Bella: The Girl with a Cane
Singer. Songwriter. Activist
The Girl Behind the Cane
Perhaps vaguely reminding you of Alanis Morissette, but if she grew up in the South and had a peg leg that she liked showin' off, Bella is a disabled vocalist and songwriter who uses her music as advocacy for human- specifically disabled- rights. Learn more about her story here!
Hear the Whole picture
To hear Bella's originals, occasional covers, first drafts of songs, and sneak peaks of what's to come as well as keep up with where you can catch her live, click below!
Contact
Want to book Bella for your event/venue? Or commission some work from her? Whatever you're looking for, this is the place to check it out!
The Girl Behind the Cane
Bella was born in Atlanta, GA, and raised in a town that used to be rural but is now considered the greater metro Atlanta area known as Grayson her entire childhood; Bella has always been a true Southern Georgia peach. She has been talking, singing, and annoying- well, she calls it performing for- her parents ever since she was 3 years old. At age 6, she was in all kinds of local theater productions. By age 9, she was beginning vocal training and singing professionally at all kinds of festivals around the state and was even in a rock band that performed at Atlanta’s Hard Rock Cafe, the Red Clay Theater, and many other infamous Georgian locations from ages 10-16. It was also around this time that she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia- but she never let that stop her. In fact, it ended up being one of her biggest creative inspirations. . .It was during this time that Bella wrote her first original entitled “It’s Alright,” and from then on, it’s been love at first write. Being trained and co-writing at Jan Smith Studios was one of the best parts of her life in Atlanta. She auditioned for Belmont University’s School of Music at age 18 and was accepted on a scholarship. Now, Bella is based in Nashville, TN, as a senior at the college and is expected to graduate in May 2025.Being from the South, Bella has a deep love for country music and tries to incorporate some of its lyrical traditions, bluesy chord progressions, and twang into her songs. One might describe her work as pop/rock anthems with catchy melodies and sticky hooks that bring attention to very important yet hard-to-talk-about issues. Growing up as a first generation Cuban-American, bisexual female in a private Catholic school that cared more about justifying the boys than protecting the girls all while having several chronic pain conditions, she seems to have more than enough material to utilize as inspiration, allowing her to write painful anthems that call out the injustices in society. This dark outpouring has allowed for songs such as “Bourbon Blues,” “The War,” and “Girl with a Cane” to transpire.“Performing at the Hard Rock Cafe in Atlanta, Georgia, as a regular will always be something I cherish so deeply,” Bella says. “It’s just such an iconic location, so to be able to be a part of that is something so special. I feel the same way about the Red Clay Theater owned by Eddie Owen.” It was at this location that Bella won her People’s Choice Award for her original called “Fake Happiness” at just 15 years old! As a teen, she won a state title in personal essay, showing her expertise in any genre of writing, and was 5th in the entire state in girl’s solo. She’s had the opportunity to cowrite often at Jan Smith Studios in Atlanta with Nashville country songwriter Heidi Huelskoetter. Liz Hengber endorses her, saying that she can both hear in her voice and see in her writing “some Alanis Morissette,” one of Bella’s biggest inspirations. She has worked closely with Dr. Jeffery Ames as well as Dr. Lesley Mann, who says she loves Bella’s “open and honest communication” as well as the activist and advocate that she has “grown into,” in the school’s BelCanto choir.Bella is currently a part of Belmont University’s gospel and R&B ensemble Voxology, which has gained a lot of positive traction after their viral video that even SZA loved in Fall 2024. She is also part of one of Nashville’s best church choirs, the choir of Immanuel Baptist Church. She is always posting clips of her singing at gigs and debuting new originals that are both older and still being finished on her Instagram (@girlwithacane0203), Facebook (Isabella Marquez, and TikTok (@girlwithacane0203). When she’s not working on her music, Bella is leading the school’s Disabled Student Union and working as a Fibro Youth Advocate for the Fibro Care Society of America to continue her activism for a better, more accessible world. Bella is working on releasing her first single this upcoming December/January and finishing her first.
Hear the Whole picture
Wanting to hear her live? Be sure to keep up with her performance schedule above! If you can't catch her, that's okay- luckily, from all different kinds of covers to original songs and even clips from high school and first drafts of songs, Bella's got several examples of what she can do on her YouTube page. Her Instagram and Facebook pages are full of pictures and videos of her family, dogs, and advocacy work as well as clips from her gigs (not to mention her crochet for commission products). Her TikTok page is full of funny bits and clips as well as her live performances at Belmont. Make sure you keep an eye out on your music and podcast locations, as she's set to release her first single this coming December/January and is planning on rebooting a podcast for the Fibromyalgia Care Society of America entitled "Half Functional." Put all of these elements together, and you've got the whole, funny, and authentic picture of who Bella truly is, as both an artist and a person.All links for social media will be at the bottom of this site
Contact
Bella is so excited to meet you and play your next event and/or current venue! From rock, country, and pop covers to jazz standards and, of course, her original singer-songwriter work, this girl can do anything you're looking for. She can also be contacted for writer's rounds, co-writes, and requests for commissioned songs. She is also beyond happy to be a guest speaker for disability rights and advocacy work. Be sure to submit the contact form below and we will get back to you in 1-3 business days.