Ileana, new to the Los Angeles area, writes music as layered and beautiful as the New Mexico desert she hails from with combinations of pop and folk. Recognition by the New Mexico Music Industry Awards for 'Best Musical Production-Adult Contemporary' for the song "Barely" from her CD "Counting Stars as They Fall" has only added to the inertia that this singer/songwriter brings with her from a successful career in the southwestern United States. With a voice described as 'electrically charged velvet,' she blends pop and folk to create music that has already garnered a large fan base in the Southwest. She continues that trend in Los Angeles by performing songs that emphasize the dichotomy of the human condition- the battles between intelligence and emotions and of the choices we make in embracing or rejecting the circumstances of our lives. She flows seamlessly from songs of hope to those of loss leaving the audience feeling as though the message was just for them. It was this strength in songwriting and performance which led her to be selected as the Albuquerque periodical Weekly Alibi's 'Best Female Vocalist,' 'Best Songwriter' and 'Musician of the Year.' H e r B a c k g r o u n d Ileana explored these emotions as a student of psychology and earned a Bachelor's degree from the University of New Mexico. It was during this time that Ileana began to understand her passion for music and her need to express emotions through songwriting. Along this path she enjoyed a wide range of experiences; from lifeguard to waitress, crisis hotline to psychic hotline, each time glimpsing the diversity in people, each time returning her to her music. H e r H i s t o r y She began her professional career singing lead vocals with the band Ulterior Motive. That band broke up following a move to Austin, TX, just before they released their second LP titled "8minutes and 30 seconds." Ileana then expanded her musical background by fronting the group Passion/Aggression with D. Whitten. This hard core venture released a two song demo in April (1997) comprised with Whitten's "I Had Another Nightmare" and "Cassandra Speaks," both of which enjoyed radio airtime. She continued to develop her solo set and began playing coffeehouses and other small venues to a rapidly growing audience. Encouraged by her bolstering fan base she recorded a four-song demo in September (1998.) She assembled a talented group of musicians to record her first solo full length release "Miles To Go" which was released in September (1999.) She continued to perform in intimate coffeehouse and bookstore settings as a solo acoustic artist while promoting her band and energetic stage show in bars and larger venues. "Miles to Go" received radio airplay in local request shows and Ileana was asked numerous times to perform on local radio programs and music festivals. She took her acoustic show on the road to the Southwestern states of Arizona, Nevada, Colorado and California and the band hit the road to New Mexico cities and Texas. Each venue brought more fans to her music. Her audience includes fans from across the country and as far away as Italy and England. The release of her much anticipated new CD "Counting Stars As They Fall" reaches toward the songwriting potential first hinted at in "Miles To Go". Ileana's storytelling captures the imagination of the listener and then frees it to explore avenues undreamed of. "Counting Stars As They Fall" is a kaleidoscope of emotion with songs like "Before You Knew" which captures the panic and joy of a budding relationship and "Barely" which is reminiscence at the realization that a relationship is over. As mentioned previously, "Barely" has already received recognition from the New Mexico Music Industry Awards by being named the 'Best Musical Production' in the Adult Contemporary category. "I Would," another song from this CD, was nominated as a finalist in the 'Best Song' category. This attention reflects what fans have already discovered- Ileana is quite an impressive artist. The success of this release prompted her to relocate to Los Angeles, California to expose a new audience to her music. To celebrate her impending relocation, she released "Playing Solo" in December (2001,) a 12 song live acoustic CD titled "Playing Solo"; a compilation of performances from a variety of acoustic venues in her hometown of Albuquerque. H e r M u s i c The release of her much anticipated CD "Counting Stars As They Fall" (2001) reaches toward the songwriting potential first hinted at in "Miles To Go". Ileana's storytelling captures the imagination of the listener and then frees it to explore avenues undreamed of. "Counting Stars As They Fall" is a kaleidoscope of emotion with songs like "Before You Knew" which captures the panic and joy of a budding relationship and "Barely" which is reminiscence at the realization that a relationship is over. As mentioned previously, "Barely" has already received recognition from the New Mexico Music Industry Awards by being named the 'Best Musical Production' in the Adult Contemporary category. "I Would," another song from this CD, was nominated as a finalist in the 'Best Song' category. Ileana was fortunate enough to work with the very talented and supportive musicians Lewis Shields, Gil Sanchez and Chris Hutton on this project. This attention reflects what fans have already discovered- Ileana is quite an impressive artist.