In Conversation with Guitarist and Singer Ariel Bellvalaire: She’s More Than Up for the Challenge

Guitar Girl Magazine has featured guitarist and singer Ariel Bellvalaire a couple of times, going back to when we first introduced her in 2013. Between a new set of original songs and various other guitar-playing assignments, the Connecticut native’s last couple of years have been quite a whirlwind.

“My goal has always been to be a solo artist,” said Ariel, “I’ve been so lucky and grateful to finally have original music and a live show I’m so proud of, along with amazing opportunities to play guitar in major productions as well as with incredible established artists, and everything always seems to happen around the same time.”

She continues, “I absolutely love performing in different productions and feel like each show is a learning experience that keeps me growing and evolving as an artist…The idea of being able to space things out sounds nice, but it always seems like the best opportunities all happen around the same time, and you know what? I love the challenge!”

Ariel Bellvalaire performing at the Bourbon Room in Los Angeles – photo by Bernie Lising
Ariel has an EP out that includes a very catchy tune entitled “Til the Clock Strikes.” Yet underneath the hooks is a message about time and being pressured.

“We’re constantly given deadlines for everything,” Ariel said, “and it can certainly get exhausting and sometimes even discouraging. For me, as a woman in the music industry, I was always told I had to ‘make it’ by a certain age or my career was over…Other people’s ideas of what you should do and how you should be never end. You know what? Living with other people’s expectations and the timelines they project on you is not only stressful but downright impossible. I truly believe in perfect timing and that everything will happen exactly how and when it’s meant to.”

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A prime example of that timing for Ariel came during a 2022 performance as a house band guitarist for a Los Angeles stage show called Drag: The Musical when the presence of certain stars led to something bigger. “Joey McIntyre (of New Kids on the Block fame) was one of the lead performers in the show,” said Ariel. “On the very last night of performances, Debbie Gibson (fellow 1980s pop icon and a friend of Joey’s) came to the show. When we finished the last song and headed backstage, I heard, ‘Debbie is here and outside!!!’ I was so excited and really wanted to meet her but was also nervous, so I decided to ‘casually’ walk by, assess the situation, and see if it would be alright to say ‘hi’! The second I did, she said, ‘I love your energy on stage!!!’ It immediately felt like we were soul family, and the next day, her and her manager reached out to see if I would be interested in playing guitar on the Winterlicious tour (during the holidays) …I’m so beyond grateful and have been having the absolute best time of my life playing with Debbie and the crew!”

I’ve always wanted to perform at an awards show, and the fact that it was the She Rocks Awards was the ultimate honor!!!!

Not too long after, Ariel became a regular fixture in Debbie’s backup band during 2023 into earlier this year. One of their more recent collaborations was at the She Rocks Awards in Anaheim, for which GGM is one of its sponsors, and where Debbie was given the Trailblazer Award for her history-making, chart-topping accomplishments in the late 1980s. For Ariel, it was a moment that was as iconic as the honoree she was performing with.

“I’ve always wanted to perform at an awards show,” she said, “and the fact that it was the She Rocks Awards was the ultimate honor!!!! Debbie truly is such a trailblazer for women in music, and it was the most amazing experience watching her give a beautiful speech and, of course, an amazing performance medley of all her hit songs! I’m still over the moon from this experience months later and was so honored to have shared the stage with her!”

No sooner were the She Rocks Awards a memory than Ariel joined up with Debbie once more when she was one of the featured acts on an “80’s Cruise” around the Caribbean. With Debbie’s show built around a re-do of her 1989 album Electric Youth, how did Ariel enjoy it?

“All I can say is that the songs are all so good, and the guitar parts are amazing! There are so many riffs, beautiful chords and layers! It was quite an amazing challenge learning the album by ear, and I loved it! … (It) was a wild experience performing an over-the-top show on a cruise ship! We could all feel the stage moving along with the boat! I rocked out harder so it would feel like it was me moving and not the stage! We rocked the boat…and the boat rocked us too, haha!”

L to R: Ariel Bellvalaire and legendary singer Debbie Gibson performing aboard the ” ’80’s Cruise” in early 2024 – Photo by “The 80’s Cruise”
That over-the-top experience may have been an inspiration for Ariel’s stage show in early April 2024 at the Bourbon Room on L.A.’s Hollywood Boulevard.

