Singer/songwriter Natalie Gelman is quickly gaining acclaim and recognition for her music. Her passionate music is a means to articulate her response to current affairs as well as reveal parts of her inner self with the world.
Utilizing her music training and inspiration from greats like Sheryl Crow, Janis Joplin, Martina McBride, and Jewel, Natalie captures audiences with her acoustic folk music. At the age of 22, she has already lent her talents to audiences across the United States, in Austria, and in the Caribbean. Natalie's Caribbean performance of “Take Me Home” received a standing ovation of over 1,200 people. Able to reach out and pull audiences into her world through song, Natalie just keep growing.
Admiring music from a young age, Natalie’s passion and persistence led to admission into the prestigious Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and the Performing Arts, the acclaimed FAME school. There, she received classical training in opera singing from coaches of the Juilliard School and the NYC Opera. After securing her second solo at Carnegie Hall, Natalie began strumming her guitar and writing lyrics, pursuing what would soon become her vitality.
Committed to her music, Natalie graduated from University of Miami in May of 2006 with a b.a. in vocal performance. Having studied the violin, piano, and guitar, it wasn’t until a performance in Miami that Natalie solidified her commitment to becoming a singer and songwriter on the guitar.
On May 31st of 2006 Natalie embarked upon what would be one of the most daring and innovative tours known in the music world. Vowing to complete an entire 1500 mile tour from Miami, Florida to New York City on rollerblades and donate the proceeds to the Children International Charity. Communities stood at attention as the artist bladed through their towns and played shows both in venues and on curbsides along the way. Natalie was hit by cars twice during the tour, the first crash taking place on the first day. Regardless of this “roadblock” Natalie continued on, sacrificing her aches and pains for anxious fans that anticipated her arrival as well as the children that would benefit from her tour. Keeping a blog along the way, the singer/songwriter accounted her experiences of rollerblading through tropical storms for hours, reaching top speeds of 24 miles per hour on her blades, and running for eight miles through a Virginian county that told her rollerblading was banned. On July 17th 2006, Natalie completed her tour just in time for her 21st birthday.
Natalie took a break from rollerblading after her self-propelled tour up the east coast and the current New York City resident is performing in the Northeast, promoting her self-titled debut album. Natalie plans to get back into the studio to release her next album of original music in late 2008. You can always listen to her try out the new songs live on Justin.TV, watch videos on Youtube or find her singing them live in the NYC Subway or at a live show!
