Getting to Know Us: Natalie H.

Getting to know us is a chance for our audience to get to know the person behind to face, behind the voice that brings them beautiful music when they attend our concerts.  We'd love for everyone to "make friends" with us!

Today we'd like to introduce you to Natalie H., one of our fabulous altos.  If you have been to our first two concerts of the year, you might recognize Natalie.  She performed a Charles Ives solo, Yellow Leaves, at our November concert, O Voluptuous Earth, and she also sang the alto solo in the final movement of Haydn's The Creation.  

Natalie joined the WCC this year after moving to Wisconsin last year.  The WCC was one of the first singing groups she found, and she's glad she found us because of the fun repertoire this year and how super friendly we are.

Natalie has loved the caliber of music that we sing. She told me that the pieces are challenging in either the harmonies, rhythm, language, or all of the above, and she's never bored when singing with WCC. "Also, everyone in the group is very welcoming. It's like sitting down to sing with your family, except that everyone in it is great at sight reading."Natalie also mentioned that this year's focus on nature really appeals to her, too, since she has always loved the outdoors and preserving it.

Natalie's parents always encouraged her singing and her love of performing.  Her mom sang a lot in her youth and her dad was involved with the performing arts in high school.  She started singing in church choir when she was a little kid and always enjoyed singing and acting. The first thing she ever wanted to be when she grew up was an actress. 

In her own words, Natalie shared some more about her musical experiences: "I learned how to read music playing the flute in band class in middle school and took choir classes at the same time. I switched to just choir when I got to high school because of schedule conflicts. I started taking voice lessons at 14 years old and competing in local competitions. I performed mostly main roles in plays and musicals throughout high school and joined the school's advanced choir.

When it came time for college, I decided to go into opera instead of my original plan of paleontology (I'm secretly a big nerd). I decided I just couldn't live without music being a huge part of my life. I earned my Bachelors in Classical Voice from Roosevelt University. I started performing in operas and choirs my sophomore year of college and I have continued to do so ever since. Some of the groups I have performed with are Da Corneto Opera Company, Music by the Lake, Grant Park Apprentice Chorale, Heartland Voices, and Kane Community Opera. I'm currently singing with the Madison Festival Choir as well as the Wisconsin Chamber Choir. I'm also performing in Music by the Lake's "Brigadoon" this summer."  

It is very impressive & the WCC is grateful to have Natalie in our ranks!

Like Jennifer (and many of us in the choir) Natalie's favorite piece we've sung was Jean Belmont Ford's Sand County.  She says, "I really fell in love with Belmont's Sand County. It speaks of everything that I learned about and valued in my childhood on the nature walks with my dad. The harmonies are absolutely gorgeous and I've always held back tears at the very end of every time we've performed it."

What does Natalie do when she's not sharing her beautiful voice?  Well, during the day she is an Assistant Director of an after-school tutoring program for elementary students. For her it's really rewarding to change a little bit of the world during the day through education and change it through song at night.

In her few quiet moments Natalie is currently writing a medieval fantasy novel in my spare time. She also enjoy drawing and painting when she find the inspiration, and she have an active art gallery online. She sometimes volunteer at Blackhawk Farms racetrack with her boyfriend. He stewards for the race course and she help out taking calls from the corners in the main control tower. She is also addicted to the outdoors and will go fishing whenever she get the chance.

And now, the Lightening Round!

Favorite...

Color: any shade of blue
Food: macaroni and cheese
period in history: Renaissance Era or Pioneer Age
time of year: Summer
Famous dead person you'd like to meet: Jim Morrison
Composer you'd like to meet: Schubert or Whitacre
Book: anything by Neil Gaiman
Movie: Gladiator

Come hear Natalie & the rest of the WCC, She is One of Us, Friday, May 20th at 7:30pm at Trinity Lutheran.