Meet Melisa, Lawrence, and Izel

Meet Melisa, Lawrence, and Izel, a musical family whose story spans continents. Melisa and Lawrence first met in Costa Rica. Melisa was born in Argentina and Lawrence in the capital region New York. Izel was born in Costa Rica, and today the family calls Florida home.

This family traveled to New York on business, and Lawrence decided it was finally time to return to Howe Caverns, nearly 50 years after his last visit as a child. Laughing, they admitted they hadn’t expected their long-planned trip to land during the coldest, snowiest week of the year.

After their time in New York, Melisa hopes to travel to Vermont, a place she deeply loves for its landscape. She shared that when she once imagined New York, she pictured towering buildings and bright lights, but never expected it to be so vast or mountainous. Experiencing Howe Caverns, she said, could completely change someone’s idea of the United States. As a foreigner, she explained that places like this broadened her perspective and revealed a side of the country she hadn’t imagined.

For Lawrence, the visit was about more than sightseeing. He wanted his family to experience Howe the same way he once had. Melisa recalled visiting a cave in Costa Rica during college, though she noted it was much smaller and required walking down stairs to reach it. She felt grateful, and especially touched, that her family had been the only ones on their tour of Howe today, making the experience feel even more personal.

Music weaves through every part of this family’s life. Lawrence spends his free time performing gigs with multiple bands and playing saxophone at local bars and festivals. Melisa is a piano professor, teaching a large roster of students from her home. Thirteen-year-old Izel, who is homeschooled, is already an orchestra pianist, performing gigs and competing in music competitions.

When asked what success means to them, their answer was simple: a healthy, happy family, and being alive. To them, success is having the ability to appreciate what you’ve been given and to never give up.

The message they hope to share with the world is one of gratitude: There are gifts everywhere, if you choose to see them.

Izel played us a beautiful piece called Scherzo #2 B flat minor by F. Chopin (we made a reel for you) you can check more of his work out on Facebook and YouTube at the links listed below. Thank you so much for visiting!