Isabelle De Leon - Drummer, Writer, Educator
Photo by Brandon Russell
Isabelle De Leon is a drummer, writer, musician, and educator based in DC. Music has always been a part of her life, nurtured by her dad’s passion for it. As a child, Isabelle’s first instrument was the piano, followed by guitar, bass, and drums. She got her first drum set at 7 years old and playing drums became her primary instrument, especially after watching the movie Selena and seeing Selena’s sister Suzette playing drums. Her sisters and her formed Ivy Rose in their teens, playing the college circuit and internationally. She is currently part of Prinze George, a rising Indie Electronic Pop Trio that has performed music festivals including Austin City Limits and Bottlerock, and performed with artists like Cold War Kids and Walk the Moon. Isabelle has toured with the US State Department as a cultural ambassador and Oprah’s 2020 Vision Tour. She’s also involved with Girls Drum! educating and working with young girls. Isabelle is an accomplished musician, hoping to inspire, leave a legacy, and be impactful to young girls and their futures.
There was always music playing at home during Isabelle’s childhood. Her family would play music at church, her older sister on bass and younger sister on guitar. This solidified their experience of playing music with other people. They would also play local Filipino American festivals and street festivals. And in their teens they formed an all female Alt Rock band, Ivy Rose. During their tenure they’ve toured internationally and opened for bands like Weezer and Ben Folds. “I can always call them up and we can always work something out. We all understand each other and are able to dive in without inhibitions, and discover ourselves in the process,” Isabelle explains.
Isabelle with Ivy Rose and her dad. From L to R: Martina San Diego (singer/guitarist), Isabelle, Tito de Leon (dad), Sarah de Leon (sister, lead guitarist), Kristine de Leon (sister, bassist)
In 2012 and after Ivy Rose, Isabelle began taking her freelance profession more seriously. She looked for other artists and bands to play with. She wrote and composed, studied Jazz Performance at the University of Maryland, and played and networked with lots of people. “I have dabbled in different kinds of genres. Growing up pop rock, classic rock. In college, I was a jazz student and composed instrumental and jazz. I had a residency at Strathmore Performing Arts playing jazz,” said Isabelle.
Currently Isabelle is part of Indie Electronic Pop trio Prinze Geroge. She had seen a flyer for the group when she was looking for another band, sent in her demos, ended up jamming and they hit it off. Isabelle learned to play electronic drums and produce electronic music in a mixture of house and pop and experimental sounds. “I try not to limit myself, versatility is important. It teaches you a lot about creating a more unique voice. It’s somewhere between all those lines, trying to figure out exactly what my music is and what I want it to be.”
Isabelle toured in Russia with the US State Department as a cultural ambassador. Artists like Ella Fitzgerald have done the same trips for the US. And it was a way to connect to the people there on a different level. They may not speak the same language, but music connects. “I loved the State Department tours. That’s why I do music, to see the world and spread a message of love. It’s amazing because a lot of the cities we visited don’t speak English and we connect through music, connect on a human level. It’s beautiful to share something that brings joy.”
Photo by Roxplosion
Working as an educator in the DC community and with organizations like Girls Drum! is very important to Isabelle, “I believe visibility is key in normalizing things. It was part of something I realized when I was younger. For some reason, it wasn’t normal to see a woman playing drums. I knew it wasn’t a novelty. When you see yourself represented in photos and videos, that is how you know it’s possible. Being a Filipina American, daughter of immigrants, it’s important for girls in my position to see other girls doing it.”
This year’s Covid 19 epidemic and quarantine has brought a change to all. Isabelle’s career was headed in the direction she wanted, but she had to re-imagine her work once everything got cancelled. “I do music because of enjoyment of performing. How do I do it another way?” she asked herself. “For the longest time, I knew I had to be in my studio and working on my craft and practicing, focusing on my own brand. It took a bit of time to figure out a good system and what I wanted to do. I have been practicing a lot more and getting back to my own branding. Because of that, I’ve been able to grow my own following in large numbers, and with that comes a lot of opportunities.” Isabelle had plans to move to LA that have been postponed, but she has been able to keep working with her local students virtually, something she hasn’t considered before and now knows is possible.
Music is Isabelle’s legacy. I keep at it because I know that one day, when I leave this earth, hopefully something that I did made an impact on someone. I think about what I can do now and be impactful to young girls and their futures, to inspire people, to touch people. Music was always impactful in my life, and I know the harder I commit, the more people I can reach and touch and inspire.”
Photos courtesy of Isabelle De Leon
Cover/profile photo by Kristine De Leon