#BASICLYGEN PRESENTS ISABEL MOHR

My name is Isabel, I’m 19 years old and I like to say I live to make music. I was born in Verona in 2001 to an Italian mother and a German father. Over the years, growing up as an Italian-german speaking child, I have always shown to have a particular inclination towards the world and its diversity. As a consequence, I was brought to develop the habit of wandering beyond the geographical, linguistic as well as cultural boundaries of my land, aspect which has certainly influenced my creative process. I started playing guitar at a very young age, together with my best friend and throughout the years I gradually integrated the voice into the music and shortly after the songwriting. Although Italian music has certainly influenced my approach to sound and rhythm, I have listened and found inspiration prevalently from English-language music, considering especially my devotion to R&B and Soul. Today, I write and sing my own songs in English, which for me constitutes not only a metaphysical place of self-reflection but also an expedient of expressive liberation and emotional sharing. Yet if I look back, the majority of stages that have marked my “musical path” remain imprinted only in my memory. In fact, I can say with certainty that the refinement of sound that has marked the aforementioned path has been hidden for many years, due to my shyness and introversion. Only recently I found myself at a step in life where I feel I have acquired enough confidence to share music and to address the reactions that may result from it. In my day-to-day, I am currently studying Business Administration in Barcelona, which takes up much of my time. It has not always been easy to keep the balance between the requirements deriving from the two roles, the one of student and musician. However, if there is one thing I have understood with time it is that a strong passion cannot be appeased and for this reason, it will inevitably manifest itself in one way or another.

COVID-19, despite it having suddenly interfered with my habits and certainties, also has had a strong positive influence on my creative process. Sometimes, in the rush of everyday life, I used to forget the significance of reflection as well as the invigorating power of leisure. Before the pandemic incurred I often struggled to carve out time for meditation, which I believe is a necessary premise of any creative activity. Therefore, as soon as quarantine began, having to occupy the “empty” spaces within my days, that’s when I was able to give my creativity the chance to come to the surface. Ironically, the months of confinement I had feared so much at first glance, turned out to be valuable precisely for this reason. Thereby I am now aware of the fact that this year of confusion and consequent personal rediscovery resulted in the production of more sincere and profound lyrics.

Personally, belonging to the Z generation, I believe that social media is the most effective place to find inspiration and to keep up with the times. The amount of information a young person has access to on these platforms is so expansive and intrusive that sometimes it can be difficult to avoid accessing it in the first place. Although Instagram and Twitter are certainly more immediate when it comes to trends and fashion, I like to find inspiration directly on the streets. In fact, I prefer to observe the people around me when I go for a walk around the neighborhood or when I am on the metro. I look at what people are wearing and how they are wearing it, and then jump into evaluating why they do so. Then obviously it is all about understanding how much importance a person gives to “trends”. In fact, I believe the best way is to be found within ourselves, by exploring and finding our own “aesthetic” means of expressing what one is.

If I think now about what the future might be like, I must say I am seized with a very great sense of uncertainty. I honestly think it is inevitable at my age, especially due to the fact that I am still learning things about myself the more I advance in life. However, my biggest dream would be to work in the music industry, to release my albums, and host concerts around the world. Yet I know little about the industry, therefore I let it all come together and I give myself the chance to gradually learn more about it through experience. I am certain, however, that this passion for music and writing will accompany me throughout my life, whether by pursuing a professional career in this specific field or by carrying it forward as a hobby. In the short term also, I hope to be able to publish some of the songs I have been working on for the past months. Before anything else, I hope to be passionate and committed and to never stop enhancing and encouraging this creativity of mine.