This list will expand with time so drop by periodically and feel free to comment below with your own source suggestions. (You can find and follow many of these through the Top Artists & Music list at http://twitter.com/NatalieNicole/top-artists-music/ .)

In no particular order:

@NoiseTrade
www.NoiseTrade.com
This site enables you to post a full project (or a simple single) online absolutely free. Fans can download the songs from your unique url, or via a widget they provide you with for any sites/profiles you wish, simply by offering up their email addresses and zipcodes. NoiseTrade simply takes 20% from any tips fans choose to contribute to your work. The widget and landing page also offer means for fans to tweet and shout about their fabulous free music find. Creating an account takes all of 15 minutes (including your initial uploads), so you can create an EP in the same amount of time and start publicizing it pronto. Great for live sessions, demos, previews and old albums you don’t care to put up on iTunes but do want to share with dedicated fans on your website(s). Founded in part by @DerekWebb.

@AmieStreet
www.AmieStreet.com
Operating on a similar principle to Noise Trade’s ‘Fair Trade Music’ philosophy, Amie Street enables fans to download new albums for free initially. They earn credit for writing reviews/recommendations. As an EP grows in popularity, a small price becomes involved for the next few hundred people or so who download it, something like 15 cents a track or a little over a buck for the whole CD. By the time a project makes it to full price, it’s gotten there because enough people fell in love with it and downloaded it to prove that it was worth the listen. You can create a direct account on AmieStreet, or submit through other digital distributors. The downside of working with a third party distributor in this case is that you’re (currently) locked in to only distributing in the country of your distributor. So if the bulk of your fans are in England but your digital distributor is in the US? You’re out of luck. The UK fans can listen, but will be frustrated when they can’t download, and begin their search for a pirated release online elsewhere.

@MusicForte
www.MusicForte.com
Music Forte has tremendous benefits for both fans and artists, working hard at being a solid community for both. Over the years, I’ve relied on Music Forte as my audio archive – a place that rarely had restraints when it came to how many songs you can upload or how long the audio streams. Storing much of my audio in one place made it an easy reference point for new band members who needed access to this or that song, without my having to shuttle mp3s to them via email or ftp. Artists are regularly spotlighted, interviewed, and invited into collaborations on the forums. Encyclopedic in its resource nature, and maintained by a friendly guy who’s an artist himself: Greg Percifield.

@Tunecore
www.Tunecore.com
Tunecore is a digital distributor and stand alone music store that deeply cares about artists participating in the new business model for the music industry. Their forums and newsletter keep you involved in vital, innovative discussions. They distribute indie (and corporately labeled) artists to iTunes, Amazon (for both mp3 download and On Demand hardcopy), Rhapsody, Nokia, eMusic, Napster and a slew of others that grows like a weed. They’re very responsive when you have a question or suggestion. Co-founded by @TunecoreGary. Also follow @TCSupport.

@ReverbNation
www.ReverbNation.com
Reverb began as a music profile site that later expanded into distribution (with the main players in its own hat – iTunes, Amazon and the like). Their primary focus is helping you stay in touch with fans; Though there are some newsletter and fan communications that come standard with your free RN account, others require a small fee. One of their strengths is offering free downloads of songs you specify for fans willing to sign up for your newsletter. You can upload far more cuts here than MySpace and some others offer, and the fan exclusives offered are entirely up to you. Video links are also an option with your song streams.

@CyberPR
www.ArielPublicity.com
Ariel Hyatt is all about building your fanbase and rethinking your angles. She’s created a great starter pamphlet at http://arielpublicity.com/files/2010/02/IndieMaxExposure2010.pdf. By starter, I by no means insinuate the resource is for the beginner only; It’s simply a springboard for your own ‘what comes next’ as it relates to your music goals and strategies. A great read, quoting some of the best in the new business.

@DiscMakers
www.Discmakers.com
DiscMakers remains the top company for hard copy replication and duplication. (Their friendly reps will be happy to explain the difference to you.) Whether you need just 25 super simple CDs for a demo or family or a full package with graphic design, EPKs and the works – they’ve got you covered. They also have a free newsletter that’ll fill you in on what music convention they’ll be at next, sometimes offering you 10 free CDR copies of your latest project when you stop by their booth. I dropped into one of the events they mentioned in a newsletter and met a great guitarist/producer who’s now a friend and collaborator for life. They also have packages available with a direct shipment to CDBaby (for those 5 hardcopies they require to get you off and running in their distribution setup), so you can check one more thing off your to do list when you order. Sign up for their (free) seasonal catalog to drool and dream.

