[1] In 2003, Velasco auditioned for American Idol in Honolulu, Oahu and was unanimously accepted by the judges for her rendition of the chorus and bridge of "Ready or Not"—a Delfonics-sampled classic by the Fugees.

On American Idol, Velasco's trademark was a red, yellow and green Rasta wristband, which she continually wore on her left wrist.

Velasco also wore the 3rd Eye Vision logo of the Hieroglyphics, a San Francisco Bay Area hip-hop crew, on several occasions.

When Velasco's friend, Fantasia Barrino, won the competition, the Top 10 of American Idol 3 began to prepare for a US tour, sponsored by Pop Tarts, which would consist of more than fifty shows across the country, and a few overseas.

She also sang solo during group covers of "When Doves Cry", "Heartburn", "Crazy in Love", and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough".

When she returned to the US, Velasco settled in Los Angeles, California, and began to work in the studio, and study music and writing at the Musician's Institute in Hollywood.

Expo in Anaheim; a two-day concert for the 50th State Fair in Oahu; and in Phoenix and San Diego, where she sang the national anthem.

One of Velasco's more notable television appearances was a live performance on the TFC series World Musikahan with host, Ryan Cayabyab, which aired in October.

Velasco took an extended break from performing in June 2007 after the Fiesta Filipinas in Oxnard, California, to further concentrate on songwriting and finishing her debut album.

Shows are usually 2 to 3 minutes and include personal moments, performing live, playing instruments, and singing covers of pop, rock, jazz, and soul songs.

In the fourth quarter of 2008, she appeared on American Idol Rewind, which re-runs episodes from the third season of the television series with recent interviews of past contestants.