NATALIA CATALAN
nicatalan8@gmail.com // 310-710-7378 // https://linktr.ee/natalannatalan // Instagram @nccatalan
Education
2022 BA (Liberal Arts / Honors in Music), Wesleyan University, Middletown CT USA
2018 HS Diploma Brentwood School, Los Angeles, CA
Instructors
2022 Paula Matthusen, Live Electronics and Production
2019-2022 Jay Hoggard, Jazz Performance and Thesis Advisor
2017-2022 Brad Russell, Jazz, Classical and Popular Music Bass Guitar Performance
2020 Neely Bruce, 20th Century Compositional Orchestration
2020 Tyshawn Sorey, New Music Performance
2018 Noah Baerman, Jazz Performance
2015-2018 Mike Cottone, Jazz Performance (HS)
2006-2018 Mitch Glickman, Jazz and Classical Piano Performance
Ensembles
2025 House Band, Guitarist - The Circle Jam Sessions for Tidal Streaming Service
2021-2022 African Popular Music Performance
2020 New Music Ensemble
2018-2019 Jazz Orchestra
Professional Experience
2025 Production - Maiya Blaney - “A Room With a Door that Closes” (featured in Pitchfork, Bandcamp)
2025 Production - Cleo Reed - “Cuntry” (featured in Pitchfork, Bandcamp,Stereogum, Brooklyn Magazine)
2025 Bassist - Caleb Giles “Whole Heart” album/book release show with Black Mass Publishing
2024 Touring bassist - Superfan “Tow Truck Jesus” album release shows
2024 Composition/Performance - solo release “By Myself Based on What” https://nataliacatalan.bandcamp.com/album/by-myself-based-on-what
2024 Production - Sammy Osmond and the No-Hellers - “Sammy Osmond and the No-Hellers” (featured at Sleepycat Records Festival 2024)
2023 Production - Kevin Holliday - “Ladybug” (featured on Colbert Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uinK7nucp5E )
2022 Thesis Recital - “By Myself Based on What” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQFc3mL_QI0
Work/Teaching Experience
2023- Founding Music Teacher, Uncommon Bed-Stuy West Elementary School
Started the music program at Uncommon Bed Stuy West Elementary, serving the students of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn and New York City at large
Selected and ordered the current inventory of unpitched percussion instruments, xylophones/recorders/steel pans/other pitched instruments and recording/music production equipment
Built the wireless microphone sound system used in school auditorium, head audio engineer for theatre and musical performances
Currently teach K-4th grade classes, creating lesson plans that present accessible fundamental and cultural knowledge tailored to students’ largely Caribbean, African and African-American backgrounds
Hold strong group and individual relationships with students and families through outreach, after-school rehearsals and whole school holiday performances
Constant collaboration with the Dance and Theatre departments to bring arts to the school community through semester showcases wherein each class performs a dance or music piece and an annual spring 4th grade musical
2022- Session/Gigging Bassist and Guitarist
In-demand recording and performing instrumentalist in New York City
Professional, timely and versatile (all styles of music, specifically R&B, Pop and Appalachian Old-time Music)
27 shows performed in the city in 2025 thus far
2019-2022 Co-founder of WesLessons, an on-campus music lessons business
Instructor for bass guitar and electric guitar, working with over 30 students from 2020-2022
Met students’ needs by holding lessons online when necessary
Recommended by past students to their friends and peers
2021 Member of Wesleyan’s Live Sound Cooperative
Helped set up stages with proper speakers and monitors and engineered live audio using a mixing board
Worked with fellow engineers and bands/event organizers to help each date run smoothly
Musical Skills
Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar, Piano, West African Drumming (djembe/festival drum, Ghanaian Akan/Ewe people),
Logic Pro, Instagram, orchestration/arrangement/notation, live sound/engineering
Awards/Grants
2023 - Hollyhock Foundation Elementary School Music Grant ($90,000 for founding music programs at underfunded New York schools)
2022 - Gwen Livingston-Pokora Prize for undergraduate music composition at Wesleyan University