@BMI
www.BMI.com
I was pleased to find, when I attended a BMI orientation, that back when the other PROs (Performing Rights Organizations / Royalty Societies) were shunning artists of color, BMI was happy to sign up the world’s brightest jazz, blues and pop artists of any ethnicity. They also presently carry the (slightly larger) majority of artists on their roster, which enables them to ask for a bit more when licensing with venues, stations and others. BMI offers great showcases and career building sessions across the US and in the UK (sign up for their free newsletter for the latest), and also monitors and samples 4 full weeks a year per station (as compared to the three days of monitoring done by their main counterpart; Working as a reporting Music Director at a radio station, I can back that up). Signing up as an artist to receive your royalties is free; Being listed with them as a Publisher requires a one time fee of roughly $175.

@SonicBids
www.SonicBids.com
Sonic offers grand access to top festivals and venues looking for quality talent that can draw a crowd. Check with your PRO of choice; You may be able to grab your first 6 months of SonicBids membership free. Your musician profile essentially acts like an EPK, but enables you to be found in a collection of EPKs, helping bookers easily access the info that matters most. Their stage plotting feature is a fun and time saving tool that helps you communicate your setup easily to anyone in the event planning scheme. They’ll also keep you up to date on songwriting competitions if you sign up for email alerts.

@BroadJam
www.BroadJam.com
Hoping to get your music licensed in a film or TV show? BroadJam is like the music supervisor want ads. Films and shows of all varieties (even webseries) send their fervent and detailed requests for tunes – some broadly asking for pop/dance tunes, others asking for any song about hope or family, etc. – straight to your inbox. Alerts and newsletters are free. Submitting requires a nominal fee per project, but it’s a favor to you in the long run, because it adds a threshold; Only the more serious artists will take the time to pay the five bucks, so it keeps supervisors from being inundated by joe schmo who’s willing to send in his homegrown country demo in for every single audio request. The fee acts as quality control.

@iLike
www.iLike.com
iLike is thankfully the go between for @Facebook, @Twitter & @MySpace. Post a concert on iLike and (with your settings decisively permitting) it’ll broadcast to Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and iLike itself. (ReverbNation can also receive your Twitter feed, so the resulting tweet will also make it into your RN status update.) Songs posted on iLike also post to your Facebook Music tab (on artist/music profile pages), but you’ll still have to upload MySpace audio directly. iLike also has a great sidebar for iTunes that enables fans to be alerted to new songs, concerts and videos you’ve posted while they’re using iTunes. Fans do have to download the add on, but with some encouragement from you….. iLike also enables Facebook users to dedicate your songs to one another on FB.

@Pandora_Radio
www.Pandora.com
Pandora is the online radio station that listens to you. Playlists are guided by your preferences and the song and artists ‘seeds’ that you plant in your customized stations. (Thankfully, these require no watering.) It’s a great way to sample indie artists while listening to the artists you already know and love. Best yet, indie artists with a UPC code attached to their projects (easily attained when you release an Amazon On Demand project, for those of you who don’t care to keep a tangible inventory on hand;) can submit a couple of their songs from a project for consideration. If accepted into the Pandora roster, you’ll be contacted to send in your full project. Buy links accompany every tune played for listeners who love what they hear. http://submitmusic.pandora.com/

@TessTaylor
www.NARIP.com
The National Association of Recording Industry Professionals is one of God’s great gifts to the musical world. Tess Taylor founded the organization that prides itself on offering supportive pushes, nudges and playgrounds for artists, managers, producers – the whole lot. Membership is a pretty penny, but thankfully most or all workshops, brunches and networking events are only about $10 more when you’re not a member. NARIP has hubs in Los Angeles, NYC, Houston, Phoenix, San Fran, and…I’m sure I’m leaving out some others. They also have a great heart for those disenfranchised by the economy. If you’ve lost a job (or hours) due to the downturned market, reach out to them; They’ll fill you in on open jobs on their closed forum. At the brunches, everyone (I mean EVERYone) gets 60 seconds to introduce themselves and summarize what they’re up to or what they’re currently seeking in the industry. Even introverts feel welcome. Sign up for their free enewsletters for event updates.

@OnStageSuccess
www.OnStageSuccess.com
Tom Jackson has got the live performance thang all figured out, and he’s happy to fill you in with humor and practical advice you can immediately put into action to improve your show. From planning the setlist to what not to do on stage, he’ll give you the building blocks to create your best gig. His enewsletter is free, and his video and tape resources are both entertaining and timelessly beneficial. You’ll never think of anyone else when you hear ‘Death eating a cracker’ again. Not that you ever heard anyone else say it. Just sayin. If you shake his hand, tell him that girl who sprained her ankle at his Nashville conference sentcha.

