What's Up

"Music in My Soul" on iTunes! August 30, 2010

Good news! You can now purchase our latest album "Music in My Soul" on iTunes! Just search for 'CJ Li' in the searchbar as usual! :)

I would love an Umbrella August 24, 2010

Japan is boiling hot right now (as Japanese ppl would say "mushi mushi!!!") and the last thing I need is an umbrella. However, I would LOVE some rain right now! I have a gig in 2 days which will be my first in Japan- super stoked! Lemme know what you think, here is Umbrella by Rihanna.

Kiss Me August 15, 2010

Here's a great lil tune Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer. I'll be singing this song for my first gig here in Japan! Wish me luck! Comments and suggestions welcome. Talk soon! :).

First YouTube vid from Japan August 12, 2010

Sorry it seems like I've disappeared for a while. As you all know, I arrived in Japan only a week ago and am still getting settled in. Things are looking good and I'm looking foward to starting my regular YouTube video uploads like usual. :) Here's the first from Japan: Justin Bieber's "That Should be Me".

CJ on Schema Magazine! August 2, 2010

Hello From Tokyo!!!! :) Currently in my hotel room and absolutely loving the city. On a side note, we were featured in Schema Magazine! Thanks to our interviewer Justin Ko & Schema for inviting us in their magazine!

CJ Leaves to Japan Tomorrow! July 30, 2010

I'm off! For those of you who weren't aware of this, check out the blog post. :) Don't know when I'll have internet there but will keep you updated as soon as I can. Amazing pics of Japan to come I'm sure. Bye for now!!! :)

CJ off to Japan! July 25, 2010

Next week, I'm off to Japan to work on music. Check "my inner rebel" for details!

Korean Drama July 23, 2010

If you've known me long enough, you also know that I always compare my life to a Korean Drama because my life is full of so many random, strange and exciting things. While goofing around on the piano, I came up with a theme song to my own "Korean Drama". This is how my life would sound if it were one of those dramas!

Japanese Bio! July 21, 2010

Just updated the Japanese bio in "the story" for those of you who can read it! :)

Kickstarter Officially Ended! July 16, 2010

A billion thank yous to our pledgers at Kickstarter! Kickstarter is over now, and we officially raised $525 to go toward the production fees of "Music in My Soul"! We originally set the goal at $300 and we managed to nearly double that. Once again, thank you so much for believing and supporting our music. By the way, we've also received a MIMS album review from Max Barsby who is a student-journalist from Great Britain. Check out my blog "my inner rebel" to read what he had to say. :)

Twilight piano cover July 9, 2010

My first piano cover "River Flows in You".

The Code of CJ Li July 8, 2010

Check out "my inner rebel" for my newest and most damn important blog! :)

1 More Week for Kickstarter July 7, 2010

That's right! A few months have passed by so fast, and now we're nearing the end of our Kickstarter. It officially closes a week from today. Although we've sucessfully reached our $300 goal, we would love to try to break that goal even more! Please keep those pledges coming and of course, thank you so much for your support! :)

You and I Collide July 2, 2010

This Howie Day cover goes out to Vivian Kong, ticoon1, Lupe Mercado, siagothic & presea: our supporters & Kickstarter pledgers. :) ♥

Happy Canada Day! July 1, 2010

Happy Canada Day, my fellow "Canadiens"~~ :)

Kickstarter Pledgers June 30, 2010

This one is for our Kickstarter Pledgers: Thank you!!! Since our last post we reached our goal of $300 in pledges! We still have 2 weeks left, so although we've reached the goal let's try to surpass it! Also, don't forget you can always order your MIMS cd using the order form above. Thanks everyone, keep rocking! :D

Time is ticking for Kickstarter! June 25, 2010

Hello all! Once again, we're asking for pledges for our Kickstarter page! We're about halfway to our $300 goal and we need to reach this goal before July 14th or we receive nothing!! Cool prizes to be won by pledging such as exclusive behind-the-scenes videos, handwritten postcard from the band and an original song written about YOU! Check out our Kickstarter and thanks so much for your pledges! :)

Release Party pics & blog! June 21, 2010

Pics from yesterday's "Music in My Soul" Release Party uploaded (click pics -->gigs). CJ's blog in "My Inner Rebel" has also been updated! :)

MIMS Party- What a night!! June 20, 2010

Thank you so much to everyone who rocked out with us tonight! We had a great crowd who danced and sung with us. Thanks to our amazing opening bands Gardenburst & No Island! Special thanks to Mijune, Aleena & Annie for helping us out. Huge thanks to our friends/family/fans who supported our album & gave us an unforgettable night. You're all amazing! :) Pictures to be uploaded tomorrow!

CD Release Party 2 days! June 18, 2010

The long-awaited "Music in My Soul" CD release party is in 2 days (on Sunday)!!!! Check out the gigs section for the venue/time! Hope to see you all there- let's and make this an unforgettable night! :)

Proceeds to SPCA for Monique June 16, 2010

A portion of proceeds from MIMS album will go towards the BC SPCA in memory of an amazing girl named Monique Ishikawa. CJ has never actually met Monique but was touched by her story and wrote a song after visiting her site. Monique's Song (Your Smile) is track 7 on our album. You can catch a little preview of the song in the player above (just use the left/right arrows!).

How We Met! June 15, 2010

How CJ, Mili & Patrick met!= check out the blog on "my inner rebel".

Fall but We Flourish preview! June 14, 2010

We have officially released the preview for "Fall but We Flourish"! Scroll left/right in the audio player above to find it. Here's another behind-the-scenes vid of this song as well. Leave us a comment on YouTube! Thanks everyone.

MIMS Album cover! June 8, 2010

Check out our official MIMS cover! The original plan was the one on the left, then it turned into this! I'm so happy with the final picture as it turned out even better than I had imagined. Because this album was made in the span of 2-3 years, MIMS shows many different sides of my personality and different things I went through in those years. The concept of the CD is to show my "dark" side and "bright" side combined, and to capture what my world/life is like. Hence, me standing on a world with both light & dark. It's perfect and I'm so happy with it! :D

High School Gig tmr June 7, 2010

High School gig tomorrow! We're looking forward to it as rocking with the teens is our specialty! bwaha!~ Also, we've posted 2 brand new Making of MIMS videos: Mili Playing "Avocado" shaker & The Yolk Is my Favorite Part. I know they sound really weird, just watch them and you'll see. Also, June 20th is fast approaching: AKA our CD release of "Music in My Soul". If you haven't already, fill out the form above and order your copy! They are only $10 plus $4 shipping to anywhere in the world!

More gigs, more MIMS vids! June 6, 2010

More gigs posted & yet another Making of MIMS video released! :)

Making of MIMs videos! June 1, 2010

Hello all! As you noticed, we've been posting "Making of Music in My Soul" videos on YouTube for you! These videos show the band in the studio working in the studio, singing and just being plain goofs. Travel with us in our journey to the making of MIMS. :) Two videos so far: Day 1 & Recording Monique's song! More to come very, very soon!

CD Release Party! May 29, 2010

We're celebrating the birthday of CJ Li Band's baby "Music in My Soul" (aka. Baby MIMS)! Come join us for the event and even a Happy Birthday cake! Opening bands include awesome music by (auntie) Gardenburst and (uncle) No Island. If have Facebook, you can add yourself as attending the event! See you on June 20th! Let's rock out!

Studio Update May 25, 2010

Video blog studio update with Mike (producer)! We're recording Powertrippin' in your Underwear which I wrote about a boss of mine. Don't forget to pre-order your copy of Music in my Soul so that you can receive it quicker! Thanks for your support! :)

Get ready! May 21, 2010

As you've noticed, we have freshly posted a new link for you to pre-order your copy of "Music in My Soul"! This album will be released in July, and we will mail it to you once the CD is very, dangerously hot off the press! We've also included a personalized "CJ Li" autograph as an option. In the meantime, we'll keep you updated on the progress of the CD. The album cover will be released soon!!! Stop reading, and go fill out your form above! :)

Improvised Tea Song- tmr May 18, 2010

As you all know, every Wednesday we post a new YouTube video on our channel. Tomorrow's video will be Cj & Patty's improvised "Tea Song"!

Stop Calling, Stop Callin'! May 13, 2010

New YouTube vid: Telephone- Lady Gaga cover! Lately, I've been super super busy preparing for the CD. We finished photoshoot #1 and still have several shoots left along with TONS of studio time. Oh my gosh! It's crazy busy but also great because everyday is something different and fun. Also pls keep in mind that we've launched Our Kickstarter Page and still need tons of backers before we reach our 100% goal. Thanks everyone!

