Meet Ishbel | Singer and Actress

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ishbel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ishbel, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I had just graduated from the Conservatory of Music and I really wanted to make a living out of music. But in the process, I realized that the platforms conventionally used to start a carreer in music were very selective, unreliable and I would spend most of my carreer struggling to survive. Especially because I don’t have the safety nets others have to succeed in the industry. So, I made the choice to make my own business as a wedding and events singer. That way, I could make a living out of my passion. Without having to rely on producers, directors, labels, and others deciding wether I was worthy of success or not. I decided to make my success as a singer my choice and not someone else’s.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
When speaking only about music in the wedding and events industry; what sets me apart is my ability and versatility in singing different genres like Opera, Pop and Jazz. Also how we try to make our covers have our own sound and style, which makes it perfect for weddings.
Now, speaking about the business aspect of it: What sets me apart, is the fact that most singers, especially in the classical genre, do not consider Wedding and Event singing a career path. They see this as a side job that they have to do at times to survive in the industry. Meanwhile, I embraced it and turned it into my full-time carreer. While it was not easy, and I’m still not where I would like to be, my view and approach to this carreer path has definitely given me some sort of advantage in the industry.
Along the way, I’ve learned that people and audiences don’t really care where you come from. A lot of musicians think that graduating from a prestigious music college grants you success, but that’s not true. The audience cares about what you have to offer now and whether or not that has value to them. So it’s our job to show people that what we do has great value.
At the end, I’m just a person trying to live her best life through art and share it with the world. I want people to know that music and art is part of the many things that reminds us that life is worth living.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
To be honest, I’ve only lived in Atlanta for 5 months since moving from Puerto Rico. I still haven’t had much time to see and enjoy this vibrant city. But I’m definitely looking forward to visiting the Aquarium. Have a lot of nice restaurants that I wanna try in Duluth and I’m definitely looking forward to the Atlanta Comic Con, next year’s Ren Fair and many more.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Even though it is my business, I didn’t do it all alone. So, I must give a huge shoutout to my life partner and also accompanist guitarist, Carlos Vazquez. I came to him with my business idea and while he usually doesn’t seek recognition, he is a big part of the reason I was able to make my business come to life and thrive. He truly supports me, but also makes sure I keep my feet on the ground and helps me with a lot of the technical stuff I’m not so good at.
Also, my mom. She is a CPA and helped me a lot in terms of how to manage my finances and keep my taxes in order. Which is extremely important when running a business.

Website: https://www.ishbelsoprano.com

Instagram: @ishbel_weddingsinger

Facebook: Ishbel: Wedding Singer

Youtube: @IshbelSoprano

Image Credits
Stephanie De Jesus
Angel López Photography
Camille Fontz: Wedding Photographer