@Musician_Friend
www.MusiciansFriend.com
Drooling over that guitar amp in the window? Needing a new mic but not sure where to start or what you can afford? Musician’s friend is the consummate warehouse for all things music gear. When I built my home studio, I got a $300 package from them that included my MXL990 diaphragm mic, a set of Nady drum mics, three mic cables, two mic stands, monitors and…there may have been something else. They have great specials, a gamut of products in nearly every purchase range and add on warrantees to make sure you’re set. Customer reviews on their site help to ensure that you’re getting the right gear for the right sound at the right price. It’s the Amazon of instruments and equipment.

@RootMusic
www.RootMusic.com
If you miss the old days when your Facebook artist page had everything on one page – before the new era of tabs – you may fall in love with Root Music. Their sleek design is user friendly and encourages more interaction than the current static and compartmentalized options Facebook offers on its own. The downside is that it supercedes your iLike features that translate to FB – the ability for fans to ‘like’ your music and dedicate to friends and family. Using RM also means that when you update your iLike concert calendar, it’ll only post to iLike and MySpace – not Facebook. So, six of one, half a baker’s dozen of the other. For now I’m sticking with iLike, but I’ve emailed the friendly guys at Root and told them that if they wind up adding those other features, I’m in.

Top Artists & Music Lovers also on Twitter:
@JudithOnline
@LLCoolJ
@ClassicalReview
@MadBardMike
@EBOMusic
@DavidBowick
@Switchfoot
@Smokey_Robinson
@Collective_Soul
@SinfoniaRecords
@Bryan_Duncan
@DawnLangstroth
@DanaChristopher
@Idyllists
@SaraKamin
@NatalieNicole

Have you ever gotten tired of almost dying?

I certainly have.

A couple of Thursdays ago, I was wrapping up my hours at the radio station when lightning took out one of our towers. Our engineer, Mark, called me when the station went off the air to see what we could accomplish to get it back online. We both tried to login to the main offsite transmitter remotely, but to no avail.

Ugh. To be honest, I’m having a little trouble writing this down for you. Even after a few weeks gone by, I’d rather not think about it all. For your benefit and mine, I’ll keep this as light, abbreviated and witty as possible.

Since the main transmitter’s diagnosis was ‘Fail’, Mark told me we’d have to turn on the backup transmitter. In my four years at the station, we’d always managed to avoid this. Mark offered to talk me through it on my cell, since our 2nd transmitter is a bit…prehistoric. It’s a tube transmitter slightly taller than me and about six times as wide.

Short. Witty. Abbreviated.

In a sort of MacGyver fashion (I love that Microsoft word recognizes ‘MacGyver’ as a word), Mark talked me through the toggles to switch on. Fuse on? Check. Silver Start switch on? Check. Green Interlocks switch set to ‘high’. Blue Filaments switch set to ‘on’. With each new switch, the circuitry started to whir louder, like one of theAbsent-minded Professor’s inventions. We paused before the final red switch to let the tubes warm up.

“Ok. Flip the Plates switch.”

I lifted the toggle, and immediately there was a sound like repetitive gunfire.

One or two loud pops might be expected coming from this metal dinosaur, but when it didn’t stop it was clear that something was very wrong. VERY.

I flinched back my hand to cover my ears, simultaneously listening for any wisdom from Mark on the phone. (An ‘Oh, it does that all the time.’ would have been perrrrfect.) I looked all around me, trying to figure out exactly where the ‘POP!’s were coming from – so I’d know whether to run or risk reaching out a hand to hit a switch.

Mark may have asked, “What’s happening?!”, but since that was less instructive than watching speechlessly and remaining fearfully frozen, I stuck with the latter. Better than hitting the wrong switch and making it worse.

I looked up and saw in horror that the pops were matched by explosions in the ceiling where the transmitter tower went through our roof: bright blue bursts getting louder and stronger. It was clear the system was overloaded. What wasn’t clear was whether or not I’d be around today to tell you about it.

Then, just in time, it all stopped.

Silence.

The overload had finally tripped the fuse to the off position. For a few seconds while I adjusted to the fact that I was still alive with all fingers and toes intact, I remained still. Then, recomposing myself as best as I could, I blurted out whatever details I could string together to Mark over the phone. He assured me he was a few minutes away. One thing was exceedingly clear:

I needed coffee.

I stepped into the kitchen. How did this work again? Oh right.. Mug + Cream. Pour Coffee. I could do that. Mark called me back while I was starting my next chapter of breathing.

“You’re on the air.”

“I am?”

“I was able to login to Red Mountain and get the main transmitter back online.”

I made haste to Master Control to turn up the volume, previously annoying static that seemed like a transmitter’s laughter for our inability to win our toe to toe with lightning.

Once again, we were live on the air.

He arrived shortly after and inspected the local backup transmitter for damage.

“Wow, come take a look at this.”