Win a song about YOU from CJ! May 5, 2010

Help us raise money for duplications of our cds by donating $ to Our Kickstarter Page! There's a video on there that we made & description of what your donation will go towards. Depending on how much you donate, you win really cool prizes like behind-the-scenes videos, Ipod Nano & even a song about YOU written by CJ! What are you reading this for?- go click that link! :) Thx everyone!

Soul Sister April 30, 2010

For this week's video, I just took the latest request I found on our YouTube channel which happened to be Train's Soul Sister! Enjoy! Also, some pretty awesome first sketches of what our upcoming CD "Music in my Soul" is going to look like!

ANOTHER award! April 23, 2010

Today I was very surprised to see another "#53 - Most Viewed (Today) Musicians in Canada" YouTube award on our channel! Thx so much again- these always make me so very happy & keeps reminding me how much you guys rock!

Wavin' Flag April 21, 2010

Today is Wednesday which is our official "post a new vid" day. Today's video is Wavin Flag- K'naan! Pls don't forget to subscribe if you haven't already, and leave us a comment. Thx!

YouTube award & Paramore cover April 20, 2010

Our YouTube award today is: #65 Most Viewed (Today)- Musicians in Canada! It always makes my day to see these awards- thanks AGAIN to everyone who watches our channel. Speaking of YouTube vids, instead of studying I decided to shoot this vid of Paramore's The Only Exception! Lemme know what you think!

New Laptop- trial April 19, 2010

Recently bought a new laptop so I decided to give it a try today. My trial made me figured out that the quality and sound are a bit crappy... haha! Anyways, here's the little vid that I took:Avril Lavigne cover! Gotta buy a new mic for this laptop! Enjoy the vid in the meantime, talk soon!

Battle of the Bands April 17, 2010

Our very first Battle of the Bands gig next week @ Beacon Point! Here's the Facebook link as well. Hope to see u all there! :D

12 tunes April 12, 2010

Ok, on the the album there will officially be 12 tunes... Pizza, That's How the Story Goes & Lair of Make Believe to name a few!

Music In My Soul April 9, 2010

Hey everyone! Oober news: our new album will be released sometime in June/July and will be called "Music in My Soul". This is actually a ballad that CJ wrote and had some of her coworkers & band members record on this tune. Let us know what you think of the name! ...Wanna know more? Check out "my inner rebel" blog!

Justin Bieber Cover & Album #2 April 2, 2010

New Justin Bieber cover posted! Also, happy post-April Fool's. Yesterday, we tried tricking our Facebook fans by saying "Mili is going to be CJ's bridesmaid!". That didn't work out so well and seems no one believed us! We'll try again next year. Oh yes, and great news- the band has booked studio time in May to work on our second album! This album will be out for sure before July 31st.

Every Wednesday! March 29, 2010

Wednesdays will be our official "post a new YouTube video" day! Every Wednesday around 6:30pm PST, check out our YouTube channel and a new vid will have been posted! :D Video that will be posted this Wednesday will be a Justin Bieber tune. By the way, if you wanna chat it up with fellow CJ Li fans & the band, just join our Facebook page! We're always having a great conversation in there- talk soon!

What a show! March 27, 2010

Thx to those who rocked out with us yesterday at University of BC! You are all awesome... thx for singing/dancing with us and making it an awesome night!

Canadian-Azn Festival March 25, 2010

UBC gig tomorrow- hopefully see you there! :) Oh btw, check out our new YouTube Award: "#79 - Most Viewed (Today) - Musicians - Canada"!

OUR Bubblegum pop March 23, 2010

Pls don't beat us up for doing this cover! We're bringing back the old-school bubblegum pop songs!

Lonsdale March 19, 2010

OK one more week until our gig at UBC! Check out the gigs section- we hope to see you there! We've also just uploaded a highlights vid from our gig at Lonsdale, in North Vancouver. Enjoy!

Gig at UBC updated March 15, 2010

Check out the gigs section for details on our gig next week at UBC! Let's rock out with those University students!

DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!! March 7, 2010

CJ Li's official YouTube video views: 502,030!! We have hit over HALF A MILLION views!!!! Thank you so much to our loyal fans/friends who watch our slightly crazy, sometimes goofy videos. You are all amazing & we love you! We promise keep those vids coming.

Fall Into a Sea of Cranberries?! March 4, 2010

This is the last of our Vancouver Olympic Adventure vids:Sea of Cranberries. We hope you enjoyed following us around during the Olympics & watching us be goofballs! :)

Goodbye/Au Revoir! March 1, 2010

The Vancouver Winter Olympics have officially come to a close. Huge "Thank You"s to the promoters, co-ordinators and event planners who invited us to play at the Olympic venues! The band and I had an absolutely amazing time, and we were so proud to show the world what our local Vancouver band had to offer. CJ Li Band is always on the go and we always have gigs coming up. That being said, we always update our Facebook Band Page, our YouTube channel & this site with pics and vids for those of you who are overseas!

Olympics Closing Februrary 27, 2010

See you at tomorrow's gig by the beautiful water @ Lonsdale Quay!

We're on a Boat Februrary 26, 2010

New vid posted in "My Inner Rebel"!

UBC Gig Moved! Februrary 24, 2010

The UBC gig has been moved from March 5 to March 26 (Friday). Will keep you updated on the time! The band and I are thinking about roaming the downtown streets with our music this Friday, but it might rain! We'll keep you updated on that as well. Looking forward to our last "Olympic Gig" on Sunday at the Lonsdale Quay as part of Winterfest! See you there!

Zipline & Korean House! February 22, 2010

The band and I have been taking breaks and having some much needed Olympic fun between gigs. Here's a vid of us on the Ziptrek in Robson Square and visiting the Korean House. Will continue to post vids and update you guys on our Vancouver 2010 Olympic adventures!

Edgewater Behind the Scenes & Highlights February 19, 2010

Some highlights and special band behind-the-scenes clips for you guys! Just a note, trust me VIP tent was absolutely freezing! I think the cold also froze our brains which is why we were acting so mega weird! Yay, fun times! Enjoy!

"Hey Look, A Banana!" February 18, 2010

This is a taste of CJ in downtown Vancouver during the Winter Olympics. One word: Madness!

New songs in the player! February 17, 2010

Yeup! Fresh tunes should be playing for you as you read this! Just click on the left/right arrows in the player above, and new songs should appear including our all-time popular "Pizza in your Belly"! The songs aren't actually fully finished or mastered yet, so they are small snippets of what's to come! Also, lots of fan pics have been posted on our Facebook. Big thanks to Gary who seemed to have taken a freakin load of pics!

Edgewater Gig pics uploaded! February 15, 2010

Check out the "pics" section! 14 fresh rocking photos just for you!

CJ Li ♥ s YOU because... February 14, 2010 ♥

CJ Li ♥ s YOU because... YOU push them to become better people/musicians and YOU believe in them to become amazing rockstars! :) Happy Valentine's Day, everybody! ♥ And of course, "Gung Hay Fat Choy"!

What a rush, tonight! Edgewater Gig! February 13, 2010

A huge thank you to everyone who trekked in the cold rain & Olympic crowds to rock out with us! What a rush, tonight! You guys are so awesome and made this gig a blast. Pics/vids to be uploaded tomorrow! Next stop: Fort Langley~

CJ Li welcomes the world to Vancouver! February 12, 2010

The Olympic Opening ceremony was absolutely amazing! I'm so very proud to be a Vancouverite. Today, we performed at Tupper Secondary School, and I must say those students really know how to rock! Thanks to the guys and girls who dance their way up front and came to chat with us after the set. You all rock! The band and I had such a blast, and now we're looking forward for tomorrow. Hopefully see you there! Btw, pics of today's gig uploaded!!

Gigs start tomorrow! February 11, 2010

Gig at Tupper Secondary tomorrow starting at 1:30pm! Also, our Edgewater gig on Saturday is now at 4:30pm! Just check out the "gigs" section, as everything has been updated. We're really excited to start our Olympic gigs! See you at the shows!

CJ Li Welcomes the Year of the Tiger! February 8, 2010

One of the gigs we're doing during the Olympics is for Chinese New Year. We're calling our set "CJ Li welcomes the Year of the Tiger!". You get to party with us for 2 different celebrations, it's free and an all-ages show. Doesn't get much better than that! If you have facebook, invite your friends and let us know you're coming on February 13th! See u there! ...Oh, and if you really, really can't make this gig... check the "gigs" section, we always have tons lined up.

