Today, Nashville singer/songwriter, Natalee Falk is singing to serve. Natalee has never known a life without music. However, today her involvement with music comes from a different place than as a child. At only two years old, Natalee began singing with her sister, Alexa. In the beginning, they sang for the love of singing and harmonizing together. Their mom noticed their talent, and so began a pursuit of what Natalee thought was her dream. Their mom put the girls into vocal lessons and began entering them into competitions. Today, she is still writing and singing, but as a way to serve others.
Natalee’s childhood growing up in a Mormon community in Utah was much different than those of her peers, as her family was not Mormon. Also, she had to balance between trying to be a normal kid and a musician, but for Natalee, it felt normal. Natalee said, “I was a child, who always wanted to please others. So, I just showed up and performed.” She had to fight to do normal things, like try out for cheerleading.
Meanwhile, her sister Alexa began writing songs at the age of eight. They worked with the same vocal coach as another sister singing group from Utah, SheDaisy. Natalee and Alexa were introduced to SheDaisy’s producer, Jason Deere and began working with him as well. They wrote and recorded with Deere. The Falk Sisters recorded and toured, but a record deal was always just out of their reach. RCA was set to sign them, but the deal fell apart after a change in leadership at the label. When Natalee and Alexa went to college, it was a chance to press the reset button on their music. Natalee believed it was their chance to make their own choices concerning their music and their lives. After college, they made a move to Nashville. Natalee thought they would make it work this time, and they even had a reality show in the works. However, Natalee and Alexa would end up splitting professionally. In the end, they realized they were two different people and different artists. Personally, their relationship was strained, but they are in a good place now.
The split would flip Natalee’s world upside down. Natalee said, “All I knew was the pursuit of music, but then it was over.” Natalee would face some difficult times emotionally and trying to find her passion. She discovered her love for people during this time and saw some new perspective on her past and what she wanted for her future. Natalee described how she felt as being “trapped by the ideas of being something to be looked at but not seen. I placed myself into a bubble for fear of being human.” As she has been working through this darkness, Natalee hopes she will get to a place where the focus is not on the disappointments she has faced in her life. Instead of seeing disappointments, she is focusing on what lessons can be learned.
At this point in Natalee’s life, she is still writing music and recording. However, she is doing it for the love of creating art and sharing it with others in hopes that she may be able to help someone through her music. Natalee recently removed her previously released music from streaming services, a decision that disappointed this writer as I am a fan of her music. Her song “Can’t Stop the Rain” helped me gain some perspective as I was going through a divorce. Natalee will be re-recording this song because she wants to release it as she originally envisioned it sounding. She said, “The difficult thing about recording is sometimes you expand on what you envisioned, or it ends up a lot different.”
The business side of the music industry took the fun out of making music for Natalee, as so much emphasis is placed on what the labels think will sell. Since she started chasing a music career at such a young age, Natalee felt she never had a choice of doing anything other than music. I asked her if she had been given a choice, would she have chosen music or another career? Natalee said, ” That’s a good question. I wonder if I would have made the same choice if given the opportunity. I started singing naturally, so maybe.” Her passion for music has changed, as she has been discovering what her joy is.
Going forward, Natalee Falk will continue to write, record, and release new music. She released a new song called “Diamond” on Friday, April 12th. Natalee will not compromise the integrity of any new music she releases in the future. While she has no desire to be an entertainer at present, she will continue singing to serve others. Natalee will continue to use her social media platform to reach others, so they know they are not alone. She hopes to one day create a platform to bring others together to form a community where people can share their stories. Music will be a part of that because music has the power to heal and touch lives. Her mission is the help people. She said, “I want to use my gift to try to be a gift to somebody else. We all come from the same place and are all connected. If we all understood each other, then we would all love each other. Music is so powerful because it has a way of communicating higher messages.” Whether she is creating a platform on YouTube, doing a podcast, writing, or bringing people together in person, her goals are clear. Natalee believes she is not here to accomplish something and be done; she has a higher purpose.
On a personal note, Natalee was one of my inspirations when I decided to launch this blog. I was at a writer’s night at the Bridge Bar at the Renaissance Hotel the first time I saw Natalee and her sister, Alexa play. Their lyrics were so powerful and spoke to me that night. This last year was one of the most challenging times of my life, and music helped heal me. Natalee’s music and her story were a part of my healing. The second time I saw Natalee play was the day I decided to launch my blog. I am thankful for Natalee Falk and the impact she has made on my life, and going forward I know she will succeed in her mission to impact others. I am also thankful that she allowed me to share her story. It is my hope Natalee’s story can be a lesson to parents, children, songwriters, or anyone else who may see themselves in her story. I share Natalee’s sentiments when she says “You are not alone, everyone has a place and a purpose in this world.”
