Today we’d like to introduce you to Marisa Bella.
Marisa, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’m originally from NY and grew up moving around Westchester county. Both of my parents are proud immigrants hailing from Cuba and the Philippines. I have an older sister who also works in the music industry. My family had a huge impact on my love for music. Although I did not grow up living with my father, his line of work exposed me to the music I am passionate about today. He was an urban promotions executive at various labels. His work with Aaliyah really made me fall in love with music. I began taking drum lessons and continued that for years after. I even played in a band LOL!
After high school, I attended NYU. I began an internship at Republic Records in the urban promotions department under Jen Norwood. Shout out to Jen, who put me in positions to learn and grow. Her dedication to teaching me is something I appreciate every day. I interned with Jen for two semesters in a row and met lifelong friends in the urban promo department. I then met Andre Marsh at Republic and landed an internship in the A&R department. While at Republic I met Todd Goodwin, the head of the college and lifestyle marketing department. He was in the middle of building a brand new New York City team, so I applied to the position. I got the job and was an urban rep for Universal Music Group for the rest of my time in college. This experience in my life so far is unmatched. I worked with the most incredible reps around the country who I still consider some of my close friends. I attended panels, events, an annual business trip with all the reps where we got to present our projects to major executives and got to do work for developing artists and watch them grow. I also interned at Def Jam in the urban promotions department under Rodney Shealey.
At NYU I got to meet an amazing artist/friend that I work with today, Genevieve. We grew together musically, we struggled with school and time management, and most importantly, we learned what we wanted to do with the rest of our lives. She is signed to my father’s company and is prospering. I help with her day-to-day needs, but most importantly, she gives me an outlet to be involved in the creative process.
I now work at Atlantic Records under Kevin Holiday in the urban promotions department. Kevin and I have a very special dynamic in that I feel very comfortable asking him questions any time one pops into my head. I appreciate his devotion to teaching me everything he knows about the industry and radio in specific. Some important things I take away from working for Kevin is that his joy really comes from “changing lives.” He sees what a hit single can do for an artist and how the radio still very much contributes to breaking new artists. A prime example is breaking Cardi B with “Bodak Yellow.” Although Kevin loves to teach, he makes it known that what I put into this job is what I get out of it. He tells me I must learn how to fish instead of just being fed.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road was definitely on their bumpier side early on. I dealt with some health issues right as I was graduating high school. I was 18 when I had my first seizure. I was not born with epilepsy; instead, the doctors believe my seizures were caused by repeated concussions from sports. I had about four concussions in total throughout high school. The concussion protocol was not nearly as strict as it is now, so my last two concussions occurred in a very short period of time. My world was flipped upside down. I never experienced any serious health issues, and this felt like the end of the world. I was going to play basketball at NYU and move to the city. My life changed drastically. I still attempted to play basketball and attend classes regularly. I went from doctor to doctor trying to get them under control. I tried almost every medication out there for seizures. My grades slipped, and I had to stop playing basketball. I sunk into deep depression, and my anxiety was debilitating. I didn’t think I would be able to finish college, let alone live a normal life. Eventually, I found the right combination of meds and the right doctor to guide me through mental health issues. I began attending classes regularly again and joined the NYU softball team. My road was bumpy, but I can confidently say that it has made me a stronger person. I know that might sound cliché, but I genuinely feel empowered by my struggles.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Atlantic Records/Citiboy Entertainment – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I will talk about the family business, Citiboy Entertainment. It was started by my father, Manny Bella in 2006 after he retired from the corporate world. It is a full-service label and has a promotion and marketing arm that provides consultation to major and indie labels. This company has taught me things that I will benefit from for the rest of my career; I observe my father and how he handles deals with artists and labels, I am learning a lot about entertainment law through our lawyer, my sister teaches me new things about social media every day, and even though my mother doesn’t work with us directly, she teaches me everything I need to know about marketing. My sister and I are working very hard to build up the management side. Our company is mainly known for its success at urban format radio stations. My goal is to be known for breaking developing artists that have genuine talent and not just numbers. I want to represent timeless music and be involved in the creative process with artists I am passionate about. What sets us apart from other companies is our ability to put time and effort into each artist we work with. Since we’re small and independent, we worry more about making the artist feel comfortable and like they’re surrounded by family. We also represent two artists with heavy LGBTQ fanbases, making an impact on this community is extremely important to me.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
It’s very hard for me to read radio trends because I haven’t worked full-time in this department long enough to predict anything. Kevin believes that it depends on the music itself and not just what streaming numbers say, as well as technology. As technology improves, the radio industry will continue to change. Whether it be good or bad, the music business is constantly evolving. We’ve seen the music industry decline and labels shrink, but still, there was a light at the end of the tunnel, so I think that when labels shift with the times everything falls into place.
I hope to see fewer artists being recognized for their likes, views, plays, and followers and more artists being recognized for their genuine talent and devotion to their craft.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @marisabella24
Image Credit:
Tahiti Abdul- @tahitiabdul
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