Whoaa! We're Living on a Prayer! February 5, 2010

Ready or not?! February gigs for the Olympics start exactly 1 week from today!~ We're so pumped & ready to rock! Here's Livin' on a Prayer, one of the covers we'll be doing, enjoy! This is such a feel-good song, it's our favorite in the whole set of covers!

Pizza February 4, 2010

Here's one of my originals Pizza in Your Belly, which I actually wrote in the shower! The band does some awesome solos- they are so talented. Check us out and don't forget to subscribe! :)

February 2010 -CJ Li Fan Mission February 1, 2010

Happy February 1st! As usual, you've been given a brand new mission for this month! Your Mission for February 2010 is... here! Good luck! :)

#45 Most Viewed (Today) - Musician in Canada January 30, 2010

Meet our new YouTube award for today~ Hurray! :) Thx for the view everyone. Btw, today's rehearsal went really well and my voice didn't die too much- lol (see blog if you don't know what I'm talking about). We'll see how tomorrow's rehearsal goes!

Beatles-mania January 29, 2010

Freshly uploaded 2 new Beatles cover vids: Yesterday and Let it Be. Check them out and leave us a comment! Oh, and blog has been updated!

More Gigs January 24, 2010

More gigs posted and a time change for our Feb 13th gig! You know where to click to view it... :)

YouTube Charts! January 23, 2010

According to our YouTube channel info, our current top 3 videos are "Wake Me Up When September Ends- Green Day cover" (with a whopping 129,693 views), "Complicated- Avril Lavigne" (79,701 views) and "Feel My Boobies- CJ Li" (22,385 views)! Not bad at all- and altogether we have a total of nearly half a million views...yes, 500,000 views! Damn, that's a heck of a lot of ppl! Thank you again to everyone who subscribed to our channel and continues to give us view hits- you are all amazing. :) By the way, check out the blog- it's been updated!

A song for "Mo" January 18, 2010

The band has been hiding out again, doing multiple rehearsals and getting ready for our upcoming "Olympic" gigs. Send us a message and let us know what's happening in the outside world! lol~ In the meantime, we've posted a new video on YouTube that we recorded during rehearsal. This song was written by CJ for a girl named Monique and is called "Your Smile". See My Inner Rebel for the full story on how this song came to be.

Hey My Friend! January 9, 2010

This is my first Japanese cover song: Tommy Heavenly6's Hey My Friend. Please keep in mind, I've only been studying Japanese for a few months so some words might be funky. haha! :) Gomenasai(sorry) in advance! By the way, even though it's been less than 24 hours since we posted the "Mission", we received TONSSS of jpegs already! Lots of accomplished missions out there and we sent YOU something really, really cool. If you don't know what I'm talking about, click the link below. Rock on!

CJ Li Fan Mission for Jan! January 8, 2010

YOUR mission is here...!

My Inner Rebel

JAPAN is HOT! August 23, 2010

...And by hot I mean temperature hot! It's disgustingly humid right now. I don't know why but it seems that Japanese don't really sweat. But I'm sweating bullets here! lol Besides the crazy heat, Japan has been a LOT of fun. I'm not really homesick anymore and I'm sooo glad to have a GPS which will help keep me from getting lost- I get lost all the time for those who didn't know. I have a gig in 2 days which will be my first gig in Japan! Super stoked! Afterwards, I'll be heading back to Tokyo in October to work on music some more. So far, I've been getting a lot of attention from Japanese labels and everything is working nicely. There's one management company in particular who seems sincere and I'm willing to give them a shot. Let's see how things turn out... How exciting!

Updates from Japan! August 16, 2010

Wow, it's been an absolute whirlwind since I arrived in Japan. I've only been here for about a week but I've already done so much. In short, I've been to 3 different onsen (hot springs) where you bathe butt naked in front of ppl, went to an aquarium and saw a gimongous stingray, wore a yukata for the first time, played frisbee "in" a beach, watched huge fireworks and saw a sumo wrestling match. It's been pretty insane here for sure. I also already got my first gig here that's on Aug 25th which I'm absolutely stoked for. Can't wait! So far, I'm still getting settled in and I'm hoping to work more on music and get this ball rolling. I'm glad that I've been able to get my weekly YouTube vids out like usual. Really excited and I'm sure I'll have lots more updates for you!

CJ off to Japan! July 25, 2010

That's right! Next week, I'm off to Japan to work on music! I have 2 potential record labels that seem really great and we'll see what I can work out together with them. In the meantime, I'll still be keeping the blog updated, writing as usual and doing YouTube videos. Gigs will obviously all be in Japan for the time being. I'm not really sure what to expect and how my music will progress, but I figured why not give it a shot and see how things work out. You never know til you try right? :) I've been getting some amazing positive response from my Japanese fans and labels, so I'm really curious how my music career will progress! Mili and Patty unfortunately can't come with me as they have their own projects/school to work on here, so I'll be doing the "shopping around" for our band. I gotta bring out the business side of me. lol~ Anyways, really excited and I wonder how much attention our new cds and music can grab. :D

Max Barsby's Review July 16, 2010

Max Barsby is a student-journalist from Great Britain and was so kind to give us an album review of "Music in My Soul". I couldn't fit his whole review here, so here's a piece of what he had to say! (Click on his name to read the entire review):

CJ Li is a singer/songwriter from Vancouver, Canada. She’s currently unsigned but with over 1,300 subscribers on her Youtube channel, and one album already under her belt, prior to her most recent release, she’s not doing too badly.
Her most recent release is the ten-track Music in My Soul, which is truly a brilliant piece of work, so much so it has got Li interest from major record labels. The most noticeable difference between this album and her previous, What If is Li’s improved vocal performance and that coupled with excellent musicianship and production, create an excellent end result.
The first track on the album is Something Beautiful, previously released as a digital single. It is a brilliant opening to the album, edging you in carefully with a slow start before kicking in. Musically it is brilliant, the best performance coming from bass player Patrick Lee, especially in the second verse.
The second track Serves You Right is one of my favourites. It has a mixture of slow verses and a fast chorus and both bass and guitar are excellent, we also start to see the lyrical capability of Li shine through in this track. The end of this track did trigger memories of the first album of Li’s fellow Canadian singer/songwriter Avril Lavigne, but I’m sure that’s something Li’s heard only too often.
Track seven is Monique’s Song (Your Smile) dedicated to Monique Ishikawa who tragically died at the age of nineteen in a car accident at the Canada/US border in late May 1998. Li was so moved by her story wrote the song in memory of her and was later thrilled to hear that Monique’s father has heard the song and messaged her saying: “This is stunningly good. Wish [she] were around to hear it.” [Quote taken from cjli.net]. The song isn’t a typical tearjerker, ballad memorial song, instead its upbeat and happy focusing on the good bits of Monique’s life and is also one of the best songs on the album.
Track eight is That’s How The Story Goes and is without a doubt the best song on the album. We know Li likes ballsy songs, but this is the heaviest song Li has released and I demand more. The lead guitar on this track in phenomenal and since no single guitarist is mentioned in the CD insert I cannot say who performs it, but I commend them. On top of that, once again Li astounds me with her lyrical ability and on this track she really comes into her own.
All in all CJ Li has created a brilliant album and very little bad can be said about it. This young Canadian has a bright future ahead of her and as long as she keeps singing they’ll always be music to put a smile on my face.