I followed him behind the tube transmitter cabinet, and there, sitting on one of the power units, was a puddle of water. Rain had made its way through the ceiling and into the back of the transmitter, shorting out the system when I hit the switch. Mark also pointed to the charred marks on one of the coils, and told me that’s where some of the electricity had arced when it overloaded. Thank God, no rainwater made it under my feet. There are a number of ways I’m ok with dying; electrocution is …well, not even on that list.

I finished up the rest of my audio work while Mark called the General Manager and informed him that due to the roof leak in the transmitter room, my having to flip the switch on the transmitter had almost ‘leveled the building’.

I left the studios more than a little shaken up, waiting for the bloody slow elevator. My eye caught the plaque on the wall with the emergency escape route.

“You Are Here.” It proclaimed with a stick figure that looked nothing like me.

“Ha. Yeah. No Joke.” Still kicking and breathing.

I wish I could stop this diary entry there, but there’s another brief story to share.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

I’ve been super blessed to write with numerous great artists these last few years, but I have to admit I didn’t think I’d encounter this scenario anytime soon.

I was writing this new song about a chick named Bella (whom some of you know about 2,000 pages very well). The lyrics weren’t lending themselves to a piano tune, so I was playing with some loops and stumbled on this instrumental track sent to me about 2 years ago by a collaborator named Taylor. Life got busy for both of us, in good and difficult ways, and we fell out of touch. Despite the dust on the mp3, it was perfect for the piece I was working on so I went ahead and recorded a demo to shoot back to him.

I emailed him the audio file so he could makes changes or suggestions (and, of course, to see if he’d used the track for anything else in the last 2 years). I called and left a message. I emailed him at another address. While I waited for a response, I looked him up on MySpace to see what he’d been up to lately. His page was still there, but his wallpaper was inactive because he hadn’t logged in for more than 90 days. Then I saw a comment on his wall: ‘Hey Taylor, I heard you’re not with us anymore. May you always be remembered for your great heart. Peace.’

My breath caught in my lungs. As my eyes started to sting, I think the first words that stammered out of my mouth were an oh so delicately phrased “I think I’ve just written a song with a dead guy.”

How long had he been gone? Could I reach the family? Were they checking his email or voicemail? I reached out to our mutual music pals, and the guy who left the comment on his wall. Finally I heard back; It was true. His wife returned my call; she remembered when he first started collaborating with me because she’s also a Natalie Nicole and they thought it was ironic. He died a few months ago, she said. She and their 4 year old daughter were handling it as best they could. She’d listened to the mp3 of ‘Dangers Surrounding’ I’d emailed him and really liked what I’d done with it, and she’d be fine with my releasing it she said. I got her contact info to keep her in the loop and direct royalties her way.

The saddest part is that Taylor took his own life. He was just 25 or 26, about the age my brother had been when he died. Thinking about what it meant to the Gilbert family to have RJ’s music released posthumously (see ‘With You’ on the Skeletal CD), I dug up another file Taylor sent me; together with some songs I’ve been working on lately we’ve just released an EP called ‘New Moon, Blue Sun’, as Bluessunn was Taylor’s online handle. (I imagine you have a guess as to the origin of New Moon…)

I didn’t want to mention Taylor’s story to you merely to make your eyes water or get you interested in a few mp3s. I wanted to take the chance to remind you:

This is not the time to quit.

I admit, I haven’t asked the other Natalie Nicole why Taylor took his life. I think it would break my heart that much more if I found out that his music not taking off had anything to do with it. He would have gotten an email asking to put him on iTunes just a few months later. A matter of days.

I know that some things in life suck. Your finances may not be what they were. Maybe new stresses at work or school have taken a toll on your friendships or relationships, leaving you feeling stuck. But whether or not you’re daily kissing someone goodnight, you matter to someone. For starters, you matter to me. Not merely for the random ways you make me smile as a friend, fan and/or reader, but for the simple fact that you bring something into the world that the world lacked before you arrived. Today is tough, no doubt. But as Jon McLaughlin says, Just Give it Time. You’ll only know how things can get better tomorrow, next week, next month and next year if you stick around to find out. Why watch the movie only half way? Why close the book just when the bad guy is being introduced? There are soooo many pages before the end – be curious enough to finish the story. When you feel stuck, stick it out.

Also, consider who around you could use some encouraging words right about now. Do you know anyone who may be feeling conquered, overcome, generally at a loss? As they say, maybe one person can’t change the world, but you may be able to change the world for one person. Call 800-273-TALK if you need some insight – or someone to talk to.

As a small little secret to share: I often program the music for the 5 @ 5 on Fridays at the radio station with a theme related to what’s going on in my life and the lives of those around me that week. A little funny you and I can enjoy: today’s 5 @ 5 on Fridays theme (broadcasting at 5pm Pacific at www.KDAR.com) is ‘Still Alive’.

