Ischa Bee

by Kita

Ischa Bee is a unique personality, a shining sun on the Salt Lake City music scene. She rocks a voice that doesn't quit, a pretty face, and a shaved head, and I promise, she'll leave her mark on you. She's a voice for all women, and all people, in the music scene, through her involvement with MiNX, a two piece band that describes themselves as experimental, fun, and unapologetic. Their sound is true to that, with lyrics that are full of attitude, and a mix of sounds ranging the spectrum from synthpop to rock, even tossing in the occasional other influences, like rap or indiepop, and even some blues. They've made their own sound, and there's nothing better that an artist can hope to do.  

  On the first Friday night of every month, you can find Ischa at the Woodshed, where MiNX hosts "Ladies That Rock", a show featuring only female fronted bands. Otherwise, she can be spotted running all over this little valley in the Wasatch mountains, as she not only loves to perform, but to support others who do the same. Between photoshoots, shows, and supporting others, she's a busy lady.

  Still, she was kind enough to carve out a slice of her time for us, and we're extremely grateful that she did. Her perspective is one we couldn't miss the opportunity to share. So take a listen to that fantastic voice, and read on for more! 

                                       

The Interview: 

Kita:  How would you describe your artwork? 

Ischa: An expression of me, of my experience and perspective, and an effort to lay myself out to the world and connect in a meaningful, positive way with people who want to do the same.

Kita: What first got you into music?

Ischa:  I grew up in a very musical family- my mom got a scholarship for her cello-playing, and all of my siblings learned at least one instrument or another. I loved watching musicals growing up- I was even a little obsessed maybe. One of my brothers finally hid the VHS copies of "The Sound of Music" and "My Fair Lady", my two favorites, because he was so sick of me watching them over and over and singing along. 

Kita: What were your goals when you started?

Ischa: I actually only gave myself permission to take myself seriously as an artist (of any kind) about five years ago, at the age of 25. At the time I was really questioning where I had let my life end up. I was emotionally at rock bottom, and a couple of eye-opening incidents in my life and the lives of some of my closest friends at the time kind of triggered a 'mid-life crisis' of sorts. I was really low, and got to kind of a "Why not?" place, because I was actually pondering the idea of not existing anymore- and while that may seem really dark and sad, it ended up being really freeing, because I let go of all the reasons not to and became fixated with doing all the things I meant to do with my life but hadn't. I signed myself up for a couple of community education classes for some direction- A fiction-writing class, a song-writing class, and a hip-hop dance class. I wrote a book, joined a band, and started to indulge myself artistically. Considering how it all began for me, I think my goals when I started were simply to fill the void I had let sit empty for so long and finally pay tribute to my true me.

Kita: How about now? 

Ischa: I want to connect with people. I love people, and I love the connection that happens when you put yourself out there artistically and somebody relates to it in one way or another. 

Kita: Do you prefer the creation of music or the performance aspect? 

Ischa: I like performing my own material, so I always remind myself of that when I'm wading through the murk of creation ;) ... I generally enjoy both, but as most artists would probably admit, sometimes the creation process can be very challenging and draining. Working with Raffi is amazing, because he is so talented and driven. He definitely motivates and inspires my artistic process. I really do enjoy conceptualizing in general- taking an idea and turning it into something real is pure magic to me, and that includes everything from the writing process to the costuming to the photos and marketing- I love it.
That said, I feel like I'm a born performer. I love to sing, I love being on stage. So if I had to choose, I would choose that, but luckily I haven't had to!

Kita: How do you find yourself handling the mixture of business and art? Is that a mix you enjoy or would you rather just focus on one or the other?

Ischa: Since embarking on this journey and allowing myself to take myself seriously as an artist, I have found that many of my prior "real job" endeavors have given me some skills and business background that other artist might not have. I enjoy the balance of managing both, but I fully understand why artists who have more success hire others to help them with the obligations- there is a lot of work that goes into it.

Kita: What's been your biggest struggle? 

Ischa: Silencing the voices in my head that tell me that I'm not good enough and so I shouldn't even try.

Kita: What messages would you like to send with your work? 

Ischa: Live, love, try, fail, experience, win, lose, try some more, let it all out, share it with others, have fun~ I truly believe every human has the potential to be magic and has a vital perspective to share... I would want my work to inspire others to indulge their true self and share it with others. It's all about connecting.

Kita: How have you found the music scene, and also the general arts scene around SLC? 

Ischa: SLC is very arts-oriented for a lot of reasons, and I love that. There are so many people working hard to create opportunities for artists, such as inclusive festivals and publications and programs for youth. There are certainly some expectations for what types of art are acceptable or admired in our community, but that can also make it extra-fun to challenge those norms. 

Kita: Do you feel your work is well respected? 

Ischa: As much as could be expected. Once people see a show and get a feel for who we are and what we're about they generally respond very positively.

Kita: How about artwork in general? Do you feel the SLC scene is well supported and respected?  

Ischa: It's a mixed bag, and it certainly does depend on who you are, who you know, and who you work with. I would assume that some of the challenges we face here are fairly typical issues in any community- issues around gender, race, competitiveness instead of working together, stuff like that. But for any of those issues you can find just as many supportive, inclusive, loving people who want to work to create a scene together, and I feel very fortunate personally to feel surrounded by those types of people within our community.

Kita: How about those closest to you? Are they supportive of you? 

Ischa: Sure. First of all, I'm closest to Raffi, and we're in this together, so that's awesome. Also, I don't feel like I have a lot of pressure from anyone in my life to live up to any other expectations. Some people will always have something to say, an unsolicited two-cents to give, but in general I think the people closest to me always expected me to do something different- to do things my way.

Kita: What is your favorite thing about making music? 

Ischa: Performing it and having an interaction with the audience members. When people respond to your work it's amazing.

Kita: Least favorite? 

Ischa: Oooh, I totally drew a blank! Haha! There are plenty of little frustrations, like loading gear in the snow for a show, or having to perform while sick, or even just the sometimes draining aspect of creating the music in the first place- but I am happy to say that I sat thinking about this question for a minute and came up pretty empty!

Kita: You've become a relatively recognizable face in the SLC scene. Does that ever creep into your day-to-day life? 

Ischa: Very rarely in day-to-day, but I love going out at night and seeing lots of friends around town at shows and venues- people we've played shows with, the employees of the venues, the crowd. That's what it's all about!

Kita: How does day-to-day life mix with the art? Do you keep them very separate or is everything pretty mixed up?

Ischa: I like to think it's mixed up in a healthy way. I feel much more whole now that I have the means to express myself artistically, so I find myself doing less of the unhealthy or more obnoxious attention-seeking things I might have done years ago offstage and am able to get my fix onstage instead. I am able to let myself be casual-me most of the time and over-the-top-me as an artist, and I find balance through that. 

Kita: If you could tell yourself as a beginner one thing you've learned from your experiences as they are now, what would it be?

Ischa: To just let go already :)

Check out their Facebook Page here: https://www.facebook.com/MiNXBand

And their website, here: http://minxband.com/home

Upcoming shows and events will posted at the above links, so don't miss out, and check back often! 

Have someone you'd like us to chat with? Suggestions are taken in the comments below!