The Code of "CJ Li"- promise to our fans, our friends & a msg to record labels July 8, 2010

After the release of our album, we've received TONS of attention from both the media and record labels which is absolutely awesome, omg. Our rock of "hard work" is gaining momentum and rolling faster than ever. It's really amazing.
I may be fairly young, but I know a lot about how the mainstream pop "industry" works & what they want from me. I have a great support system and fanbase that helps keep me on track. One of my very favorite professors/people at Capilano named "Mary Jo" has given me so much guidance in our private Voice lessons. Our heartfelt talks were great, but I never really saw a day where what we talked about would actually come into play. Thank goodness for those talks.
For a band, what does "Making It" mean anyway? Being signed by a record label, having a hit on the radio, being on TV? I guess it means different things for different artists. For "CJ Li", Making It means I am making music I love and want to make, making a living off of being "CJ Li" and growing our artistic tree. In other words, We are NOT a flavor of the month band. We are professional musicians with Music Degrees and working hard to be well-respected artists.
It's easy for labels to approach our pop band with the notion that we're looking for fame and fortune or being the next one-shot pop rockstars. Ask our fans, ask our friends and they'll tell you otherwise. I haven't worked this hard to be owned by a label who wants to control MY career or change who we are as a band. Yes, we always welcome constructive critism and advice. But if glamming up our band, changing our band members (ie. toying with Mili, Patty or my relationship) or making us be who we aren't already, then we aren't the right band for you. Why would you sign a band if you're just going to change the band anyways? We're not here to work for a record label, we're here to work together with a record label that truly understands us and wants to help our band grow.
Let today's blog be called the "Code of CJ Li" that fans can turn to as a promise from me that I won't sell-out and give everything I've worked for to be "signed" to just any label. I'd never take our fans' support and belief in us only to throw it out the window. Being signed with a label that doesn't understand us isn't "making it" in my books. We'll also call this a promise to my band that I'll continue to work hard for us. Eventually I know we'll be pursuing our individual dreams, but when I make it "to the top", I'll be offering to bring you with me. I love you both! Also, everyone, let's tell record labels (major or indie) to check this out before they try contacting me with a ridiculous plan of how they'll make us one-hit wonders. That's not how this band ever has or will work. Haha- no, we're not being difficult, we're the real-deal & we're gonna make it to the top while being true to ourselves. :) So far, it's working damn well and we're gonna keep it that way.
Ok now, that being said if you're a label who gets exactly I'm saying, has the same values for their artists and truly wants to work with us, I'll be waiting by the inbox.

CD Release Party! June 21, 2010

As you know, the CD Release party for "Music in My Soul" was yesterday. We had such an amazing time! The two opening bands Gardenburst and No Island were the perfect bands to choose to open for us- they are incredibly talented and were so much fun. My good friends from University and some from High School also helped out by hosting, selling cds, taking pics, etc. This party was really a collective effort and I'm extremely thankful for everyone's help.
It was absolutely awesome being on stage and knowing that it was primarily OUR show. I felt comfortable just knowing that it was our gig and we didn't have to "perform" for anyone. We could do things how WE wanted them done. When I looked at the crowd I felt honoured to see familiar faces- some new friends, some old friends, family, fans. It was nice to rock out to a group of people who I knew actually cared about our music and was proud to see how we've improved. My family ordered us a HUGE chocolate cake that said "Congratulations, CJ Li!" in yummy icing. What more could a girl ask for? :)
MIMS is really a huge accomplishment for our band as a whole and also for me on a personal level. Compared to my last CD, I feel much more confident as a singer and songwriter. Mostly thanks to music school, but also because I know I have my best friends/band members at my side. I feel so lucky. :) If you haven't ordered your cd yet, pls do so on the main menu. Thank you so much for supporting our music!

How we met!: My Best Friends= My Band June 15, 2010

I've been doing a lot of music-related stuff on Facebook & YouTube lately as I'm trying to spread the word about our newest album "Music in My Soul". Tonight I had some time to reflect on some things, and it's really amazing and just 2 years ago I found my best friends- and now, we're getting ready for our cd release party.
I was a solo artist for a long time and music school totally changed my life. I finally made friends with like-minded ppl and ppl who just had a passion to play good music- then came Mili & Patrick (my band members). I actually met Patrick (my bassist) on one of the first days of music school. He was sitting in the hall with a bunch of other guys and was strumming away on his guitar- I sat next to him and we talked for a while about music. Then we started jamming/singing/playing- and voila, a few months later he joined me on my quest! Mili (my drummer)... well, that's a funny story. I was panicking one day about doing my music homework. Our assignment was to listen to a drum beat and write it down- ok, easy to do if you're a freakin drummer, not a singer! In my state of panic, I ended up just going to the computer lab to work things out. Then, Mili walked in and started doing the same homework so we worked on it "together". Actually, she did all the work as I was still confused as heck (it seriously sounded like a traffic jam/multi-car-crash of drums to me!)- ie. Mili saved my butt and let me copy her homework! Haha~ A few months later, I asked if she'd join and she accepted. Both encounters were a start of a really, really great friendship. 2.5 years later, wow we've been through so much together already. My band members were my friends even before they were my band. They've supported and encouraged me 100% and I'm so lucky to have such caring people by my side.
I wish I could freeze time. I love my life right now, we are so happy together (omg this is starting to sound like a marriage) and I never want to leave my friends. But, I know that eventually, Mili will go back to Korea to be with her family and Patrick has his own dreams as well. The only way I figured for us to always be together is if I got signed by a record label and made it HUGE. I'm not naive enough to think that everything would be solved by a label (I know that a lot comes from a good contract, hard work and other boring legal stuff), but at least I could prolong us ever being separated and we could enjoy this awesome time of our lives for much longer. We just want to make good music and have fun doing it- but I guess for "real life" that's too much to ask. That's where my personality steps in and says "Screw you supposed 'real' life! I'll make it happen!". I'll continue to work hard until I make it happen.
For now, I'm living in the moment and am looking forward to Sunday's big release party! In the meantime and in the back of my head, I'll always be working extra hard not only for myself but for my family, my friends, my fans and especially my band members. I want this moment to last.

CD Release Next Week! June 13, 2010

I can't believe the CD release party is next week! This party means so much to me as we've put a lot of hard work into this album. I'm so glad my good friends No Island will open for us and Gardenburst who is such a talented group. The last time we were at the Media Club was about 2 years ago when we did our first show as a real band (with Mili & Patty). A lot has changed since then- we've grown up a lot musicially and we've improved. Can't wait to show them how far we've gotten! :D

In a whirlwind!!! June 1, 2010

This is absolute craziness! I've been so mega busy the last couple of weeks. My life consists of studio, photoshopping album covers, mixing, going to studio more, photoshoots, hair appointments for photoshoots, and more studio. Seriously it never ends! It's amazingly fun to be around my best friends/band for several days in a row but also super busy since most of the time we're working on our parts rather than relaxing. Then, you get these looonnnggg breaks of sitting on the couch playing DS and waiting for Mike (producer) to fix things up before we move on to the next stage. I was just going over some studio footage we took and it seriously cracks me up- some of the footage is so damn hilarious!! Can't wait to put them up for all of you! Btw, if you haven't already, pls place your orders for MIMS sooner rather than later as we would like to get these cds to you hot off the press! Talk soon everyone!

Kickstarter continued... May 14, 2010

A while ago we launched Our Kickstarter Page which allows us to receive donations to help fund our cd. So far we're only 5% fulll and still need the other 95% before the due date (July 15) or we get nothing at all and all the $ goes back to the donors. I really feel awkward about the idea of asking ppl for donations, but making music is really so expensive so it has to be done. Please, please take some time to check out the page and make a small donation- even if it's just $10! Everything helps and we really really need your support! Thanks so much!

Kickstarter May 3, 2010

Today I just launched Our Kickstarter Page. I'm really hoping our fans & donors help us out on this one- we really need it. It feels weird asking for donations but I also know this is necessary as we're music students & have our own university tuitions to pay off (I have a HUGE student loan!). I had to think really hard on the prizes and what would be really special/meaningful to the fans. The prizes were chosen very carefully and I feel that each prize will make the donor feel like a part of Music in my Soul- which they completely are. Let's wait a few days and see what happens. Looks like I'll be lingering on Kickstarter for the next 3 months!

Props for Album Photoshoot May 3, 2010

Today we absolutely raided my house for random items. Our concept for the album insert is a messy room, so we needed to find really weird random stuff. We also raided Mili's little appartment. Now she's left with nothing in her tiny house- haha! We're all set and ready for the shoot #1 on Wednesday! Yay! Today I also ran into a really, really old lady whose name I cannot mention. Grr! Angry ppl with no sense of humour kill my mood! Oh well, I'll do you a favor and leave that story out. Looking forward for Wednesday!