So, what’s worse? Almost dying, or almost living?

You are here. Whatta ya gonna do about it?

nng

P.S. As well as being available on iTunes and Amazon, you can grab New Moon, Blue Sun for free when you tell 5 friends at:  www.NoiseTrade.com/NatalieNicoleGilbert. ‘Dangers Surrounding’ is also available at www.SongsForHaiti.org or http://www.pastemagazine.com/songsforhaiti for anyone who donates even a buck or two to relief efforts in Haiti.

Hey there,

How are you?

(Yes I expect an answer. I’ll wait. You can leave it as a comment below I think…right Ms. Web Guru, Candi?)

[Candi says: yup, scroll down to the form at the bottom of the page. If it's not there then click on 'comments' at the top right hand corner and scroll back down to the bottom of the page. ]

Ok, while you’re considering what to say, here’s a little slice of life from my corner of Los Angeles . )

Yesterday, I dropped into the Kasimoff-Bluthner piano store. I was enjoying a post java walk in the rain and got lured in by the beautiful grand pianos staring at me with pouty eyes through the window. So I wandered in and started dinking around with Breathing Hope on one of the cherry finish grands.

“Don’t play that one, it’s out of tune. Try that one by the window.” The store owner said, coming out from the back room. My mom often let our upright Steinway fall out of tune when I was a child, which didn’t bother me too much – except for the middle D and the G# below it that sounded like an ambulance siren when played back to back. Unfortunately, most songs use those two keys at some point. (Now that I think about it, maybe that’s why I hover in that octave too much when I compose: perhaps tickled subconsciously to be able to play the notes in tune. Anyway, I digress.)

I made a point to say from the start that I was just walking past and not in the market for a piano at present. Nonetheless, Helga wanted to know what style of music I play, what I do for a living, and shared some history about the Bluthner piano brand with me. She had me play Breathing Hope on three different pianos to hear the variety of tones they offered.

“When I listen to music, I think of paintings. Schubert makes me think of the impressionists.” I think she said; or maybe I’m just matching one of my own favorite composers with one of my favorite art eras – but she did say impressionists. “What do you see when you listen to music?”

I paused a moment. “I suppose that since I come from a dance background with lots of ballet training, I see choreography.”

Yes, she agreed, and quoted someone famous that I didn’t know (as per usual) who said that music has to dance, having a movement of its own. Too true.

She pointed me to an upright in the back before heading to her office, then came back a few minutes later with a phone in her hand.

“What’s your name?”

“Nicole.”

“Listen, Alice , there’s a songwriter – Nicole – here playing piano now. She’s a music director for a radio station in Oxnard …” then she pulled the phone back from her face a moment to ask me, “ – would you like to go to a Renee Fleming recital at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion tonight? Alice has a ticket she can’t use.”

Hmm, that’d mean I’d have to miss a Ninja party hosted by an old friend from high school. No knife brandishing tonight. But I’d still be able to catch a board game party later with my Motownopoly in tow if the concert didn’t go too long. Why not say yes?

(Sorry I keep lamely missing your awesome parties, Jonah. Please give me another opportunity to wear all black and show off my knife without getting arrested. Hip hop party, perhaps? Or something to do with vampires?)

Helga took me in the back room to exchange information and make sure my name was properly at Will Call. So sweet for a nearly complete stranger. As we wrapped up our conversation, she mentioned that she’d lived in East Germany .

“Did you live there during the war?”
”Oh yes. I was 8 years old when the war started.” She said, her German accent still apparent after some 45 years living on American soil. “Every night, for four years, I thought we would die. And I thought, ‘if they only knew we were down here they wouldn’t drop the bombs.’” Sadly, this was not a Dread Pirate Roberts sort of ‘I’ll most likely kill you in the morning’ nightly fear, but one that was quite warranted.

“When I was about 12 I heard they shot down an American plane in the forest, and two or three of the pilots had died. I looked at a map and thought, ‘Their parents, their families are so far away’. I cried for them. And my heart went out to the families and individuals that died during 9/11. But Europeans understand war; Americans don’t. We know that when you bomb someone, one way or another the bombs will come back to you. More than 30,000 people in my city died in the bombing. They focused on factories and workers’ quarters. The suburbs where the wealthy lived? They left untouched. No, 50% of Europeans tell their children to take alternate service instead of the draft, because we know what war is like.”

I could sort of picture her as an eight year old, surrounded by all that destruction. A little blonde girl with her hair half tied back in a ponytail, wearing some white school dress, walking amongst complete chaos. Not a painting set to Schubert. Not something vague and impressionistic. Something real and mirky. Something filthy and surreal. But here she is alive in the US , selling German pianos to American composers – and offering poor songwriters a free ticket to see Renee Fleming.

