My entire life, I thought that I had a clear-cut vision of my path, where I wanted to go, and who I was. Theatre was my thing, and I buried inside of me the fact that I have always been a serious sucker for music of all genres – be it a tender pop ballad, a neck-breaking metal jam, or a soulful serenade that never fails to grab my heart with eloquence, music speaks to me on the deepest level possible. It makes me feel more alive than anything in the world, more connected, in tune. No pun intended.

So, to make a long story filled with tears, sleepless nights, and hours of being locked in my room (think “Beethoven Upstairs,” and you’ll have a pretty accurate depiction of my days), shorter and less painful, some VERY EXCITING things became OFFICIAL in my life.

For one thing, I am officially a member of BMI as a working songwriter. That means that I am now part of an organization that houses the likes of Britney Spears, Maroon 5, Elton John, and Sting, to name just a few. What projected all of this into motion, you wonder?

I just worked for an incredibly iconic act, and am still pinching myself!

None of this would have been possible without the guidance and constant motivation from some really incredible people who seriously believe in me, and everyone who has been cheering me on from the start.

I am so lucky to have you all in my life, and this is, truly, just the beginning……♥

Photos by Mel Lindstrom

Photos by Kristen Grundy and Stephanie Smith.

There are so many elements to think about on stage as a musician that most people overlook or fail to consider. On top of hours and hours of practice and memorization, there are always those moments that you can’t plan for; like the moment when my microphone cable became magically unplugged during one song, and then completely fell off the front of the stage after a booming rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror.” We literally finished off the evening with a very loud “BANG” . I began to realize that no matter how much you plan, how perfect you want something to end up, or how hard you may try to lock down everything in your act, your life, something will ALWAYS happen that will require you to get creative. My goal to reach a state of perfection totally altered within those seven minutes. Instead of fighting with all my energy to NOT MESS UP, I’m going to reverse that psychology and, instead, GIVE MY ALL with every word. If the world is effected by the way we perceive it, then maybe it’s time for me, for all of us, to make a change with our attitude toward ourselves. I am, without a doubt, my own worst critic, but I have the type of heart and soul that reaches deep within others to focus on the power, the beauty, and the real magic inside. So, why not do that with myself, ourselves?

Love truly begins within. I believe that so strongly. You have to love yourself enough to know that you deserve happiness, a shot at what it is that you really long for in your life, and that nothing is stopping you from achieving that success but your own personal hang-ups and egoic self-doubts. Shut that little, nagging voice UP and start moving. Meet your dreams halfway. I spent a few years waiting for destiny to fall into my lap, but the universe helps those who help themselves while keeping others lovingly in your heart and on your mind.

Ben Laing (A Night in Hollywood) and Matt Nagel (James Nagel) were pure magic to work with for this gig. They not only gave me a real sense of what it means to be a hard-working musician (supplying equipment, setting up/tearing down, acting as sound engineer on a whim, pouring love into every note they strummed/sang/rapped), but also instilled intense wisdom about the business, and life, into my being. I couldn’t feel more grateful or amped about whatever may come. Although I’m sure to have moments of sheer embarrassment, and possibly moments of great satisfaction and triumph, I will constantly be reminding myself: I am human, and life is a gift worth enjoying.

Photo by Stephanie Aquino Smith.

For a long time, I felt like my feet were frozen in the most insensitive concrete and as if I was nothing more than a delirious dreamer. The most uncensored and cruel criticisms have been present in my life since my first stage performance at the age of three, but there was a moment when I began to lose sight of myself and believed the negativity to be the only truth. I spiraled into an almost unbearable darkness within myself and almost lost everything, until a car accident shook me into a very real and aware place. I realized that I, we, are all alive in this moment to do the things we love the most, money and expectations from others aside. Music, songwriting, and performing have been the core and main passion of my existence since my first coherent memory, and I made the conscious decision to let the faith I have in my dream become bigger than the fear that was slowly poisoning my mind.

Since picking myself up, I have found an incredible personal and business management team, Rockbridge Productions and myself have been working on some truly incredible projects; this website, being one of them! Shows have been booked at a constant rate, my YouTube family has continued to voice an incredible amount of support and belief in me,  and I am currently in the process of creating my debut album.

I could not be more grateful, more hopeful, and more excited about the people that have begun to enter my life, and for the days to come in this year. I’m currently buried in inspiration, rehearsals, and visions for the future, and look SO forward to keeping you all involved and updated as the journey moves forward.

All of my love, and then some.

Natalie XoX

Oh, goodness. Where in the world do I start with MJ? He is my biggest inspiration and influence, and has been since I was three (if you couldn’t already tell from the pictures on my wall..ha!). My world completely stopped turning when he passed away. I’ve been meaning to cover one of his songs for a while now, but was a little timid to take on such a challenge. It’s far from Michael standards, but I gave it a one-take shot and added in some harmony lines after. Hope you guys enjoy. R.I.P. and long live MJ, King of Pop.