"start" April 23, 2010

My last exam EVER was today! Yes! So very excited to be free... and now I know the "music" whirlwind is about to start. Just finished booking days for mastering, studio time, etc. but still haven't found a venue where we can do the release party. This upcoming album means so damn much to me, I'm really really really looking forward to the end result. Haha- wait I guess we have to "start" working on the album cover and stuff first. eek... So much to do! (in a good way) :)

Music in My Soul April 9, 2010

OK, really starting to feel the stress but excitement build up! Album #2 "Music in My Soul" is in progress and will have it out by the end of June or beginning of July. This album has actually been in the making for the last 3 years! Being a student and working only part-time, it's really hard financially to do an album all on your own. Some of you were curious and asked me exactly how much it costs to make an album- I'm not shy about it and have no problem with telling you guys (don't worry- you didn't offend me...to those of you who asked!). Studio time is so crazy expensive (Roughly $2800 for about 3 to 4 songs), then you have to master the songs ($50 per song which even then is after you get someone to do you a favor) and get the physical copies done ($400 for about 200 copies). Lol! It makes me sad even writing it out! As you can tell, even if I sold all the copies I ordered, I would NOT make the $ back that I spent altogether. So why make "Music in my Soul" in the first place? For me, making another CD isn't about making $ (obviously since I take a moolah loss! lol~), but more about thanking our fans for their support and proving that we're a band that are honestly passionate & proud of what we do. I guess that's what's so great about not being "signed" by any record label- you know for sure that "Music in my Soul" is out not for making $ for the bigshots in business suits, but about making simple, honest, to the heart damn good music (ie. Music "from" my Soul!!)! So excited for this project... will keep you all updated via YouTube & give you behind the scenes- promise! :)

Few weeks left... March 26, 2010

Only a few more weeks left of school and then that's it! I'm currently taking Japanese classes in university, and this will officially be my last time in school ever! I have my diploma in music and have stopped there because I feel it's all I need for now as an artist. I'm so stoked on just writing, learning and being musical without having to worry about homework/school. Eew, I guess work also awaits me but that's what I have to do in order to pay for studio time, right? It's so frustrating because I know all we really need is someone to believe in us as much as I do, and invest their time/knowledge/funds into our career for even a little bit of time. I know with all my heart that our band can inspire the world... but how the hell do you tell those kind of people that without sounding like some lame-o, like-every-other-artist dreamer? lol- maybe I'm thinking too much. I've gotta work even harder & prove myself even more!

Just Like a Wavin' Flag March 14, 2010

Sometimes we get so caught up in the music industry and trying to get our music out there, that forget why we sing and make music in the first place. Here's a vid of us Canadian artists singing Wavin' Flag for Haiti.

Paralympics March 5, 2010

The Paralympics will be here exactly a week from today! Can't wait for more fun! :)

Olympic Adventures with the Band! February 26, 2010

We're so proud to be living in Vancouver and having the world realize what an awesome city we live in! As promised, the band and I have been shooting our adventures and posting them on YouTube. Only 2 more days to go until closing ceremony (and re-start school). T_T But for now, we're gonna continue on with our adventures for you! Just to give you an update on what we've been up to, we started off checking out the crowds downtown where I found a human banana, held an Olympic medal, then Mili & I freaked out on the Zipline, visited the Korean house, saw some dancing snow creatures, got lost on the "Olympic Line" train and went on a boat to Yaletown. Keep in mind, this is only a small portion of all the stuff we've been doing and seen. Ahh, we wish we could bring all of you to Vancouver and hang out with us! Will keep those "Olympic Adventure" vids coming for you for sure!

Proud to Be Canadian~! February 15, 2010

Yes! We've finally got the Plaza of Nations/Edgewater pics chosen and ready to be uploaded on the site! We literally had hundreds of pics coming in from fans, the media and our very own Mr. Manager. We cut them down to the best ones and will have them posted tonight. I think the Edgewater gig was one of our best gigs to date in that we had so many fans come out, and made tons of new fans/friends. Also, the sound system was amazing, the stage crew was incredibly kind and I could actually hear my voice clearly in my monitor (usually I can't). Looking forward to our upcoming gigs over the Olympics. Speaking of Olympics, I'm currently watching the Pairs Freestyle Figure Skating and I'm so damn proud to be Canadian. It's about time Vancouver got a chance to show the world what a beautiful city it is. On Friday, the band and I are doing a mini Downtown Vancouver Olympic traveling. Going to wait a whole 3 hours to go on the zipline downtown, visit the torch and of course try to stalk/hunt down a few athletes! lol. As usual, our adventures will be posted here!

Happy Vday and Chinese New Year! February 14, 2010

Just in time for Chinese New Year! One of our fans, LiuChangZhuo, kind enough to translate one of our tunes "What Happened to the World?" into Chinese! Unfortunately, nobody in the band speaks chinese (although CJ is chinese). Maybe some of you can read this! Here's a verse & chorus for you guys!

Sometimes I don't wanna get out of bed 有时我不想离开床
I used to think I could change the world 我曾经以为我能改变这个世界
But instead 但却不能
I found everyone lacks morality 我发现人人缺少道德
I didn't want to make it real to me 我不想让这成为我所看到的现实
I woke up in reality 我在现实中醒来

Chorus
Oh, where did all the moral people go? 君子们都去哪了？
What happened to the empathetic world? 这个善解人意的世界怎么了？
It's like we all got sucked down into a selfish and despairing, hopeless world 好像我们都陷入了自私，绝望，无助的世界
Where values don't exist and greed is gold 那里价值不复存在，贪婪却令人崇拜
Please save us 请救救我们
What happened to the world we used to know? 我们曾熟知的世界怎么了？

Let It Be January 29, 2010

It was weird doing the Let It Be cover song as the last time I sang that was at my Grandma's funeral (last year). I don't know if any of you have known anyone that's passed away before, but it's a strange feeling. I think of her all the time and still don't really believe she's not here anymore. Sometimes I feel like she's gone on a long vacation and that I'll see her again at our next family get-together. Anyways, I was happy do this song again as it brought back lots of memories- mostly good ones. On a lighter note, the band has still been rehearsing like mad. I ended up losing my voice today, so don't know how rehearsal will go tomorrow. Gotta drink lots of honeylemon! lol~ Will keep you guys updated!

Rehearsals and guess what... More Rehearsals! January 23, 2010

The band and I have been doing some mega, mega rehearsals lately as we're getting ready for our "Olympics" gigs. I can't believe the Olympics are almost here! I'm excited to see my hero- Quatchi. lol~ Today, we've decided on a few cover songs that we'll be performing, including Jay Sean's "Down" and our favorite- Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi". I must say everything is coming along nicely, although we still have some polishing up to do. Btw, here's some silliness pics that happen during our rehearsals! :)

The Story behind "Your Smile" January 18, 2010

Once upon a time, not too long ago (...on Friday), my Japanese teacher mentioned an award students could apply for. This award was in honour of a girl name Monique who passed away. I ended up looking at a website dedicated to Monique and was captured by her story. All of her friends wrote wonderful and fun things they did together and it really broke my heart. Monique was so young and her life was taken from her. Although I didn't even know this girl, I felt like we weren't so different. She was about my age, both studying Japanese, and she had a passion for art as well. I really wanted to do something for her family and friends to remember what a wonderful person she was, the fun times they had and that she led a beautiful life.

After reading her friends' comments, the lyrics to the song came naturally as I borrowed some of the touching things they said. The melody came surprisingly quickly, as I tried to imagine how Monique would have wanted her life to sound like as a song (based on the site). And voila, within an hour, "Your Smile" was born! I was excited to present the song to Mili and Patrick (my best friends/band) and told them a little about Monique's story. They were really thrilled with the song which made me happy, and they were both excited and eager to record it for Mo's peeps.
After Mo's dad heard the song he messaged us with: "This is stunningly good. Wish [she] were around to hear it.". Wow, that's the icing on the cake. The band and I are really glad that he liked the song and we hope it will help everyone remember Mo's beautiful life. xoxo

More Fan Cookies for "CJ Li"! January 12, 2010

We must have the sweetest fans. Here's another "virtual" cookie made for the band from Vivian and her friend! Apparently the thing in the middle is a car and that person on the right is our other fan, Jacob, who is on fire and being "rained on"...? lol. Thanks so much, cookiechefs- we love it!

Baby Sushi December 30, 2009

Just got back from eating sushi- again. We ended up sitting at the sushi bar and had this really cool chef show us what he was making. He was really talented & placed everything so nicely. Food that's beautiful is wayyy more fun to eat. :) I decided to order 5 tuna sushis along with some other stuff. Soon after, the chef handed me a plate and he had a huge smile on his face. On the plate were 5 big tunas and then this itty-bitty little one. lol! It was so cute, I didn't want to eat it! I had a good laugh and decided to take a picture of it for u guys after thanking him. Eventually, something else I ordered also came with a tiny roll on it. (Notice the baby Masago above) lol~~ Had a lot of fun today and surprisingly, that tiny sushi was the best one I've ever tasted!

