Isabella Gueck always dreamed of being on the stage. “I would always sing for special music at church when I was like five, and then run off stage,” she recalls with a laugh. Some of her earliest memories include playing Angelfish No. 1 in The Little Mermaid Jr., as well as roles in Honk Jr. and Jungle Book. Her first lead role came in Alice in Wonderland. “I thought I was on top of the world for sure,” she says.
Creating her own stories was another passion for a young Isabella. “I would make my entire family sit in the living room, and I would just, like, sing blabber at them,” she says with a grin. By middle school, she began experimenting with songwriting again, though she “kept it a secret” from her parents. Eventually, her siblings revealed her talent. “One day, my brothers were like, ‘You know who can really write a song? Isabella.’”
At first, she wasn’t thrilled with their revelation. “I didn’t want my parents to think, ‘Oh, who’s this about?’ because I was writing these love songs that were about nobody,” she admits. “I just remember being nervous to share that with them. But I think I’ve had so much experience performing live and sharing myself musically, that’s something I really feel like I’m supposed to be doing.”
While Isabella’s passion for musical theater remained strong, she found the journey challenging. “I was auditioning for these roles and these musicals, and I wasn’t getting them, and I was so upset,” she says. These struggles inspired her song Lose You. “It was basically about this fear I was sitting in—that I’m putting everything on the line, auditioning for these roles, only to feel like the director is going to cast someone who’s prettier or skinnier than me. That’s what the lyrics are about. So, Lose You—it sounds like it’s about a toxic relationship, but it was really about how I was feeling with my theater directors at the time.”
In her senior year, Isabella auditioned for the prestigious Young Arts program in both theater and songwriting. She became a finalist on the songwriting side. However, the program conflicted with her senior acting trip, forcing her to choose between the two. Ultimately, she chose Young Arts and songwriting. “It was the best decision I ever made,” she reflects. “I still have connections with some really close friends there that I collaborate with, and I love it so much. It honestly changed my life. It was the first time I had chosen songwriting over acting.”
Following high school, Isabella was accepted into a theater program. But at orientation, she realized it no longer fit her path. “I took a gap year. I thought I still wanted to pursue musical theater, but as the year went on, I really dug into songwriting. I got a grant from YoungArts and was able to make my own music studio. Then I applied to Berklee.”
Although Isabella will always have a soft spot for theater, she acknowledges that being typecast based on physical features rather than her musical abilities was discouraging. While the theater community is striving to become more inclusive, she admits, “It wasn’t a battle that I wanted to fight. I could tell my own stories and touch people in a really deep way through songwriting without going against the grain. The entire time I did theater, I felt like I was moving against the grain. With songwriting, not that it isn’t hard or that I don’t fight for every opportunity, but things tend to fall into place. After this journey, this gap year, and everything, I’m so grateful for it. Even though it was horrible, I’m grateful for it because I have such assurance that I’m where I’m supposed to be and doing what I’m supposed to be doing. That’s something I’ve never really experienced before.”
Today, Isabella continues to find joy in writing and releasing original material. Through her music, she shares her own thoughts and feelings while stepping into the shoes of various characters to create new stories. “The thing I love about songwriting is that whether it’s these silly, fun songs, character things, or really heartfelt ones, at the core, songwriting creates empathy. It makes you, number one, understand someone else’s perspective, and number two, feel seen. That’s my favorite thing in the world, and I love it. My favorite compliment is when someone says, ‘How did you exactly encompass what I was thinking or feeling?’ It’s just so cool.”
It’s beautiful to see a performer come into their own, and it’s clear that even though it’s early in her career, Isabella Gueck is one to watch.
Stay up to date with Isabella Gueck at www.isabellagueck.com