Not entirely random math: the average piano has 230 strings. If a string were to represent a life lost, just over 12 pianos worth of strings would have been destroyed during 9/11. By comparison, the bombing in her city would have destroyed 130.

~~~~

200912.08

The end of the year brings along that great time to reflect upon what you miss and what you definitely don’t. It enables you to see growth and progress with an easier view, and reminds you what needs to be reached for in the coming year.

So many good and tough things this year. You never want to admit that the tough things lead to good things while you’re going through them, but even a few weeks after – once you’ve had a chance to process it against the context of life in general – it gets easier to admit that points C and D were necessary to get to point E.

Since my last diary entry here I’ve moved. It’s a wonderful new place; more affordable than the last, in a better and more convenient neighborhood, surrounded by the friends and places that matter most to me. Around the same time, one of my best friends and collaborators (Judith de los Santos) moved back to Monterrey, Mexico to reconnect with family and fresh opportunities. Tough loss; she’s one of those great people you can tell absolutely anything. We’re still in touch, but it’s certainly not the same as having her right down the street. As she moved she gifted me with her couch, bike and I think most everything from her kitchen. I think about her every time I sip from one of her mugs or relax on the couch with something to read.

Did I ever tell you how she and I met? It’s worth deviating to mention. Someone from this international song competition met me at a songwriting workshop, and after hearing Here Now he recommended that I enter the contest. I’m not really big on song contests (trophies just collect dust, and it’s not the judges’ opinions that matter to me either way), but since it was cheap to enter and someone who created the contest nudged me – oh, and you could win a trip to a songwriting retreat in Ireland…

I did some homework and looked up what sort of songs or songwriters had won before, and came upon a previous year’s winner online. Added her on MySpace, congratulating her on her win and mentioned I was entering that year. I started to type ‘…and hey, if you’d ever like to collaborate sometime….’, but MySpace limits your introductory verbiage to 150 characters, and besides, this chick didn’t know me from Eve so why would she care about writing with me?

Sure enough, though, she enthusiastically wrote back saying she loved the music on my page and ‘would you be interested in collaborating sometime?’ Heck yes! We set a time to meet for coffee to get acquainted, then a time to get together and write at my place. I was sick and home from the radio station that day, but we kept our songwriting date and wrote ‘Waiting’ while I was half tucked under blankets and probably sipping tea or soup. The recording of Waiting you hear at Facebook.com/NatalieNicoleGilbert was done that December night in my bedroom – which partially explains the laughter you hear at the start of the track, and the lazy way I slide into some of the notes. *Just listened to the track* Boy, my laughter sounds downright snotty at the start. Eek! I should probably cut that part off for the Best of NNG project coming up.

Wow, that cold December night was a year ago. Not sure exactly what day, but probably almost to the day. Amazing what happens in a year’s time.

~~~~

200912.11.316am

I’m listening to the awesome clockwork of rain outside my window. Yes. RAIN. In Los Angeles . Dude, this is no small thing. I only get these days about 5 days out of the year here, so I savor them and soak them up every time they come around. One of my friends even caught rain in a bottle for me when it dared to rain here while I was out of state. I’m sure you would *not* want to do any chemistry tests on that water. Could be used as a biological weapon for an unwanted house guest though. “What?! I only gave him water…”

Did I mention I’m a bit punchy from lack of sleep? Gig at the Cat Club this past Monday, two day radiothon for the Lighthouse homeless mission the Wednesday and Thursday after. Ti. Red. Apologies that what I’d hoped to make one seamless diary entry for you will be this chopped up trio thing. Hopefully when the puzzle is assembled, the picture will make decent sense to you.

Before a bunch of days got in the way, I think I was typing about how the end of the year brings reflection. A chance for re-evaluation, tra la la. It’s a great measuring stick. Can you believe it’s been a year since you were doing the things you were doing a year ago? But boy, aren’t you glad a year has passed? Think of all the progress you’ve made!

Yeah, I know; 2009 had big sucky sections. Pretty much everyone I know took a large financial hit. Something like 40% of my closer friends sold their home or moved into a cheaper housing situation during the course of the year. It especially sucked when that move took many of them out of state. Introverts make new friends in peculiar ways; I think we’re quick at identifying someone who has potential to be a lifelong friend, but also sometimes slow about giving them the application and getting them signed up – which makes replacing great friends tough at times. (Believe me, we introverts have a lot of fun creating the questions on that application form, though, and we do pay attention to penmanship and details omitted.)