CJ on Violin?!? December 23, 2009

Most of you don't know, but I actually started playing violin when I was 3. I studied it for 8 years and haven't touched a violin since. I went to Amanda's house today (my oober talented friend who recorded "Music in My Soul" with us), and she let me try her violin out. -_-... I forgot how light they were compared to electric guitars and felt like I was gonna break the thing in half! The vids you see are first shot, completely improvised playing. Twinkle, Twinkle was the first tune I ever learned when I was 3, and actually made it through the tune! Yay! Then, played Minuet 3 and completely sucked at it. lol While reading the music sheet, I was placing my fingers on the fingerboard where I would normally place them on a guitar. This doesn't work. haha! Anyways, now I know why my parents always said to practice! Lol- anyways it was so much fun to relive memories. I apologize in advance for hurting your ears when watching the vids!

"Fan" Cookies December 21, 2009

Once upon a time, my band and I did a gig and covered a song called "Haruka Kanata" (Japanese tune). Fans on youtube watched this and one of them commented that they thought it was actually "Hakuna Matata" from the Lion King. This entire chat then started on our Facebook page, and fans requested us to cover "Hakuna Matata" for fun. We took it as a joke and were hesitant to cover such a silly song. Fans then crossed the line and bribed us with cookies/treats/pastries... we gave in, and came up with this. Today, one of our very beloved fans named "Stephanie" posted the pic above on Facebook. Our fans are not only supportive, but also keep their promises! Who could as for anything better? :) We (heart) you all so very much! ...and thanks again to Stephanie for her cookies. They "tasted" "virtually" awesome!

2010 Olympic Store December 15, 2009

Amanda and I went to the Olympic Store downtown for the first time to do some xmas shopping. It was really, really, really sweet. I'm probably way too into Quatchi and all the Olympic mascots for my own good. I wanted to seriously buy everything. There were the cutest shirts, books, toys, bags, clothes... everything! Damn them for not making adult-size mascot t-shirts! I tried to fit in a little boys' large shirt and it fit! But, the arms were too short. Ohhh~ so sad! T_T Amanda, by the way, is the same girl who played piano in our new recording of "Music in my Soul" which is a tune that hasn't been released yet. :) It's still brewing in the studio, but so far, it sounds pretty awesome! Back to the story, Amanda was kind enough to take a pic of me & Quatchi, and we went for some yummy sushi. Good times! You guys done your xmas shopping yet?

Songwriting Workshop November 28, 2009

Today I went to a Canadian Songwriting workshop and OMG it was so fun! I've been to workshops in the past (like the Taxi workshops in California), but never to a Canadian one. I don't mean to brag about my country or anything, but MY GOSH Canada has some amaaaazing songwriters! I picked up a lot of useful info. Two of the presenters were John Capek (who is an amazing, super talented songwriter) & Janis Nixon (who knows just about everything there is to know about marketing on the net... and she's super pretty, which is always nice! lol). I took a lot away with me today and am starting to try some new tools out. AHH~~~ I just remembered that exams are next week! I'm sure you guys have your exams too- at least we're all sinking in the boat together. lol~ I should really study right now. Good luck on finals everyone, study hard! I will too!........(but first, gonna try out stuff I learned today. heheh!) :P As usual, feel free to vent an email to me regarding your exam week depression. I got your back! :)

My 2 Loves November 26, 2009

So much for that last post! hahaha Ok, so I've found a way (thanks to the help of some very awesome ppl & sensei) to work on my 2 loves: Music & Japanese. In the end, my family members encouraged me to keep taking the courses and I'm planning to live there next year, and they said it'd be a shame to stop halfway. I agree and I feel complete again. :) Oh my, next year is going to be so crazy busy working on both things, but at least I have a chance to pursue both passions! :D YESSSS!

Staying Focused November 23, 2009

Is there such thing as having too many interests? I get influenced quite easily and want to do everything. Well. I've been taking Japanese at university for nearly a year and I absolutely love it. I would say it's my second passion (music, of course, being first). However, I'm super super sad today because I realized I neither have time nor money to continue on with the courses. It might sound like "ok, then don't take it", but I really, really enjoy being in Japanese class. I'm in love with a language- is this possible? Ahh~~ I'm so sad. When I become a mega superstar, I'm taking that damn class that I'll be missing out on next year!!! It's so frustrating, but I gotta stay focused and spend even more energy/time on music. So much depends on this.

12-hour studio marathon November 9, 2009

Last night we did a 12 hour studio marathon. Omg, it took forever, but it was really, really fun. Being in the booth is always really weird. I like to feed on my band members' energy and so it's really different doing it standing alone between sponge walls. We recorded some new tunes and got a copy of the "rough" versions. Wow, the band sounds so good... And thank goodness for vocal lessons! lol- I feel like I'm getting vocally stronger, which is so awesome. I'm listening to some of these rough tunes right now and really wish you hear them! GAHHH!! I'm working really hard for all of you and I know these tunes will make you wanna dance!

"I want ICE CREAM!" October 19, 2009

We went to a really nice place near the water in West Van and saw an ice cream store. Too bad we had no cash, but we had a GUITAR! So, the only thing I could think of was busking! Lol- the ice cream was $2.50 each and there were 2 of us. I figured 15 mins or so would get us $5. Oh my... talk about being poor music students! Well, busking is always interesting. I (honestly!) love it not for the money, but watching the different faces go by and their expressions. My 15 mins turned into an hour because I couldn't stop cuz I was having way too much fun! We actually ended up making much more than I had anticipated, so we upgraded to sandwiches at a nearby "home-cooked food" place that had cool blue candles. Thank you to those who sponsored my sandwich, it was super yummy! It's fuel to write new tunes!

"I'm holding a fortune heaven has given to me" October 9, 2009

I am totally in love with that Richard Marx song & wish I had written it. Songs that you can just 100 % feel are always the best ones & most sincere. One of my best friends sang this at an audition and that's when I fell in love with it. Our YouTube vid we posted was an interesting one as we climbed a freakin huge island (seriously, an island!) to film it. There were these poor mussels all over the rocks that made a path to the island, and when you stepped on them you'd hear a big CRUNCH sound! Felt so bad! The rocks were damn slippery and my poor "cameraman" did the splits and landed "bad place" first into a pointy rock! The things we do for music! After we had done the filming, we noticed that the tide was coming in so we had to rushed like madmen across our rock-bridge. We would have honestly been stranded on that island and would've had to swim back with the guitar. lol~ Actually, that would have made an interesting video... Well, I'm extremely happy with how the vid turned out & hope you like it too! Onto the next adventure!

Lighthouse September 30, 2009

Yesterday I posted our MJ You are not Alone cover. Here's so pics from our hike up to the lighthouse! It was so nice & peaceful. Funny thing is, when visitors come to Vancouver, they usually don't go to the Lighthouse. I've lived here for most of my life and it was the first time I've been. So worth it, even if we had to huff and puff up the hills. Damn, I hate hills... but only when they go up! Once we got to the "lighthouse" I was slightly disappointed because you don't actually get to go up and touch it. I knocked on some lady's door who lived in the area and asked her how we could get in. Apparently it belongs to the govt and fisheries dept- gotta hand in that resume, just so that I can go there! lol~ Despite being only able to look at the lighthouse, it was so beautiful & the view was amazing. Oh, and of course, it made an awesome video. Thank you, lighthouse!

Back from Camping! September 4, 2009

Ahhh~~ Back from a relaxing week of camping at Manning Park. It was nice to get away from life's hussle & just chill with nature for a while. There was a beautiful lake with clear, cool water a few minutes from our cabin. The mountains and trees overlooked this lake and it was absolutely stunning. The family & I rented a canoe and we went off like little explorers! There was this little hidden stream around the bend and we decided to be brave and keep rowing off into who-knows-where. We ended up finding a beaver dam, a hidden bridge and found a few hikers fishing. Even though I had a restful time, I'm certainly glad to be back home. I think I'm addicted to my busy musician's life-lol. Ok, back to sending out press kits and working like mad! Msg me... Later!~

Neighborhood BBQ August 25, 2009

This summer, my whole neighborhood got together to help us paint our house. It started off with just one neighbor who knew a lot about gardens and offered to help us out. Then, a few weeks later, we had tons of different neighbors all around our house, painting and helping. We had a BBQ for everyone and I got the band to perform. Ahh, it's so nice to have everyone come together. :) ...and I love bbqs!

