Whether she is covering a popular tune or singing one of her original songs, IssaBel is able to reach her audience and share her love of music with them. Tinkess Photo
MORRISBURG – There are a lot of people in the music industry who look for a specific hype, or a “hook” to embed themselves in the mind of the audience, something that separates them from everyone else who has the same dream of “making it.” Many of them elect to either create an alter ego, or only use part of their name in the process (think Lady Ga Ga, Beyonce, Adele, Prince, Eminem, Madonna, etc.)
In that sense, IssaBel is following a well-trodden path, the difference being that her “hook” seems to be sincerity, authenticity, and naturalness combined with a beautiful but powerful voice and an ability to skillfully weave together words and emotions in her original work. It carries over into the cover songs she selects that make up the remainder of her performance.
IssaBel didn’t want to reveal her surname (“It’s a secret.”) but was happy to talk about her relationship with music, which she did recently on a break at the South Dundas Home, Trade and Craft show.
“I got into music when I was kind of little, but I never really did it professionally, because I didn’t really know that was really a thing,” said Issabel. And I used to listen to songs over and over, and I didn’t know that you could print out lyrics, so I used to write them all down, and try to hear every single lyric.
“I would just like, write a lot of songs. Sometimes I’d get in trouble, and I’d write a really cute song for my parents, saying, sorry, that kind of thing.”
IssaBel says she has been performing publicly for about four years, starting when she was about 14. She says her first big performance was at a Woodstock throwback event.
“I think my first really big one, for a show, would be in 2019,” she said. “It was, I guess, a Woodstock throwback kind of thing, right? I did that at Happy Green Acres in Mallorytown. That was really cool, my first really big, performance.
She performs locally when she can, but also performs in Toronto during the school year, and in Ottawa and is a frequent performer at open mic events.
How does she manage to balance being a full-time student while pursuing a music career?
“A lot of organization, a lot of putting it in my calendar, and really, just scheduling. I have my momager (mom-manager) too. She helps me out a little bit because I do have to, practice for performances and just be on top of it.”
“There’s a lot of posting too,” she adds, “I remind my fans, what’s going to be happening, Yeah, that’s what I’d be doing.”
Those working to build a career in any creative pursuit usually have a backup plan, just in case the dream ends up remaining just that. It has been described as trying to provide food for the table and food for the soul. IssaBel has decided to have a backup plan that also supports her main interest and is currently enrolled in Marketing at Guelph University/Humber College in Toronto. She thinks it will help to get to where she wants music to take her.
“I want to take it far, that’s why I’m going with, the marketing side (in school). I want to be in big stadiums. I want to sing all my originals, sing my heart out to everybody.
“My logo, or my saying is “Empathy, self love and growth,” It expresses it through the love of music, right? And I want to spread that across through my fans.”
I asked IssaBel to finish this sentence: Music makes everything better because…
“It’s life, it just brings people together, it’s beautiful.”
IssaBel has several local bookings coming up. You can catch her at The Bridgeview, in Johnstown on Fri., May 30 from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m., and on Sat., May 31 in Prescott for Prescott Porchfest.
On Canada Day, July 1, she will be a part of the Canada Day 2025 Celebrations at Earl Baker Park in Morrisburg. Perhaps the audience will be able to enjoy a rumoured third single that is in the process of being released.
For more information on IssaBel, you can visit her website at www.issabelmusic.ca.
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Terry Tinkess is a professional photographer, educator and journalist. He has been making a living with a camera and keyboard since 1999 and has been featured in such publications as The Ottawa Citizen, Cornwall Standard Freeholder, The Globe and Mail, The Miami Herald, Ottawa Construction News, The Ontario Construction Report, Ontario Home Builder Magazine, Reed Construction Data, Canadian Potato Business and most recently, The Record and Eastern Ontario AgriNews. Terry lives in Ingleside, Ontario with his wife Brenda, Mia the anxious Pittie and cats Wally and Chubbers.
