You can make anyone a star, but you can’t make anyone a true musician.
That’s why we chose Natalie Rose to represent HaveHeart. She’s a piano-playing powerhouse with something to sing-um-say, and she’s not only inspiring those who hear her, she’s raising two beautiful children and being the best wife she can be.
But let’s back up.
Natalie was born into her artistic ability to connect through music. At a young age, her mother was constantly playing music throughout the house, and being that Natalie was homeschooled, she was always hearing sassy Bonnie Raitt, mellow James Taylor and other famous artists. It wasn’t long before Natalie got her hands on a piano when one of her mother’s friends asked if she could store her Spinet piano at their home. “I was 5 years old and I begged my mom to get me music lessons,” Natalie recalls. “I started at 6 years old.”
After showing a unique natural ability, Natalie’s talent grew. It was then that she met her mentor: the internationally famous jazz singer, Dee Daniels. “Dee is my biggest musical/spiritual/positivity force,” says Natalie. She has these golden nuggets of wisdom, and is always teaching me something new. She is an absolutely incredible person and I’m blessed to know her.” Through Dee’s guidance, Natalie began to blossom into her own unique style, a blend of jazz, soul, and blues. “I’m always floating between genres,” Natalie says. “I’d say I’m alternative keys meets Tori Amos.” An avid songwriter, Natalie has penned/written roughly 120 songs.
Any artist can attest that chasing your dreams is costly. The pressures to look and act a certain way can be overwhelming. Fortunately, for Natalie- she knows exactly who she is, but it didn’t always come easy. “It all comes down to how I conduct myself from the inside out. I’ve got to do what’s best for my family and me. I can’t help that I was born an artist. It’s my natural tendency and a deep part of who I am- it largely defines me. If I were to NOT develop my passions- I can’t imagine it. I’m a career woman in one of the hardest industries to succeed in. Sometimes I feel discouraged when I tell people I’m an artist. There’s certainly judgment at times and people can tend to not take you seriously. But I never give up on myself.”
Recording her first album was quite the eye opener for Natalie: “I think I cried after hearing it. But I’ve learned to love how I sound and appreciate who I am as an artist. You always want to be better,” she says. And although she’s primarily a solo artist, she’s gotten the opportunity to collaborate with many amazing bands. In the end, Natalie always stays true to her own sound- something very, very rare these days. “I always value collaborating,” she says, “But it can be hard to find the right people to work with, especially those who are focused and in the same place as you, musically.”
One of the most validating reasons we chose Natalie as a HaveHeart cover woman is because she’s real. She’s not raising her kid by the help of a nanny, worrying about missing her massage and messing up her nails like many famous singers. She’s not concerned about making millions of dollars more than she is about making meaningful music. What that boils down to is that this soul sister has character. And speaking of being a mom, she’s an amazing one to her two children: daughter Avalon and son Raven. In fact, she’s famous for being one of the most loving, accepting and open-thinking mothers on the playground. “It’s our job as parents to give kids gentle guidance. I give love unconditionally and try to provide an environment where they can learn how to be a human being in the world. There are so many opportunities where we have a choice to give children love. I always say we’ve got to choose our battles and let them be who they are. Be a conscious parent. Why are we setting certain boundaries? It is for society or our culture? For example, my son likes to wear a pink dress with leggings sometimes. He’s not harming anyone and it makes him happy! I’m ok with that! Sometimes I feel parents set mindless boundaries. It’s up to us to define the true importance of things, and we shouldn’t take that responsibility lightly.”
In addition to her role as mother, Natalie is a loving, amazing wife. “My husband is the single most supportive person of my life,” she says. “Without him my life would be a really different journey.” Her husband has also helped her through her personal struggle with body image.
“It’s always been a trip for me,” says Natalie. “I had sort of an intense upbringing as a teen and I’ve always struggled with body image. I married my husband when I was 20 and had Avalon when I was 21. I gained 65 pounds with each pregnancy- I had no idea I’d gain that much weight. After I gave birth to my second child, Raven- I went crazy and started working out and eating healthy. I was so focused on the physical appearance, not the inside. I’d set these crazy goals, then reach them and think once I did I’d unlock something great and I’d be satisfied. It never happened. It was obvious I developed an eating disorder. I was so focused on the numbers that I forgot what was important. My husband helped me realize that if I wanted to be a healthy mama than I had to get on the path of loving myself.”
So many mothers say that their whole perspective changes once they have children, and some say they have a hard time getting back to a place where they accept their bodies. “The problem is not what I was putting in my mouth,” said Natalie. “It was my loss of self-worth. You’ve got to focus your thoughts. How are you being grateful? I love food and I love eating out. But the problem isn’t and never will be my weight… it was my mind.”
But why does Natalie’s journey maker her an unstoppable force? For one thing, the music world is brutal. Someone’s always trying to change you, mold you, or tell you that you aren’t pretty/skinny enough. Fortunately, Natalie doesn’t play into all that. Although she thrived as an up-and-coming artist in Portland, Oregon and made quite a name for herself, she’s decided to make a life change. “I’ve recently moved back to my small hometown in Idaho to focus on what I love the most: performing as a musician for the people I love.” Natalie’s well known for playing to a jam-packed crowd at local hot-spot, Bucer’s. “I also love to play for senior citizens,” Natalie says. “They appreciate the music on another level that moves me.”
You can follow Natalie on her facebook or buy her cd on itunes. As for us, here are our personal favorites that’s she’s written:
#1: This Won’t Hurt Twice
#2: Signs
And as for Natalie, we want to thank her for being real, for being brave, and for being a mother her children can look up to. We admire her dedication to her dreams and for what really matters in life. She’s a true musician who isn’t afraid to sing from her heart and she’s 100% star-quality, gorgeous and completely down to earth. She’s such a loving mother and wife who tries her best every day. We tried not to gush too much but we couldn’t help it! She’s just that amazing, and she inspires us to learn how to love ourselves and follow our own dreams. “I know my love for myself is constantly improving and I’m trying the best I can, every day,” she says. “I’m on my way.”
You go, Natalie. We’ll stand back and listen in awe. Something tells us you’re more talented in every way than you could ever know.
-HH