Dindin August 16, 2009

My awesome guitar player Patrick, cooked me a nice dinner today! I completely suck at cooking, so I made iced tea (which even that I had no idea how to do...). lol~ Patrick ended up making an awesome Prawn/Chicken Vermicelli w/ pesto & it was awesome. Thx dude~ :)

Running into Fans August 13, 2009

I was waiting at the bus stop the other day, when this mom and her son asked me "Are you CJ Li?". I was completely caught off guard. She said she saw me at one of our gigs and thought our music was great, which made me really happy. It's still strange to have ppl out of nowhere ask if I'm CJ. I've been working on music for seriously so many years, and still haven't gotten used to the idea of ppl stopping me on the street. It's exciting to know that my music is picking up momentum and my hard work (and my band members') are paying off. :)

CJ loves Quatchi! August 9, 2009

Yesterday's performance was tons of fun! I'm a total Quatchi fan. Oh, for those of you who don't know, Quatchi is one of the mascots for our Vancouver 2010 Olympics (see pic). He's a cute sasquatch, ie. Big Foot! Anyways, during the performance, these huge life-sized mascots were walking around and we had some dance to our music! Yay! :) After the gig and some good conversations with fans/fellow music-lovers/friends, we ate some awesome $0.25 hot dogs, got some fake tattoos, oogled at the local firefighters and played Wii. Had so much fun- I love community events!

Water Day~ July 11, 2009

I just got back from a crazy fun day! Today, a few hundred people showed up at Vancouver's Stanley Park for a massive water fight! Our for-fun team name was "Wolverine", inspired by Patrick (my guitar player)'s hairy chest/back. bwahaha!! :) I couldn't take pics, but basically, it works like this. I think I got "bucket"-ed 10 times and my gun was super weak. Little kids completely owned me! T_T Next year, I'm buying a water machinegun/bazooka!!! :P When I got back home, I went swimming with my friend's super cute dog. Ah, I'm seriously done with water for one day and totally smell like chlorine! lol~

Aqurium July 2, 2009

When's the last time you guys have been to the aquarium? :) I went w/ a friend of mine & I forgot how much fun it was! Ok, let's get something straight- of course I feel really sorry for the poor fish who are stuck in a mini-cube. But, also slightly thankful as I would've never had the chance to see such beautiful animals otherwise. Seriously, I'm such a water person! I love all sea creatures. Oh, and there was a garden as well. This was the first time I ever held a real butterfly. For some reason it was super friendly and just sat on my finger while showing off its wings. Kinda tickled when it moved around. We saw tons of really cute fish of course- dolphins, jellies, turtles, sharks. You name it! (Actually got kinda hungry for sushi afer... I'm evil!! T_T). lol~ :P


After, we walked around a beach-like area and saw some dude fishing. I asked if he had caught anything, which he didn't... and asked if I could try it out. I seriously felt a tug on the string and got so excited! Then, I reeled it up only to find an empty hook. Apparently, I mistook the current of the water for a fish. T_T so sad! Further along our walk, we ended up at a water park, which also had a life-sized dryer! Very exciting. haha~ Umm, I think it was for kids only, cuz it wouldn't turn on when I stepped in it. Perhaps I broke it or something. Our day came to an end with some awesome Italian food.
Such a long, but awesome day! I wouldn't trade days like these for anything. I'm not into "partying"- in fact, I really hate alcohol & clubbing ><. I love my friends & am so lucky we're content with hanging around a campfire, sipping on a latte, rocking on stage or even mistaking current for a fish. :) Good times, good times.

Coolest Teens June 25, 2009

Yesterday the band and I did a show at BC Chidren's Hospital. We got to perform in an awesome teen lounge & had tons of fun! After the show we had a chance to mingle and play a bit of Rockband with the teens! It's funny how Rockband can be so much harder than actually playing/singing in real life, lol! We totally sucked & I managed to "fail" singing Joan Jett's Bad Reputation. >< Oiii~~ The kids were wayyyy better than us! Overall, we had an good time there & made some cool new friends! :)

Pics & More June 18, 2009

Funny to think that this time last week, I was checking into my anime evo hotel! Time passes way too fast! Anyways, I just went through the pics today and had them uploaded. They are so cool, and I seriously had the most fun at that gig than any other. I also found some vids of our performance floating all over the net- haha! Oh my~~~ It's still weird to have people call themselves my "fans", etc... I like to use a more personal word like "friend" or something. Anyways, glad the pics turned out, and I'm working on getting approval to upload the concert vid to our YouTube page. :) Off to a friend's house- talk soon!

Anime Evo Madness Starts June 11, 2009

Wow, after all that, our gig is finally tomorrow. We're good to go, and so is the poster! Yay!!! It's finally finished and I'm really excited to post that huge thing behind us. I'll be sure to take pics for those of you who can't make it. One of the cover songs we're doing is Naruto's "Haruka Kanata". I still haven't fully memorized the lyrics... T_T It's so confusing with all the different syllables and the verses are so damn similar. I'll try not to mess it up. (And I'll sure to play guitar SUPER LOUD so you can't hear my Japanese) :P Anyways, off to the hotel (wow, sound so rockstar @_@)- hopefully see you tomorrow!

Power Rehearsals! June 7, 2009

Nikko, Patrick and I rehearsed at school for a whole 5 hours straight and were absolutely POOPED afterwards. Lol. We got a lot done and managed to get through the set a few times- hurray! Best part is, we hung out for sushi after. Sooo worth it! :) Can't wait for the gig, it's gonna be awesome! OHH, and in one part of the set, we play a version of Musical Chairs (well, musical instruments in this case), where I hop on drums, Nikko on Bass and Patrick on guitar/vox. It's so fun changing things up once in a while.

I dunno what to call this post! June 5, 2009

I've ran out of creativity- it all went into the 5 hours of working on that poster today. My back is breaking from hovering over the poster & carefully placing masking tape. Lol- I used up the whole roll, which is exactly 200 metres! That's a lot of metres! Anyways, I was complaining about how hard the "C" and "J" were to stencil out last time. This time, we put vine-like swirls EVERYWHERE which made it a million times harder. haha! Well, I must say, the poster is coming along nicely and I'm really happy with it so far.
Since Mili (my drummer) is still in Korea (T_T), we had to find a temporary Mili-replacement. His name is Nikko, and he's Patrick's friend- really cool guy. His drumming is much more "adventurous" than Mili's, which is neither good nor bad. We're working on teaching him 12 new tunes in one week for Anime Evolution. Oh man... that's a lot of songs to teach someone, but Nikko's catching on quickly. Looking forward to the many hours we'll be spending banging away on the drums & guitars in the steamy warehouse! :D Yeah!

Arts & Crafts! June 1, 2009

Since Anime Evolution is coming up, I figured it's about time I get my very own "CJ Li" poster that I can stick behind me & the band while performing. Well, I never realized just how much work & how expensive it was going to be! My buddy and I went to buy the fabric and paint. The fabric is really cool- it's like a jeans/canvas material & the paint is a bright white colour. Very, very sweet! Well, the hard part began with hem-ironing the edges. We then had to draw (free-hand) the letters with chalk & tape the "curved" edges with an inconvenient straight-edge, ie. masking tape! The "C" and "J" took forever with all the curves! Good thing my name only has 4 letters!~ Anyways, the poster is lying on my living room floor (thanks, mom! lol!) and drying from the prep paint. Looks good for now, hope we don't mess it up! haha- I'll keep you updated!

You'll Always Be the Warmest Hug May 26, 2009

My grandma passed away peacefully, with family by her side last week. Family & friends were busy the whole week planning the funeral, going through old pictures, editing pics for the slideshow, etc... I've never had anyone I've been close to pass away before. Sometimes I don't think it's really hit me yet, as I used to see my grandma only once a week anyways due to school and what not. I thought that maybe at the funeral, it would really sink in and I'd be able to get a good cry out- but I didn't too much. When I saw my grandma's body, I didn't feel that it was my grandma. I obviously knew it was, but it felt like more of a doll to me. It was very clear that her soul was gone and all that remained was a shell- strangest feeling, but also reassured me that her spirit was around us, rather than just lying in a coffin box. It's a really, really sad feeling, knowing that even if I wanted to, I would never be able to see her again. "I'll miss you" doesn't do this feeling justice, it's a million times more than that.

I used to think that love just hurts people- I know, it sounds stupid. But for once, just seeing how many people showed up to the funeral, I really got a sense of how one life made such an impact on other people's lives. My grandma was the trunk, and we were all the little branches that grew from it. I hope one day, I'll be able to make such bonds and inspire so many people as she did, of course, with music at my side.
RIP 'Grandma'- I love you and I'll miss you.

