Bio
Nina Josette Zeitlin is a singer/songwriter/pianist/producer. Her voice is distinctly big, earthy, and bluesy, likened to such artists as Bonnie Raitt and Janis Joplin with musical influences ranging from Stevie Wonder to Carole King, Etta James to Chaka Khan.
Growing up, Nina was known to break into song starting at age two and she took up the piano at four. While studying Sociology and Music at Wesleyan University, Nina honed in on her ability to sing in a variety of styles - she was the vocalist for the Jazz Orchestra, a member and soloist of the Ebony Singers Gospel Choir, and co-wrote/produced/directed and performed in two original musical productions titled "B.Y.O. Bizzle Lounge" (2003) and "A One Night Stand" (2002).
Post-college, pursuing a life of making music has been an adventure for Nina. She wrote and recorded three songs published by Defined Mind. This company creates materials to enhance reading comprehension using songs. Her music has been featured on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. She has appeared on NBC's Nightly News with Brian Williams and on CBS News. She also sings on commercials for brands such as Lipton, Kodak, and Comedy Central.
Nina recently completed a solid two years as Executive Producer at Wonderful, which produces music for all media. This work gave her the opportunity to combine her love for creating music with her sharp ear for finding just the right sound to fit the project. Some projects completed include several tracks for Reebok TV commercials and for their website, interactive spots for Kodak and Acura, a Verizon TV campaign, and a 30-song production project for a global publisher.
In 2006 and 2007, Nina scored two award-winning short films for the NYC Film Race. Both films won 1st place for “Best Original Music Score”. This year Nina collaborated on an album with other artists/producers called “Blue Moon Artifacts”. Nina sang on this album, which combines genres to create a unique set of tracks.
Nina’s live performances in New York City have been in venues including The Soho House, R Bar, The Bitter End, The Marriott Marquis, Ulysses, Marty O’Brien’s, Kate Kearney’s, Kenny’s Castaway, The Cornelia Street Café, and Southpaw. Nina sang in a 3-person band called “Free Delivery” that focused on electronica and blues music.
Nina is now working on her own music and performance as a fulltime gig. Her latest projects include composing and singing on the first album with her new band “Heylady Butter Candy”, collaborating with several producers on various recording projects, and having her hand in a bunch of other yummy, soulful stuff... more to come!