“The crowd was so into it, and that made me perform even harder,” Ariel said. “There were hair flips, face-melting guitar solos, gymnastics while playing guitar, and, for the first time, dancers! Having the opportunity to perform with Debbie Gibson has been so incredible and inspiring. Seeing her dancers do incredible choreography on the songs with her live was so cool, and sometimes I was able to join in on the choreography while playing, and let’s just say I was completely hooked after that!”

Of course, we know about Ariel’s “Shrednastics,” which were not only inspired by her younger days as a gymnast, but also led to an appearance on a 2018 primetime remake of that 1970s TV show about unusual talent, The Gong Show. But if Ariel chose to be a competitive gymnast instead of a guitarist, what event would she have been good at?

“If given free rein at the gym,” she said, “you could always find me on the uneven bars doing something crazy, so that would be my Olympic event! Makes sense now that I think about it, that the aerial hoop (or lyra as we call it) is my favorite aerial apparatus as it is most like the bars!”

But would a Shrednastic Ariel be the perfect complement to the aerial acrobatics that superstar singer Pink is as famous for as her hits?

“When I started sharing Shrednastics,” said Ariel, “so many people would say Pink needs to see this! Recently, I have met people who know members of her team, so I’m hoping she sees it! That would be the coolest!”

We mentioned earlier how Ariel’s guitar performance in Drag: The Musical led to her work with Debbie Gibson. At the same time, it widened the guitarist’s horizons.

“Live theater was a whole new experience for me,” she said. “I think the biggest challenge for me was not only learning the complex songs that cover so many genres, but having to do it on new guitars that weren’t mine so we could get the exact sounds on the record! At this point, I’m so proud to say that having to play on a new guitar made me a better player and taught me so much about the instrument! The writers (including Ash Gordon and Tomas Costanza) created a masterpiece, and we had the top crew and team. Spencer Liff’s direction and choreography is unmatched, and all I can say is I’m blown away and in awe of this show. Can’t wait to do it again!”

Ariel Bellvalaire – photo by Jack Lue
In addition to the above, Ariel plays guitar in an all-female band called LA Dollz, which performs pop hits that span decades.

“Rocky Rose, the keyboard player, singer (and my bestie!) got a call asking for an all-female cover band for an event,” said Ariel, “and that’s when the LA Dollz was put together. As a band, we had all played together before and already knew three hours’ worth of material. Previously, we had been instrumentalists backing up singers on many gigs, so when we came together as a four-piece band and sang all the vocals. It became like a supergroup where each member plays over-the-top solos on their instruments in addition to singing! We had planned on just doing that one show, but it turns out that when you have four over-the-top female performers who all sing, play an instrument, and can shred your face off, it makes for the most fun show ever, and we started getting asked to play more events.”

Finally, Ariel posted on her Instagram about one of her most recent amplifier acquisitions, a Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb, which she enjoys because of its size and solid-state technology. But she wouldn’t have used this unique amp were it not for certain circumstances.

Ariel Bellvalaire – photo by Jack Lue
“I had the Fender Deluxe Reverb amplifier with tubes previously and absolutely loved it,” Ariel said. “In my opinion, the clean sound of a Fender amp with their reverb is unmatched. Unfortunately, I had that amp stolen out of my car after a gig and had to get a new amplifier! After talking to Fender about what amp I should get, my rep recommended trying the Tone Master and thought it would be a great fit as it’s half the weight with the same sound as the tube! I can honestly say I don’t hear a difference between tube and solid state, and this amp sounds incredible at shows! I feel like since it doesn’t have tubes, it will also be easier to maintain in the future! It’s most definitely my favorite amp of all time!”

With everything Ariel has done, and more hopefully coming down the line, you can bet that this Guitar Girl will be more than up for any new challenge.

Ariel’s EP, including “Til the Clock Strikes” and “War,” which is only on the EP, is available online at arielbellvalaire.com. You can also follow Ariel on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok and YouTube @ArielBellvalaire.

LA Dollz can be found online at ladollz.com, as well as on Instagram at ladollzband.

Ariel can also be seen gracing the cover of our 2020 Calendar which can be seen HERE.

Cover of Guitar Girl Magazine 2020 Calendar featuring Ariel Bellvalaire with photo by Jack Lue