Michelle Belle
Written by: Cait Elizabeth - July2020
Edited by: Travis Ryan
Introductions
It’s no surprise Michelle Belle has the voice of an angel—she grew up surrounded by a family full of gospel choir singers. Her first conscious memory of singing was learning “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion and serenading any and everyone she could sit down. By first grade Michelle was already learning the keys, eventually combining playing and singing. While music runs in her veins, taking the stage didn’t come naturally. Stage fright plagued the songstress and, outside of the occasional piano recital, she avoided the spotlight until the summer of 2019.
That’s when a friend dared her to play 10 open mics by the end of the year. Not one to back down, Ms. Belle sang through her fear and quite quickly booked her first gig. “I'm really happy I didn't [back out] cause that ended up being one of the best nights of my life. I conquered a 20-year-old fear!”
Michelle blindsided the scene, stepping on stage from seemingly nowhere and blowing the minds that were unprepared for her silky voice and playful demeanor. Recently back on stage at the newly opened SāGhar in Port Jefferson, Michelle has been accompanied by the legendary Matthew Godfrey on keys.
Her approach to writing varies depending on if she is working on a solo project or a collaboration. Solo pieces always begin with a written source, like a poem or journal entry, before writing an instrumental “soundtrack” and melding the two together. The music sets the tone and paints the setting for the vocals; she takes the beats she’s sent from a collaborator and deciphers the plot. “My job is to find the top line and write, what I think of as, the dialogue or narrative to the story.”
Tours & Shows
Michelle Belle is quickly making up for lost time on stage! She has been regularly playing socially distanced gigs at The Velvet Lounge, Portside Bar & Grill, and SāGhar. She also does live streaming gigs for extra socially-distanced tunes. Subscribe to her social media to find out where to see her next!
Support & Subscribe
michellebelle0916@gmail.com
Inspirations & Influences
Michelle admits that she is always people watching: “I'm inspired by my life, the things I see happen around me.” Her songwriting includes those inspirations as well as musical and cinematic influences.
Michelle’s mother played a huge role in how her musicality was shaped. Aside from her choir music, she also coached her daughter’s voice from an early age. “She taught me who to listen to and what aspects of music to draw from when trying to expand my range or learn those tough runs. In a way, that kind of sculpted my soul.”
“Keep listening! (Not to me, all though I hope you want to listen to me haha!) BUT to everything around you. Keep in touch with what’s surrounding you and if it’s positive allow it to influence you. Don’t be shy either, your voice may be exactly what someone needs to hear in order to get the message and make their own move on life.”