Issadora Ava ’21 signed with the student-run Pac Ave Records to produce her second EP “No One Belongs Here More Than You.”

Latest Pac Ave project reveals artist’s ‘soulful sensitivity,’ ‘intimate honesty’

Singer-songwriter, dancer and actor Issadora Ava ’21 entered the world of music and entertainment at a very early age. Her entire family played instruments, so picking up music came to her naturally.

As a child actor, she performed for SeaWorld and Nickelodeon, and in theatrical productions in Los Angeles and New York. Prior to coming to University of the Pacific to pursue a degree in music industry studies, Ava considered herself a self-made musician who wrote, performed and recorded her debut EP “You Don’t Live Here Anymore” in her bedroom.

At Pacific, Ava signed with the student-run Pac Ave Records to produce her second EP “No One Belongs Here More Than You.”

“I’m learning how to produce music and elements outside of my comfort zone,” Ava said. “I was so used to creating and writing in my room and now I’m in a recording studio. I have people who are marketing and releasing my music. I have never had such a supportive team.”

Released on Feb. 28, the EP features four original songs written by Ava and collaboratively produced with the student sound engineers at the university’s recording studio in Owen Hall on the Stockton Campus.

Ava’s co-producer was Sami Fong ’20, music management major, who “enjoyed making this project come to life, taking it from its pre-production to a complete mixed and mastered EP, while working side-by-side with Issadora.”

Also involved in the production process was Professor Jeff Crawford, who has guided the recording and mixing of the past eight Pac Ave Records projects.

‘“No One Belongs Here More Than You’ is sonically the most unique project the Owen studio has ever produced,” said Crawford.

He is not the only one who noticed how special Ava’s new album is. After it was released on all major music streaming platforms, it was reviewed by Music Connection, a monthly magazine read by more than 80,000 musicians and industry leaders. 

“It is always compelling when an artist’s voice and material are an ideal match, and that’s what we hear in Issadora, who has the ability to exude a soulful sensitivity, an intimate honesty, without over-singing,” read the introduction to Ava’s EP review, one of the top three in the April 2020 issue of Music Connection.

The success of “No One Belongs Here More Than You” is due to Ava’s talent and musicianship. It is also an example of the hard-working team of students at Pac Ave Records who have supported the artist from the moment she entered the recording studio, through creating her electronic press kit and now via social media posts and a line of merchandise, including T-shirt, buttons and stickers inspired by her music.

Ava admits the collaborative experience might have helped her realize her purpose.

“To have so many people back me up makes it seem like I could make a career out of this and I can keep doing what I love,” she said. “I think it’s just such a turning point in my life and in my music.”

Visit the Pac Ave Records website for Ava’s electronic press kit. Follow Asa on Instagram.