It’s been quite a year for Isla-Maria Corbeil. Over the past 12 months she’s done tours of major US cities, had a run to the finals in Huntsville’s Got Talent and next month she’s set to take a trip to LA to meet a new vocal coach, write songs and do some photo shoots.
It’s a lot to take in for someone still too young to apply for a driver’s licence.
The 15-year-old Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes High School student may be relatively fresh on the Muskoka music scene but her father Jed Corbeil is well-known locally as an accomplished musician and business owner.
“My dad and I have been singing together since I could talk, and we still sing together now,” says Isla-Maria. “My dad loves doing gigs with me and I love having him there, he makes me feel so comfortable. My mom and my sister are our two biggest fans. They are always there with us, and it makes me feel so much less scared.”
Isla-Maria says she started doing vocal lessons at a young age but began pursuing it more seriously around Grade 7.
“I’ve had several teachers, but last year, I started with my coach Shaun Royer, who worked out of L.A.,” she says. “When I started working with Shaun he told me about how working with him was a very big step and that I would be committing to something big. I would have to work to find success, and I was more than willing to put in the effort.”
She began doing two lessons a week and she says her vocal ability began to improve steadily. Isla-Maria said the sessions took another turn when Royer asked her if she’d be interested in taking part in the Boys of Summer Tour. The Boys of Summer is a group of influencers and musicians that perform together and tour around major cities in the United States.
“I was so excited to do it. I worked with him on it for months to prepare,” she says. “In July of 2022 I went on the tour and performed in six big cities across the eastern US and in Houston – it was amazing. I met such great musicians and performers and got to sing in front of hundreds of people – what an awesome feeling. That’s when I knew I wanted to do this for a living.”
Tragically, just days before Isla Maria’s Houston performance Royer passed away suddenly due to complications from Covid-19.
“It was the worst part of my year, as he brought me up and helped make me who I am today,” says. “My favourite thing about Shaun was that he never had anything bad to say to me, he was such a lovely person.”
Following the tour, Isla- Maria got the chance to take part in Huntsville’s Got Talent, where she made it all the way to the finals. She said the entire experience was incredible and getting the chance to interact with so many other talented performers was inspiring.
Next up, the young artist is headed for Los Angeles in May to meet with a new vocal coach, Aliyah Moulden. She’ll also be working with a couple of different producers, a new manager and simply taking in the City of Angels.
“I’m super excited,” she says. “I’d really like to go to Hollywood and see the Walk of Fame and I’d also love to go to Malibu to see the beaches. I have a bunch of friends that I met on tour that live in L.A., and I’m looking forward to seeing them.”
Long-term, Isla-Maria says she plans to go with the flow and see where her singing takes her. She hopes to get her music on big streaming platforms like Spotify so more people can listen.
“It makes me so happy when my friends listen to my music and jam out to it. I would love to make it in this industry as a singer but if that doesn’t happen, I’ll probably work as a music producer or engineer and work with other artists,” she says. “I have already had the most amazing experiences and I’m so grateful for that. I work as hard as I can every day to reach my goal, and I hope it pays off.”
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You can check out Isla-Maria on Spotify now at
https://open.spotify.com/track/5XdKsaTTIXvlK1UzxYT4d5?si=QYcBz-KWQn2IbI57mRh-LQ&dd=1