Of course, this time of year you also remember little anniversaries of things past. My brother would have been 42 in three days, if I’m counting right. Yeah, 42. Good heavens, he’d be old! (In the off chance that’s your age…I’m sure you don’t look a day over …say, 28. Suffice it to say, when his birthday comes around he crosses my mind. Sometimes I’ll indulge a thought about what he might be up to these days if he was still around. Mostly I think of all the cool new music toys he would love. He did great things with a 4-track and a closet. I like to think he’d be proud of the little things I manage to record these days. He wasn’t around long enough to see me get my start in radio. But he was around long enough to create three great children, and long enough to pass on a bit of a songwriting virus to me, so…that’s something.

Anyway…you know, this late night thing may be working against us more than I thought, in that I’m just typing without editing much and hoping I’ll get to the points of things I wanted to tell you. Like the fact that I’m working with a great new guitarist now (who’s last name is my brother’s first name, oddly enough). Benson Russell – super talented on all things guitar and audio production. It was great to play out with him for the first time this week at the Cat Club. We did Breathing Hope, Nineveh and a song by John Mayer called Stop this Train, among others. Fun, fun stuff. The especially cool part is that we just met about 3 weeks ago at the West L.A. Music free recording classes off Santa Monica Boulevard. I overheard him telling someone about his work and the music he was working on, and for a reason I can’t fully explain beyond knowing he sounded exceedingly genuine, I slipped him my MySpace card just before I climbed over a few chairs to exit the room. I’m not entirely sure I even bothered to say ‘Hello’ as I did so. But he messaged me and we quickly realized we had some friends in common. We’ll be playing around L.A. in 2010, and he’ll be playing guitar on a number of upcoming tracks, too, including an acoustic guitar cut of Breathing Hope.

On the note of having a finely tuned Genuineness Radar, I have a bit of a confession to make. I wondered if I should mention this in my little diary and get so personal, but a) I want to be decently transparent with you and b) my web guru (and close friend) Candice reminded me that since much of my fan base includes teens who wrestle with friendship or relationship issues it could be beneficial from time to time to let you see we’re in the same boat. That said, I may let you into my building and my living room, but I’m not inclined to let you dig through my closet.

So, there was someone who I judged a little harshly. I heard him make some misogynistic comments, and his behavior seemed to back them up so…I avoided him and was rather cold to him. Potentially mean, but I prefer to use the word cold.

For what it’s worth, when introverts are mean it’s incredibly easy to miss if you blink; we can be fairly stealthy and subtle about it. Other times, we only think we’re being stealthy about it. A friend that was with me one of the times I saw this person last, though, said to me ‘Wow! I’ve never seen you be so cold with anyone!’ but – said friend was also an introvert. Anyway. I avoided events we were both invited to because this guy’s attitude irritated me so much. When we were in the same space, I would do my best to muster being cordial, and I did succeed some percentage of the time…I think. ‘How can people like that change if they don’t have positive friends in their life?’ I reminded myself. But I prayed that God would bring him some awesome friends so I didn’t have to be one. Horrible, right?

Well, we didn’t talk for over a year; as much his doing as mine, and fine by me. Then his name came up somehow in conversation with Candi, and she rightly told me “You know, you should give the poor guy a chance. He may have changed or might have been nice all along. But whenever you see him next, you should play nice.” Mumble grumble. ‘Fine’, I thought. ‘Next time we’re all invited to a concert I’ll go and say a smiley hello and life will be beautiful’, right? But out of the blue, he has a party and calls me up personally to invite me. Egad. Under normal circumstances I wouldn’t go. I just wouldn’t. But I’d just had that conversation about being nice a few days before, and had promised Candi….

So I went. And I’m pleased to say that people do change; who can fully know how or why, but they do. What was particularly noteworthy about it all was that this individual was a portion of the reason I…well, that’s not entirely fair. How can I word that?

I had a long list of reasons I didn’t want to be more public with my music, and because of his behavior his name was on that list. I feared that if I got too involved in the industry somehow I might become like him, regarding people the way he did. Gross. When I managed to verbalize that to Candi and a few others, they all looked at me baffled, telling me I was ridiculous to think I could lower myself to the picture I was painting. How could I ever wind up being arrogant, they said, when I’m too shy to even tell people what I do 98% of the time? (I’d rather be appreciated for who I am, not what I do.) Anyway, stars aligned in January ‘09, and after a number of prompting events (including getting acquainted with Carlisle Cullen’s well balanced and influential character in the Twilight books), I released to iTunes and Amazon. Naturally, it was the very song I wrote about finding the balance between ‘strength and restraint’ that wound up being my #1 iTunes download.

