fine with me."

Once they heard that new version they could not believe their ears. Long story short, that album was recorded with all kinds of instruments, and it became #1 in the New Age charts. If you want to listen to the version of Let Down Your Guard, simply click on the link below. However, underneath that clip, as promised, I invite you to listen to the most amazing rendition of Ave Maria sung by Angelina.

Let Down Your Guard:
Ave Maria: