Milan born, I am a UK-based pianist
songwriter and composer.
I write in the styles of pop-rock and electro-pop.
I also write piano instrumentals.
Lyrically I write relatable stories to empower and uplift others.
"Consuelo's talent is emotive songwriting that could transcend the bridge between Radio 2 and Classic FM'"
www.thisiscornwall.co.uk
“Lyrically and musically Consuelo is completely at ease veering from edgy to soft and melodic in a heartbeat"
Sarah Cartlidge, Bournemouth Daily Echo
News
Out NOW! 🥳
Breaking My Own Heart
Tune in on June 7th to hear a catchy pop song i co-wrote. Performed by Bunny Alex
and produced by Kaity Rae 🎶
Bio
Born in the vibrant city of Milan, Italy, Consuelo carries a diverse musical heritage, from a grandmother who played the mandolin, a grandfather who strummed the acoustic guitar, an uncle who was a singer-songwriter, and her mother whose constant humming filles her home with melodies, to her father who used to work as a radio DJ in Venezuela and play the accordion.
At the tender age of two, Consuelo's musical journey began with a Farfisa keyboard. Acknowledging her talent, Consuelo's parents arranged for her to begin private music theory lessons by the age of five, followed by piano lessons at the age of nine.
Consuelo's childhood was painted with Italian melodies, where the melodies of Salvatore Adamo, Luciano Battisti and the piano arrangements of Claudio Baglioni served as the soundtrack of her formative years. Simultaneously, Consuelo loved watching Japanese animation "Candy Candy" and listening to the beautiful music by Takeo Watanabe. These melancholic melodies have left a lasting impression on her.
While attending high school, Consuelo embarked on a path of classical piano training, representing her school in Italy and Germany with her talent. Her favourite classical composers are Chopin and Debussy. During these years, she started discovering film music and musicals' songs which opened the door to diverse musical idioms. Inspired by film music, Consuelo began crafting instrumentals. Her favourite film composer is Ennio Morricone.
Consuelo's teen years saw a shift in musical terrain. She delved into the hooky melodies of Duran Duran, Madonna, Abba and dance music. Simultaneously, Consuelo was also attracted by retro music. The theatrical elements in The Doors' compositions, along with Jim Morrison's lyrical depth, have left an indelible mark. Consuelo's admiration for the Beach Boys' harmonious craftsmanship has significantly influenced her vocal arrangements characterised by multi-layered harmonies, and the piano compositions and songcraft of Supertramp has shaped her rock and pop style of playing. Melodies of legendary songwriters like Burt Bacharach and John Denver taught Consuelo valuable lessons about the power of simplicity and the enduring quality of a well-crafted melody.
After an unsuccessful attempt to enter the Giuseppe Verdi's conservatory to pursue a career as a concert pianist, Consuelo pursued a Diploma in Primary School Teaching, a path that she enjoyed but one that could not quell her burning passion for music. Whilst at College, she joined her first band as a keyboardist in a Dire Straits' tribute band.
In 1995, Consuelo set her sights on Manchester, UK, with the dual purpose of learning English and advancing her passion for music tecnology. This quest culminated in a BA (Hons) degree in Music Recording from Salford University in 2002, with a specialisation in Composition and Production. During her degree Consuelo engaged actively in bands playing at the iconic Manchester Night and Day cafe, and pursued jazz piano lessons. Bill Evans is her favourite jazz pianist.
After graduating, Consuelo started songwriting original songs. She recorded a captivating demo featuring guest vocalists and consisting of three pop songs "Every Step Of the Way", "Gotta Loosen Up" and "Aries" (all released in 2023).
Consuelo hoped to start collaborating with established artists and producers but, in the absence of such opportunities, she took singing lessons to pursue a career as a recording artist. After receiving complaints from a neighbour and being chased by the Environment Agency for practicing singing exercuses for two-hours a day in her Manchester studio flat, in January 2006 Consuelo packed her stuff and hit the road for rural Cornwall to find space to create. During these years Consuelo was profoundly impacted by rock luminaries such as Radiohead, the avant-garde electronic soundscapes of artists like Air and Bjork, pianist-based singer-songwriters including Carol King, Joni Mitchell, Judee Sill, Tori Amos, Vanessa Carlton, Ben Folds, Aqualung, with Alanis Morissette influencing Consuelo's rebellious lyrical style on songs such as "Keep It For Yourself" (released in 2023).
