Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Natalie Grace Wiegand of Santa Monica

We recently had the chance to connect with Natalie Grace Wiegand and have shared our conversation below.

Good morning Natalie , it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What is a normal day like for you right now?
I wake up between 7- 8am and head outside to get some sun & take a walk right away! Currently training for a marathon so some days I start with a run. I then eat breakfast & try to get any important practicing done early in the day while my mind is fresh. If I have an upcoming gig, I focus on mastering those songs. But if nothing immediate is on the calendar, I do some video classes from my violin coach, Christian Howes. After lunch, I try to get any errands done or admin work for Violin-ing. This can include posting on Social Media, outreach to clients, downloading & prepping new music, or lesson planning for teaching Music at Acton Academy Venice Beach. In the late afternoon/early evening, if I have a gig, I start prepping my hair & makeup for that. I try to catch the sunset every day on our balcony if i can! If I don’t have a gig, I’ll typically do something with my boyfriend, like go to our Sauna club Likeminded, eat dinner together, or hang out with friends. If I don’t have a gig, my evenings are typically quiet: we turn all the lights low, put on our Blue Light Blocking glasses, and read or watch a show together (just finished Squid Games!)

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Natalie and I’m a violinist & school teacher in Santa Monica! I moved to LA from New York with my boyfriend Eric in early 2020: Eric really wanted to chase the sunshine and outdoor life and I was down for an adventure and change of scenery. At that time, I was just a middle school history teacher but I had always kept up violin as my hobby. During the pandemic, Eric bought me an electric violin for my birthday and we jammed together (he DJs) and a new side project emerged! We started playing more together for friends parties and over time I got asked to play my violin all around LA! Eventually I decided in order to feel prepared for my gigs I needed to take the craft more seriously, so more and more I started devoting my days to improving and practicing. My current style is Dance Pop: I LOVE to find fun remixes of popular songs and play the famous riffs or vocals on the violin. I’m also working on developing my remixing skills so I can make my own custom edits of songs to play along to!

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who taught you the most about work?
My childhood violin teacher Maria Conti taught me the most about work both in music & in life! I started studying with her in probably first grade and continued all through High School with her so she had the biggest influence on how I developed not only my violin craft but also how to approach all of life’s tasks. She had an amazing work ethic and knew the value of consistent and intentional practice. She also was very good at breaking hard things down into approachable nuggets. But most importantly, she taught me how to put passion and soul into the pieces I was learning: it was never just about hitting the right notes, but about how you play them. She always focused on developing a beautiful tone and passionate way of playing. This early lesson of doing things with intention & heart has translated to so many different areas of my life!

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
When I was a kid, I had 2 back surgeries for Scoliosis. It was very traumatic of course, but I actually think it shaped me to be who I am today. Today, I try to never take for granted my healthy, functioning body. If you can breathe fully and move and walk, that is something to be grateful for! It also has translated to a kindness for my body. After my surgeries, I stared doing yoga and worked very hard to tame some negative mind chatter. Today, I prioritize my health over all else. I make sure as best as I can that I get good sleep every night, that I eat healthy food, and that I go to the gym or exercise every day to keep my body functioning and feeling great. Suffering is an inevitable part of life, but if you focus on what you can control, you put yourself in a good place to face any challenges that arise!

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
I remember sometime in my early adulthood making a very solid decision: I was just going to be “me” as much possible, and if someone didn’t like it, they didn’t have to and that’s okay! I still have to remind myself of this from time to time, especially with social media where you are so exposed and vulnerable to other people’s “opinions” of you. But I do my best to bring authentic energy and authentic good vibes anywhere I go. If I don’t feel like I can bring my authentic self to something, then it’s probably not the right fit for me anyway.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace when Im playing a song I love. It’s a really cool moment when you don’t need to think about the notes anymore and the song just becomes a part of you. In those moments, it doesn’t matter to me if anyone is listening or not! You just get to live in the song for those few minutes and it is so cool!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.violinvibez.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/violinvibez/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-wiegand-5998371a6/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natalie.wiegand/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nwiega01

Image Credits
-ADKT LA & Artur
-Neubauer Media
-Wandermore photography