Ysabelle Cuevas's voice touched all our hearts as she sang during her virtual keynote at RootsTech 2025. For Ysabelle, family is everything, and she spoke about drawing on the strength of her family throughout her life and singing career.
The Connection Part of Music
Ysabelle started singing in her home country of the Philippines at the young age of 2 years old, and she received her first guitar as a teenager. One of her favorite things to do while growing up was to gather with family, including her cousins, and make music together in the living room. "I think creation has always been one of my favorite parts about music. But I also love the connection part."
Ysabelle's family has had their share of tough times. When Ysabelle was around 12 years old, her mom had to leave home in the Philippines to work as a nurse in the Middle East. While the family waited for their visas, Ysabelle's mom worked to earn the money they would need to move to the United States.
During this separation Ysabelle started making videos of her and her siblings to send to her mom. These videos meant her mom would not miss out on being a part of their lives. When Ysabelle sent a video of her singing, her mom could see and hear how her daughter's talent was growing, and she encouraged her daughter to sing more. "I kind of started [sending her more songs] weekly or monthly," Ysabelle remembers. "That was kind of how we stayed connected."
Fulfilling Her Dreams
About halfway through college, Ysabelle’s parents bought her a microphone. Using her parents' gifts of guitar and microphone, she would sing while playing the guitar and record herself. Her sister shared these videos on Facebook, and before long, record labels from the Philippines were contacting Ysabelle and trying to sign her to record deals!
Ysabelle's parents encouraged her to finish college before pursuing a music career. She took their advice, graduated, and started working as a pediatric nurse.
Both her careers took off at that time. She would work as a nurse for 6 straight 12-hour days and then fly to the Philippines to record music for 8 days. She would fly back to the United States and start the process all over again. "It was a very stressful year," Ysabelle said with a smile.
As her success increased, she was asked to tour the Philippines with the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. She was honored. "I never dreamed I would perform at the biggest arena in the Philippines!" Ysabelle exclaimed, remembering how she had visited shows there throughout her life.
The Value of Family
Ysabelle credits her parents' love as a recipe for her success and that of her siblings. Part of her virtual keynote was a video call with her parents. "Growing up, I don't really remember struggling," Ysabelle told them. "It was so much easier to thrive because of how enabling you both were."
Ysabelle also gave full attention to the stories her parents told—in English and in Tagalog—about her great-grandparents and their adventures and hardships. Her mother described Ysabelle's great-grandmother. Despite being sick often and living through World War II, this great-grandmother always had her humor and a funny story to tell. Ysabelle's father spoke about his grandfather—he had also lived through World War II and had also been a musician, just like Ysabelle.
"The Place I Call Home"
Ysabelle is now writing and recording her own music. After sharing her cover of the RootsTech theme song in both English and Tagalog, Ysabelle talked about "the place I call home." She said that "home has never been about the physical place for me. It's always been the people I'm with. It's here [in Utah] with my brother and sister. It's in California with my mom and dad. And then it's in the Philippines."
It has been important to Ysabelle to stay true to herself as an artist, keeping her values and family relationships close to her heart. We hope that her music and keynote address will help you remember and discover ways to stay connected with your family.
What Is RootsTech?
RootsTech is a place to learn, be inspired, and make connections through family history. Hosted by FamilySearch and sponsored by other leading genealogy organizations, RootsTech has hundreds of expert classes, tips and tricks videos, and inspiring stories that can help you experience family history like never before. Visit our on-demand learning library or make plans to join us for our next virtual or in-person conference event.
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