Today we’ve had a pleasure to interview Isabel Marcheselli, a very talented multi-instrumentalist.
An artist, composer and member of Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI), Isabel Marcheselli is an ever-evolving, protean artist of Latino descent who has drawn fans and praise for her music full of passion and soul, ever since she first started out in her music career over 15 years ago in New York.
Isabel, whose primary instruments are her voice and the piano and her secondary instruments are the guitar and the organ, earned her undergraduate degree from Cornell University and studied music at Mannes School of Music and at Hunter College, as a music major. In addition to being a touring musician who has performed her own original music as a solo act and with her band, Isabel and The Whispers, Isabel has served the Archdiocese of Springfield, MA as a music minister on multiple instruments, now that she is currently based in Massachusetts. She is also a cantor certified by the National Association of Pastoral Musicians (NPM) as well as a nationally certified piano teacher accredited by Music Teachers National Association (MTNA).
More than obliging to play a mix of classical, contemporary and sacred music to please her fans, Isabel is the founder of Marcheselli Music, her own music studio that provides musical entertainment and offers piano lessons, and of a wedding music service, Marcheselli Wedding Music with the mission to offer beautiful music to couples on their wedding day. In honor of the 10th anniversary of the release of her band’s self-entitled album, Isabel and The Whispers, Isabel recently composed a dance track, “House of Dreams – Runway Remix,” a musical ode to the fashion industry, that fuses several pop tracks from her album. Those tracks are “Dot to Dot,” “Dancing,” and “Josefina.” She is thrilled to reimagine her music in this new way. The daughter of a fashion-designing mother and sister who was a child model, Isabel’s exposure to the fashion industry inspired this upbeat track. Other fun facts about Isabel are that she has published a book of nature poetry and song lyrics, Heart’s Eye , and has released most recently, a book of photography and art, Unwinding Paths . To learn more, visit her website at: https://www.isabelmarcheselli.com/
Lisa: Hey Isabel! If someone asked you to describe your music, besides genres, what would you say?
Isabel: My music is pretty lyrical and singer-songwriter-ly, but it is also on the ambient side of piano pop.
Lisa: What types of change do you feel your music can initiate?
Isabel: Well, different songs have different effects on listeners. “Dot to Dot,” one of my most popular songs from my album Isabel and The Whispers , is a romantic ballad with a smoky effect. “High Horse” has an uplifting and maybe even comforting message for broken hearted women who have dated self-focused men and been burned. It offers a story of hope. People also tell me they like the mellow but upbeat sound of “Josefina.” Another song from my album, “Bird-Man,” has an eccentric, jungle sound to listeners.
Lisa: You also write poetry, and you’ve released a book called “Heart’s Eye”. Can you tell us a bit more about that?
Isabel: Heart’s Eye is a compilation of poetry and song lyrics that I’ve written over the years. I had dreamt of doing a book like this ever since I saw a book of lyrics published by Suzanne Vega, of whom I am a fan, years back. After the untimely death of a young friend, I decided that life was short and that it was time to get this book out to the world.
Lisa: I loved your single “Dot to Dot”. What inspired you to write it?
Isabel: The way that song sort of dropped down on me all at once was kinda funny. I was actually doodling on a post-it when it came to me. It’s a song about that point one reaches when one is falling in love or is falling in love harder by getting to know another person. As with a lot of songs recorded with my band, Isabel and The Whispers, I was happy with how that song came together in the recording studio.
Lisa: Also, you’ve released 4 new music videos to commemorate the 10 years since the release of your band’s self-entitled album, Isabel and The Whispers. Could you tell me more about that?
Isabel: Yes, and I am so excited about them! They came out so wonderfully, and our band couldn’t be more thrilled to share them with fans this year. Fans have said they love the video for “High Horse” especially and that they find it psychedelic and poetic. The dancers in that video really make a difference and add so much beauty to the song. I’m also happy how the video came out for “Dot to Dot” because it’s on the whimsical side. In the “Aftersong” video, I made a cameo appearance and that was kinda fun. All of these new videos can be found on my Youtube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/isabelmarcheselli
Lisa: You are a multi-instrumentalist. If you had to choose between singing, piano, organ or guitar, what would you choose and why?
Isabel: That’s a really good question! I’m probably caught between singing and piano playing. It seems that there’s so much great piano music to make for all seasons, but time seems to sort of stop for me when I sing.
Lisa: What is the most useless talent you have?
Isabel: Lining up refrigerator magnets in an office style, but, then again, maybe that’s not so useless, lol!
Lisa: How do you nourish your creative side when you’re not working? And how do you avoid burnout?
Isabel: By repeatedly daring myself to go where I’ve artistically never gone before. Doing this keeps me in a state of inspiration, occasional terror, adventure and wonder. I also strive to keep a spiritual life going and consider God my collaborator.
Lisa: What advice or philosophy might you impart to other musicians, be it in forms of creativity, technical stuff, the business side of it, or anything else?
Isabel: Courage, hard work and persistence have been key factors in building a life in music as an independent artist, at least for me.
Lisa: What’s next for you?
Isabel: A myriad of musical projects is always on my plate! I hope to collaborate with musicians on new recordings, hopefully soon despite the pandemic. This year, I am also promoting my newly released e-book of photography and art, “ Unwinding Paths ,” as well as my new dance single, “ House of Dreams ” dedicated to the fashion industry. In addition, I am planning on putting on a classical Chopin piano concert sometime in 2021 thanks to the generous support of Music Teachers National Association who gave me a grant recently toward the study and performance of his repertoire. On the side, I also run a piano studio, Marcheselli Music Studio, and it’s great to have a chance to help make a musical impact on others, including the next generation.
Lisa: At the end of the day, what do you hope people take away from your music?
Isabel: That’s a tough question! I guess whatever they want to take away from it that most speaks to them. Personally, I like to think that my music has a great and soulful friendship going with poetry and drumming.
Thank you!
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