Natasha Yamil Martinez

How did you get started with all this??
My father is a musician so I would always listen to him playing the bass. I grew up attending church and would always watch him practice and perform during church services. I knew deep down it's something I wanted to do one day and the piano was something that had always sparked interest in me. So it made sense that the piano was the first instrument I ever played. I was eight years old and would try to learn songs that I heard on the radio. I kept playing them over and over again on a small keyboard that my parents bought me until I perfected them. I started taking private piano lessons at age nine and have been playing ever since. I performed in school events, and music competitions. But the place that I have probably grown the most as a musician and a performer was in church. I've performed a lot of gospel and christian music. It wasn't until my freshman year in high school when I began writing my own songs and continued writing every day. I considered music as a creative outlet and a hobby and never viewed myself as a singer. After graduating high school I started realizing that maybe singing was something I can do  and have been doing so ever since. I figured that if I wanted to grow as a performer I needed to learn as much as I can. So I taught myself how to play the guitar, the drums and took some vocal lessons and acting classes. I received a microphone as a gift and I was able to record some of my original songs at home. The rest is history.

What's the message to transmit with your music??
Most of my music deals with the ups and downs of life. I like to write from personal experiences and anything that inspires me. I want my songs to transmit a message that is genuine, fun, and subject matter or theme that anyone can relate to.

What's your method at the time of writing a song??
I don't have a particular method in writing a song. Sometimes I start writing a song with just the melody and other times I start jotting down some lyrics. I could be attending class or driving somewhere and a musical tune starts processing in my head. So as soon as I get home I grab my piano or guitar and begin writing a song. Other times I hear a song on the radio, I have a conversation with a friend, or I see something interesting on television, and words begins to develop in my head. That eventually develops into lyrics for a song. There's also some songs that have developed from playing around with improvising with keys on the piano. I have a songwriting book that I try to take with me everywhere I go. Whenever I am inspired by something I experience, hear, or see, I write a song about it. Once the song is finished I record and self-produce it at home and with a mix of musical loops, my own instrumentation, and vocals.

Which is your music influences??
I enjoy listening to all types of music and they all influence my songwriting one way or another. My songs mostly sound like the Fray, John Mayer, Jason Mraz, Michael Buble, Norah Jones, Maroon 5, Sara Bareilles and Michelle Branch. If you were to place them in a genre it would be acoustic/pop.

What plans do you have for the future??
In the future I hope to earn a publishing deal or recording contract. I want to write or compose songs for other recording artists, television, and film. I hope to record my own full length album. I have done some acting and would possibly like to try some more of it. I am also earning a degree in English and would probably like to write for a music magazine. My ultimate plan is to be a successful singer/songwriter. I have many aspirations but it's a blessing in itself to have the opportunity to perform. I remind myself every day that it's about the music.

Which has been the funniest prank you have been or took part while on tour or after a show??
I've never been the victim of a prank on tour or during a show. But it would be hilarious to experience one.


If you were stranded in the middle of nowhere after a show or while on tour. The help is 65 miles away from where you and your band (If any) are, ¿Who would you send to look for help? And if while the rest wait, there's no food and the only way to feed yourself is by eating each other, ¿Who would you eat first?
If I had a band with me and I was on the way to a show or on a tour I would probably be the one who would go look for help. But I would bring along a band mate with me so I don't have to walk 65 miles on my own. By the time I find help I would ask someone for food or would ask where I can find food. Hopefully I have money with me so that I can buy food in the first place. Then I would find a car and bring back food and any necessary supplies to my band mates who were left stranded. I would also try to find the nearest phone to cancel the show we were going to perform at. I rather starve for a couple of hours or days then give up to cannibalism. But if this was a tour wouldn't we have food on the tour bus? Also if we had a cell phone with us we can just call someone for help and find the nearest hotel to stay at. That would be the smart thing to do.

Which country you would love to play?
Performing anywhere in the U.S. alone would be an amazing opportunity. But I would love to perform in any country in Europe.

With which bands you would love to share stage??
I can name hundreds of bands I would want to share the stage with.U2, Maroon 5, Dave Matthews Band, and the Fray are just a few of the bands I would love to share the stage with.Sara Bareilles, John Mayer and Billy Joel are individual artists that I admire and would love to share the stage with them as well. To perform with any of them would be a dream come true.

Are you OK, with the direction the band is going actually?
I am very happy with the direction so far. As a singer/songwriter I have invested a lot of time in my music. I always say that it's about being persistent and humble. I only hope that my direction goes up from here. Some doors are opening and opportunities are coming my way. I've worked hard and all on my own, and it's fulfilling to know that it is paying off so far. You can hear some of my demo songs on my myspace page. I also have a Youtube page where you view videos of my performances, as well as a Sonicbids page where I am booking professional gigs. Please feel free to check out all these websites:
http://www.myspace.com/natashayamil
http://www.sonicbids.com/natashayamil
http://www.youtube.com/natashayamil