About
Performance
As a lifelong performer and lover of the arts, Isabel has always been enamored with music. Her career as a professional musician began at Mercer County Community College in West Windsor, NJ in 2021. It was there that she was first introduced to the world of jazz and she was flooded with new creative pursuits, both vocally and instrumentally. Isabel began frequenting jazz shows in New Brunswick, NJ and very quickly fell in love with the genre.
In January of 2023, she began working with singer-songwriter Isabella Dussias as a backup singer and harpist. Through Dussias' band, Isabel has become one of the few harpists to perform at legendary venues such as The Stone Pony, The Bitter End, Rockwood Music Hall, and Mercury Lounge. She has also recorded with Dussias and is featured playing harp on singles "Go My Way" and "Honest."
Arrangement & Composition
Isabel learned how to arrange songs in 2018 after joining an acapella group. This experience taught her about voice leading, which lead to her greater understanding of music theory. Now, Isabel writes arrangements for both voice and harp, with her latest focus being on jazz tunes. It is through her arrangements that Isabel hopes to pave the way for more harpists to sing while playing.
She highly values collaboration with others and educating composers who have never written for harp before. Through this collaboration, she helps facilitate in making harp sheet music more accessible in genres where a harp is traditionally not found (pop, jazz, r&b, etc). Educating others on the capabilities and limitations of the harp helps make notation more cohesive for other harpists wishing to play in non-traditional genres. Isabel is well-versed in using different music notation softwares to arrange.
@spookyplooky on Instagram
The tag @spookyplooky has been a long-running tradition for Isabel since 2016. Only during the month of October does Isabel showcase costumes and musical collaborations with friends to celebrate her favorite holiday. Isabel plans throughout the year different ways to expand the project and show off the talents of those around her who also have a deep love of Halloween. She hopes that @spookyplooky can bring in other Halloween-lovers and connect the world of music with the art of curating costumes and Halloween production design.