In the absence of a demo showcasing her new work, Consuelo auditioned for her debut solo performance at the Acorn Theatre, Penzance, where she met producer Dare Mason. Lacking funding to record, Consuelo cleaned his studio, the VIP Lounge, in exchange for studio time and recorded her first acoustic piano-driven EP "Bittersweet". "I Told You That I Love You" (not officially released but available to listen to on Bandcamp) aired on Pirate FM.
Although Consuelo adored the enchantment of Cornwall, financial challenges prompted a relocation to Dorset in 2007. Here Consuelo recorded her second acoustic piano-driven EP, "EP2", with producer Gareth Matthews (not officially released but available to listen to on Bandcamp). Between 2007 and 2011 Consuelo entertained audiences performing in Bournemouth and Poole, and her jazz song "If I Remember" (from her University portfolio) was awarded semi-finalist placement in the UK Songwriting Competition.
In 2011 Consuelo re-recorded "Almost Isn't Good Enough", from her EP "Bittersweet", with producer Joe Grouse with a fuller production. This song aired on BBC Radio Solent.
In 2013 Consuelo moved to Devon, where she presently resides. Whilst channelling her creativity into expanding her repertoire of songs (many of which remain unrecorded due to financial constraints) Consuelo realised that her true passion was in songwriting, so she shifted her focus from solo performance back to songwriting for other artists and synchronisation, gaining particular artistic inspiration from Britney Spears' urban production, Avril Lavigne and P!nk's empowering songs.
In 2021 Consuelo released her inaugural original pop Christmas single, "Santa Are You Almost On Your Way", which aired on East Devon Radio, Devonstream and featured on the 2022 BBC Introducing South West's Christmas special. Following this success, Consuelo was honoured with the "Covid-19 Composer Award 2022" by Sound and Music.
The year 2023 was a transformative one for Consuelo, marked by the realisation of her original Christmas album "Christmas Vol.1 by Consu". Kindly funded by Help Musicians, this album featured on over 1000 Spotify playlists and attracted over 160,000 streams. Consuelo was interviewed by Sid Valley Radio and East Devon Radio in Nov & Dec and they aired various songs form this album. She was also featured on the episode 159 of the 94twenty New York blog which positively reviewed songs from this album. The official video of "Santa Are You Almost On Your Way" featured on the daily video draw of the UK Pick My Postcode Lottery's website for two days. "Precious Gift of Love" (arranged by Nick Girard, who has previously arranged for Pentatonix) featured on the 2023 BBC Introducing South West's Christmas special, and "Christmas In Our Heart" was awarded semi-finalist placement in the 2023 US Song Of The year Competition.
Funded by Help Musicians as a development opportunity, in July Consuelo participated to a songwriting camp at Rockfield studio, where she co-wrote 3 tracks with producers Gethin Pearson, Katie Rae and Julian Hinton. One of these songs, "Breaking My Own Heart" was release on June 7th 2024.
In August 2023, Consuelo signed a non-excusive publishing sync deal with Richard Goldstein of oldguysrulemusic.com (part of the bigger Redwood Entertainment umbrella).
In September Consuelo participated in a Production Songwriting Camp, funded by Mediatracks UK, where she co-wrote a house track called "Got That Feeling" released in March 2024. In the same year Consuelo received two scholarships courtesy of TheWRD, enabling her to expand her music business knowledge with their "14 Days Music Career Builder" and their "28 Days Music Industry Bootcamp" courses. She also attended the Equalise and Amplify conferences at the London Abbey Road studios, forming important music business relationships with Decca Records.
In April 2024 Consuelo talked about her story on the insightful "Music Industry Insights Worldwide - Equality & Diversity In The Music & Entertainment Industries" podcast by the fab a multi-award-winning equality and diversity ambassador, researcher, public speaker, mentor, artist, and social change activist, Saskhia Menendex. Also available to listen to on Spotify.
In February 2024 Consuelo participated to Kamp 7 songwriting camp, where she co-wrote a K-pop song and an empowering pop-rock song to live briefs for major artists' consideration, including P!nk.
Consuelo's commitment to her craft is unwavering, and her desire to continue evolving as a songwriter is a testament to her unceasing dedication, and relentless pursuit of her music career. Consuelo's journey from Milan to the UK is a story of resilience, creativity, and a boundless love for the universal language of music.