"Show Me the Guiding Light that Brings Peace of Mind."- Randy Adams (1950-1993) May 17, 2009

That was a quote, written on the fishtank in the Palliative Care unit. My grandma's IV's came off today, and we're trying to keep her comfortable and letting her know that she's going be in heaven soon. I can't look at her for more than a minute without having tears blur my vision. I know she's had a really long and wonderful life, but it's still really hard letting someone you love go forever. I also wonder if she's going to be alright once she leaves earth and if she's scared or ready to go? All of us will have to go through this one day or another, but it's different when you KNOW your time has finally come- what exactly would be going on in your mind? She can't speak.

There's a little lounge where I guess family of loved ones can go for a rest. It was empty. I got curious and decided to check it out. Once I turned on the lights, the first thing I noticed were these beautiful strings of origami, draped like curtains along the ceiling. Whoever made them had so gracefully folded and placed their work of art so precisely under the lights, that it gave the impression that the cranes were floating. In the room, there was also a floral couch, fireplace, bookshelves, stereo, flowers, paintings- everything and anything to make people feel "at home". After taking a walk through and looking at all the decorations, I wondered how many people had been in this room before me. It seemed that everyone who had, had left a little footprint or their story behind by leaving something beautiful and sentimental in that room. You could just feel the warmth in the air and it made you feel less alone...

Sunset May 14, 2009

I know a lot of you have been wondering why I've been neglecting my site and music lately (which is completely unlike me). My grandma had a stroke about a week ago and has been pretty much unconscious since. My grandma, btw, is 96 yrs old. It's been really hard on the whole family. Sorry about not doing gigs lately or what not, but even as an artist whose whole life revolves around music, I have to prioritize my time, and right now, my grandma needs me. While I was at the hospital, I took a look at the sunset and really wished my grandma could see it. It was so beautiful. And at night, when you walk out on the balcony, you can see a shinning moon hovering above the city. I really hope my grandma can get through this again. My heart is broken.

The Story

CJ Li has a passion for music that breaks all boundaries -- she speaks her mind and stands up for what she believes in. Born in Vancouver and raised on the tropical island, Mauritius, this pop-rock talent is in the music industry to stay. CJ has moved to Japan (since August 2010) for a while to work on music in Japan and promote the band.

CJ is an active member of Vancouver's local music scene and has a rapidly growing fanbase. Known for being a physically tiny yet confident powerhouse, CJ has proven time and time again that she knows how to rock the stage. This year, the band has stepped up their game and played multiple prestigious shows for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics & Paralympics. Pretty good for a band who has never been signed by a record label- CJ Li is entirely indie & "fan"-powered!

Compared to CJ Li's last album, her newest album "Music in My Soul" (released on June 20 2010) features a straight-up fun pop-rock sound with down-to-earth lyrics. After doing a major in Jazz voice, this talented songwriter has used her new knowledge to create infectiously catchy, yet structurally & stylistically advanced pop-rock tunes. "I had fun writing the songs and letting the melodies come to me. And thanks to music school, I also had the tools to breakdown the songs and make sure they were exactly how I wanted them to sound.".

CJ has the rare ability of making people from all walks of life stand by her side. Her determined, outgoing, yet down-to-earth and sometimes nerdy attitude makes you feel that she's your best friend. On the web, CJ has created an empire. To date, the Chinese-Canadian's YouTube videos have had over a half-million views (www.youtube.com/cjlimusic) and she has been crowned the "24th Most Viewed Musician in Canada" and "80th Most Subscribed Musician in Japan".

Previously known as the timid 7 year-old who wrote melodic harmonies in her room, CJ has spawned into the in-your-face rocker that fans have come to love. The Canada Music Fund Council has acknowledged CJ's potential as a musician by granting her assistance in producing original music and she has also been nominated "Best Songwriter" for the International MusicAid Contest. CJ Li has been sponsored by Daisy Rock Guitars.

Fun Facts: CJ is fluent in French, Creole & English, has studied German & Spanish, and is currently learning Japanese. CJ loves swimming, Quatchi, and drinking slurpees (not mixed ones) in the summer! Her favorite colour is blue and she named her guitar "Doki Doki".

シィージェーの話 (Japanese biography)

CJ Liは、音楽に対し激しい情熱を注ぎ、その音楽は自分の内情を語り、信じることのために立ち上がることで、あらゆる限界を超えるものである。 彼女はバンクーバーで生まれ、常夏の島モリシャスで育ち、彼女のポップ・ロックの才能は、今や音楽産業の中にあり続けている。 CJはバンクーバーの音楽の様々な場面で活躍し、めまぐるしい勢いでファン層も厚くなってきている。 華奢でありながら、自信に満ち溢れた精力家で知られるCJは、ステージでロック歌手としての盛り上げ方を知っていることを何度も繰り返し実際に証明してきた

CJは、あらゆる境遇にいる人々を引き寄せる、類稀な才能を持っている。 また彼女のきっぱりとしていて外向的でありながら、現実的で時に野暮ったいその姿勢から、人々は彼女を仲の良い友達のように感じるようだ。

ネット上においても、CJは名を馳せてきた。 カナダのYouTubeの動画(www.youtube.com/cjlimusic)において50万件以上の再生回数を誇り、それはカナダ人歌手の中で第24位に位置し、日本においても視聴数第80位にランクインしている。

ＣＪのミュージシャンとしての素質は、独自の音楽を提供することへの貢献により、カナダ音楽基金審議会(The Canada Music Fund Council)に認められ、さらにInternational Music Aidにおいては、「ベストソングライター」にノミネートされた。 CJ Liは、デイジーロックギター社(Daisy Rock Guitars)をスポンサーとして付けている

CJの曲は一度聞いたら、頭に残る、そして考えさせるものとなっている。曲はそれ自体がストーリになっていて、聴く人を魅了している。

またCJは、フランス語、クレオール語、英語を流暢に話し、ドイツ語とスペイン語を勉強し、現在は日本語を学んでいる。 趣味は水泳、好きな色は青、好きなキャラクターはバンクーバーオリンピックのQuatchi、好きな飲み物はコーラのフローズンである。 彼女は愛用のギターを「ドキドキ」と名付けている。

What Others are Saying About CJ:

"CJ Li's lyrics can be syrupy sweet, but her music comes complete with a hard edge." - Derek Sivers, Former President/Founder of CD Baby

"CJ Li's music is equally as infectious as her tomboyish charm. She bluntly hits you with sharp lyrics, raw emotion and pure talent. Keep both eyes on CJ- she's an artist that would be foolish to ignore." - Janelle Chung, Radio Host at CiTR 101.4fm

"CJ is really, really good with an amazing voice. It is rare that you come across an artist with a voice as beautifully haunting and rocking as CJ Li's. She is definitely a force to be reckoned with and Daisy Rock is proud to endorse her and be part of her team." - Tish Ciravolo, President/Founder, Daisy Rock Guitars

Music

You can purchase your fav. CJ songs on iTunes! Some of these tunes below can be previewed in the music player in the banner above- just scroll using the left and right arrows!

Music in My Soul

1. Something Beautiful
2. Serves You Right
3. Fall but We Flourish
4. Powertrippin' in Your Underwear
5. Music in My Soul
6. Circus
7. Monique's Song (Your Smile)
8. That's How the Story Goes
9. Pizza in Your Belly
Bonus: Music in My Soul (Japanese version)

What If

1. You're Nothing More
2. What If
3. Don't Belong There
4. Whatcha Gonna Do
5. What Happened to the World?
6. Who'd You Think I Was?
7. Missed the Train

B-sides

1. Lair of Make Believe
2. 'Til Death Do Us Part
3. Halfway There, Not Halfway Dead

Vids

Vids on our YouTube site for you! Here are some of our most popular/featured YouTube vids!

Making of "Music in My Soul"

Day 1- Early morning in the studio!
Recording Monique's Song- A tribute song CJ made for a girl named Monique who passed away 12 years ago.
The Yolk is my Favorite Part- playtime! :)

Covers- Most popular

"Guitar slap"- August Rush/Justin Bieber style!
Baby- Justin Bieber
Livin' on a Prayer- Bon Jovi
Paparazzi- Lady Gaga
Hey My Friend (Japanese cover)- TommyHeavenly7
Twilight piano cover- Yiruma

Photo Galleries

CJ	CJ x Band	Gigs

Gigs

Currently in Japan and am getting settled in! Gigs to come!...

Contact

Fanmail: cj@cjli.net
Booking: management@cjli.net

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/cjlimusic
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cjlimusic
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cjlimusic
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/cjli