On my flight out to Sundance I was really adamant about my guitar not going in with gate checked luggage because I had shows and things to do as soon as I landed in UT... after arguing with the woman at the gate after she wanted me to gate check my guitar and I said that I was going to just ask the stewards if it would possibly fit she came running across the tarmac to yell at me in front of a plane full of people going to Sundance which was, obviously,  very embarising.

Just as she did the pilot offered to just take it off my hands and put in the cockpit with him so long as it was in fact just a guitar. Thank you reasonable people!! I borded and as usual there was actually plenty of space in a dozen over heads. What happens is when there a full flight they start making everyone gate check their luggage and then everyone gets on with nothing and there is a ton of space in the overheads for guitars or for most of that luggage...

Anyways, I was so thankfull to that pilot and to JetBlue for coming through again for me so...

An Ode to Jet Blue

Jet Blue, Jet Blue
So many sweet strums I owe to you
Thanks for putting my guitar in the cockpit

Because you never know
What could happen below
If my ax was a suitcases target

So hear is the deal
I'm making with your jet appeal
I will always try to use you to fly

If your stewards are cool
Your snacks make me drool
And you keep my guitar safe in the sky

<3 Natalie ...& my Guitar

You probably don’t know that I’m one of the most dream oriented and goal focused people out there. I’m always coming up with extensive to do lists and goals for the next year, next month, next 5 years… rest of my life… Anyways, the past two years I’ve made my list of goals for the year as usual but I also decided not to worry about them so much and instead to choose a word that would satisfy what I was really looking for in my life. I’ve done this the past two years and it had been great to focus on that word as my goal rather than getting lost in the list.

If you want to choose a word to guide you through the year read this post by one of my favorite bloggers Christine Kane: http://christinekane.com/blog/resolution-revolution-a-better-way-to-start-your-year/

My choices in words have led to much more rewarding and productive years and looking back I’ve always gotten exactly what I asked for. My word in 2009 was Courage and that was the last year I worked a part time job and the year I made the leap to being a full time singer/songwriter and touring artist - talk about needing courage! This past year my word was Clarity and I really just wanted it to use to clear out my physical stuff (I have a fantasy of living out of a suitcase with just my guitar and smart phone) and my personal sense of purpose and goal with my music and life. Well, like I said you get what you ask for - and probably what you need. That word worked throughout the year to bring beautiful people and experiences into my life very effortlessly but it also worked to wring out all the mental thoughts and gunk that hold me back and a lot of personal family things that were very difficult.

It started out easy and I didn’t take the hint until the year came to a close and I realized that everything was so difficult because I still hadn’t learned the lesson and moved on. I’m sure it will make for quite a few chapters in my book one day but anyways, I decided then, in the last few weeks of 2010 that the only possible word for this year was Solution.

I know that might not seem like a very glamorous word to anyone but for me solution is about making/finding a decision, having focus and moving forward. It’s about living at ease in the flow of life, committing to something and taking action. I’ve been incredibly indecisive this past year - and who wouldn’t be surrounded by a mess of their life. Picture yourself cleaning out a closet. You know how it gets very messy before you can figure out what to make of it all? That was me, except it wasn’t a closet it was everything. And some of it was amazing and beautiful and I knew it was the first thing I was putting back in that closet… and some of it has been so painful I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

Anyways, I’m really excited and nervous about the word I chose to guide my year and I know it’s going to be just what I need. If you’re tired of resolutions and didn’t make any this year, or you gave up on yours already it’s not to late to use the spirit of the new year (yesterday was 1.11.11 after all!!) and decide on a word to guide you.

I would love to hear what you chose and why if you want to share send me an email (Natalie [@] NatalieGelman.com) or leave a comment below.

And even if you decide to keep the word to yourself I know it will still bring lots of what you need and want into your life!
Love,
Natalie

As lots of you know I’ve been trying to sing on every one of the dozens of flights I’ve taken this past summer/fall. I even had an All You Can Jet pass with jetBlue for all the shows I had in various parts of the country in Sept/Oct and I really thought of all airlines they would make it happen.

It turned out to be on a Delta flight about a week ago when the stars aligned as I was traveling home from Arkansas by way of Memphis (which happens to be one of my favorite cities to stop into when I’m traveling the country).

I was really tired from a conference I had been at in the Ozark mountains and rather than put up the usual fight to get my guitar in the overhead near me I just let them gate check it. Next thing I know I’m sitting in my seat thinking about just how to position myself to sleep though the whole flight when I hear: “Will the passenger with the guitar please come up to the front of the aircraft.” Jeez, I’m thinking, I didn’t even put up a fight and this is when I get in trouble, what’s going on?

Turns out the flight attendant didn’t want to let my guitar travel underneath and had made space in the closet. I’m really thankful and as I tell him that he says “But only if you’ll play for us.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I say, “you all say I can and then it never happens. I’ve been trying to for a while, it’s one of my dreams to sing on a flight but you guys never let it happen. If you can make it happen I’ll be impressed.”

“Well, if you want to once we get up the air I don’t see why not.”

“Okay, as long as none of the passengers have a problem with it I’ll definitely be singing for you guys.”

At that point a few of the folks in first class who had heard the exchange between us agreed that they wanted to hear me sing. That felt better to have some people on my side.

Once we were up in the air and he came through with the beverage service I asked him if he was serious and if we could really make it happen. He said to just give him a minute to do a few more things.

I started to get ‘ready’ in my ‘greenroom’ doing some very quiet vocal warm-ups and thinking about what I wanted to perform (and putting on some lipstick). He brought over my guitar and asked me how I wanted to handle the performance. It’s always so loud in a flight and lots of you know how loud I sing but I didn’t think the acoustics of the jets would carry through to the back even from the middle so I said we should go through the announcement intercom a bit.

I went up to the front of the plane, said hello to some of the folks in first class who has encouraged me earlier and after Angel announced me and held the phone up to my guitar and voice while I sang. He had never heard me, I didn’t tell him I had any credentials so who knows what he (or anyone) expected to hear but I’m so happy they all trusted me and listened.

Here’s the awesome flight attendant who made it happen! If you have him on one of your Delta flights you’re lucky, he’s a hoot!


Enjoy the video to see the performance and some pictures that I threw in to stabilize the video turbulence.




Next up… Virgin Galactic! (If you know Branson let him know!)
-Natalie