You know what else forgiving him made me remember? We seem to all have this habit of expecting everyone to recognize our intentions and motivations as good, even if our actions leave little to no evidence. But we are oh so hasty to believe that the way someone acts a particular day or even during a season is the only way they’re capable of acting. We all have off days, off years – days that we’re in a bad mood or we genuinely are wearing a wrong mindset. But thankfully, we’re not stuck in the bad mood zone unless we choose to be. Feet are (typically) not super glued to the floor. We fret over all the details that are on the outskirts of our control while often neglecting the things we can change at the core of our own sphere.

Alright, I’m not meaning to be preachy. Just meaning to be honest, that you and I face the same ponderings as we live day to day.

As I was walking in from the rain tonight my instincts had me in a half jog, scurrying to get inside. But halfway between the car and my front door I told myself to just slow down: soak it in a little. If there’s anything you learn from watching 24 and just living life, it’s that life is just moments. You collect them and squirrel them away like souvenirs sometimes without thinking about it. Recall is great, reliving is great. But how much better the recall and the reliving will be if you really snuggle up in it the first time.

As you spend time with family during the holidays – or whomever you may spend time with – remember to just focus. Focus on them, focus on the moment. Focus on what’s in front of you instead of what’s waiting on your computer, your Blackberry or simply distracting your brain cells. Focus on the warmth of their embrace , the smell of their new cologne, the taste of the eggnog. There are too many days where life presses in against us without our having the margin we need. So take the margin back. Enjoy the page, not just the chapter.

Oh, and we’re working up a little present for you. Get a sneak peek and some free downloads at www.NoiseTrade.com/BestofNNG. Merry Christmas.

nng

Last night we played the House of Blues Voodoo Lounge on the Sunset strip (we being songwriting collaborator & guitarist Dana Bisignano and percussionist Alan Bruni). The view over Los Angeles was just breathtaking. Kind of wished we were facing the windows so we could take it all in while we performed! Saw some longtime friends we hadn’t seen in a while and made a few new friends, though. Really great time. And finally, we got some decent shots of my smurfy blue hair – freshly dyed this past Monday.

On the news front, well, there’s a LOT going on! Thanks to the encouragement of our writer’s group host, Michael Lynch, I’ve decided to release another a capella album. Since a number of my songs get a rough a capella recording during the songwriting process, most of the cuts already exist; it’s just a matter of remastering them and cleaning them up for public consumption. That process is always a little …well, chore like. I’m much more of a poet than a producer, and I often wrestle with whether to keep cleaning up the tracks with retakes or to just keep the early takes that have flaws, but also have more emotion and depth because they came into existence in the earlier, more raw and honest stages of the songwriting and composing process. I might be calling on some of you for feedback once I start sorting through and mixing down files. Mostly I’ll just need you to tell me ‘It’s fine as it is! Leave it alone!’

That project will be all my own work, I believe, but I’ve also got a number of great collaboration projects on deck. Judith de los Santos (www.JudithOnline.com) and I have been talking for a number of months about doing an EP together of our works. And after our gig with Ginny Owens at Denham Farm over Labor Day weekend, she’s said she’d like to record her own rockin’ guitar version of Here Now! Dude, she rocks on it, too! She adds so much texture and punch to it, it makes you want take out your ponytail holder and bang your head.

Dana Bisignano (www.DanaBisignano.com) and I have also been long talking about our EP together. A number of our stronger collaborations are already on iTunes (Stop Thinking About Me and Welcoming), but we have about 4 other solid songs ready to be recorded fully and mixed. Hoping to tie up that EP, and Judith’s, before year end. Some of you might be excited to know we’re releasing it on AmieStreet.com first! That means the first few hundred people will be able to grab it for free! The a capella project will also likely debut on AmieStreet, even if it’s only half of the album.

If that weren’t enough, I’ve also been doing some vocal work for Mike Shapiro (a film composer also credited at Michael Gordon Shapiro, www.MikeMusic.com). We’ve been slowly but surely conquering his piece ‘Santa Monica’ for…I won’t tell you how long. But the final mixdown is coming; he just keeps getting booked for so many musicals and films he’s hardly had a moment for his own work – which isn’t completely a bad problem to have! Nonetheless, we’re looking forward to sharing that track with you …sometime soon. (Also, Mike is the creator and artist behind the Joe the Circle comics – http://joe-the-circle.com/comic/?cat=16. I have been *dying* for the right moment to share that link with you!)

I’m so blessed to be working with everyone of these guys (and gals). Please be sure to check them out at the links above and on their individual Facebook pages (simply search their names). They’re all wonderfully talented and genuine people you’d do well to know.
Well, that certainly seems like enough for one entry, I’d say. I’m sure if I’ve left out some earth shattering piece of news, Candi or some of you will let me know. I did mention that I have blue hair right? Check. We’re good to go then.

Natalie Nicole