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About Me

Isabella Snow

Isabella Snow is a singer/songwriter based in Chicago, IL. Growing up with a vocalist for a mother, jazz was a constant in her house, influencing her along with folk and rock. She turned to classic rock (Joni Mitchell, Heart, Queen,Fleetwood Mac) and 90’s alternative (Alanis Morissette, No Doubt, Liz Phair, Fiona Apple, Sheryl Crow) for inspiration, beginning to write music at 15, composing songs on acoustic guitar and ukulele. At 16, she began singing with a big band, ultimately winning outstanding vocalist twice (2012, 2013) in Winton Marsalis’ Essentially Ellington competition with Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. In 2014, she was a choral member of the Carnegie Hall World Premiere of Christopher Tin’s The Drop That Contained The Sea. 

Isabella earned her BFA in Musical Theatre with minors in Jazz Studies and Makeup/Costume Design from Elmhurst College, participating in numerous theatrical productions as an actor, musician/composer, dancer, designer, and improver. While in her undergrad, she starred in Chicago theatre company Theatre Above the Law’s world premiere of Michael Dahlberg’s modern adaptation of Cyrano De Bergerac, playing the female incarnation of the title role.  

Just months before graduation, Isabella began working with Xtreme Cover Bands, touring with costumed, decade based cover bands including 80’s rock/pop, Disco, Yacht Rock, 90’s pop, and Country as well as impersonating Cher and Hayley Williams.  Doing 4-6 shows a week, the bands helped Isabella discover her true fronting style, combining her theatrical sensibilities with pop and rock, rather than showtunes. 

During the summer of 2018, Isabella briefly participated in her first year of a Chicago regional vocal competition entitled BIG BREAK, where she played an original song of hers, Hungry Heart (her eventual first single).  One of the judges saw her potential as a original artist and introduced her to Mike Notaro of Elephant Ears Recording and Chicago cover band Mike & Joe.  It was there she cut her first EP- Mystic, featuring six of her original tracks. 

During her recording process, Isabella participated in a second year of BIG BREAK, eventually making it to the semi finals and collecting an invitation from American Idol talent scouts in the process.  

Isabella released Mystic on August 30th of 2019 on all streaming platforms and has been self promoting the record in various settings, playing solo acoustic sets as well as with a backing band, which has featured her bassist/ brass playing fiancé, Noah Nichols, and fellow singer/songwriters Larry Anthony on lead guitar, Joey Harbert on keys, and Adela Zo (Radio host of the Indie Podcast-The Underbelly Hours) on cello. 

In her original music, she blends her wide variety of influences to support her vulnerable, witty lyrics with an organic soulfulness, a fiery honesty, and compelling storytelling, building her stage costumes, backdrops, and merchandise art herself.  

Isabella hopes to use her music to create true human connection for her audience and to aid various human, animal, and ecological rights causes.  In her words, “Artists have the ability to change the world.  So why not change it for the better?”