Isabella Wei ’23 is a four-year Senior from Shenzhen, China. Wei began singing at the school in the Humanities program, taking Voice Performance as her art class.
Wei is co-head of LinkAge, Calliope, Gospel Choir, Triple A, Chinese Club, Mock Trial, and Student Music Showcase (SMS), and is the communications director of St. Luke’s Society. Wei plans to continue singing as an extracurricular in college.
How did you discover your passion for singing?
Singing has always been something that allowed me to express my inner emotions. I began my voice career by auditioning for my elementary school choir and singing as a soprano in the chorus.
In middle school, I continued my passion by joining the school chorus and a cappella group. I quickly found a cappella to be particularly appealing, so I began creating my own arrangements and compositions. My middle school experiences led me to join the all-female a capella group, Calliope, when I arrived at the school as a Prep.
What are some of the most memorable pieces you have performed?
Definitely some of the pop music pieces in SMS or the classical pieces that I have practiced with my music teachers. At SMS, La Vie En Rose by Edith Piaf was memorable for me, because I performed it with my two other co-heads of SMS. We pulled the song together in less than half an hour and it still sounded great, because we all knew it so well.
A memorable classical piece would be Erbarme Dich, Mein Gott by Bach. This piece challenged me as an artist, because it is seven minutes long. However, all of the pieces that I have practiced over my past four years have helped me discover my voice, learn to control my vowels, and shape the vocals I am projecting while singing.
How has the school helped you improve as a vocalist?
Prior to joining the community, I had never received real vocal training. Here, I have learned how to sing in many different languages, including French, Italian, and German.
In my Lower Mid year, I was involved in a singing tutoring program for faculty children. Although the program was virtual, due to the pandemic, the opportunity allowed me to use my passions to create educational opportunities for others. Finally, music is culturally important to me, and I have been trying to incorporate music into the cultural clubs I am involved in, including Linkage and the Chinese Club.
What advice would you give aspiring singers and musicians?
If you love music, stick with it. A lot of people misjudge their musical potential, especially for singing. Never underestimate how much you can gain out of music.
