It all begins with a random note and a rough idea. Add another note and adjust it until it sounds right. String together a collection of notes. The right key becomes the right melody and the right melody becomes the right theme. Play it again and again, adjusting notes and measures until the theme isn’t just a theme, but a feeling. This is what happens in senior Natalie Liu’s mind as she clicks and drags notes on the music notation software MuseScore. In her original compositions, each note carries a flurry of emotion.

“I can think of a tune in my head, but it’s difficult to actually put that onto a composition without the notes being a perfect fit,” Natalie said. “Sometimes, I listen to what I composed and want to change everything because I either come up with a new idea or don’t like how one part I compose leads to another. If I wanted to express something specific, then I’ll try to pretend I’m in that situation or feeling that emotion so that I can translate it into music easier.”

Natalie started composing music when a creative assignment in her frosh Study of Music class allowed her to see composition as an art form for the first time. What was initially a new interest soon became a deeper pursuit. Since then, she’s composed numerous short pieces, each portraying a different feeling or state of mind. 

For an English assignment her junior year, she created a 30-measure piece that translated the words of the Emily Dickinson poem “I Like a Look of Agony” into music. To depict the speaker’s pained tone, she utilized a variety of dynamics.

“Composing has helped me better understand what composers were thinking when they were writing pieces,” Natalie said. “Now, I’m like, ‘oh, the composer had the intention of adding this to the music.’”

For over a decade, music has enveloped Natalie in every aspect of her life. Through years of experimentation and growth, she’s constantly refining her style and finding her place as a musician.

“I’ve learned to express myself through music,” Natalie said. “If I just stopped listening to and playing music, there’d be a piece of me missing. Music can express things that words can’t, and it’s a great outlet for my emotions.”

At the very beginning of Natalie’s musical journey, her older sister’s piano-playing inspired her to enroll in classical piano lessons. After years of training formally, she later quit in favor of independent playing. Without the structure that classical training imposed on her, her approach to music blossomed in a completely new direction, bringing boldness into her playing style.

“I started moving away from classical pieces and started playing any piece or song that I personally liked, rather than something that my teacher picked out for me,” Natalie said. “I used to play my instruments just by looking at the music and playing what I saw, but now I’m able to put myself into the pieces because I can play them how I think they should sound.”

Piano isn’t the only instrument that shapes Natalie’s musical endeavors. In third grade, she joined the school orchestra and has played in it ever since, including all her four years of high school. With classical training under her belt, she picked up cello, simultaneously immersing herself into an interconnected network of musicians through orchestra — a family she continues to identify strongly with. 

“I’ve been able to meet a lot of great people and play cool pieces that I wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity to had I not joined the orchestra,” Natalie said. “There’s a sense of togetherness. As an upperclassman, I’d like to make the underclassmen feel like the orchestra can be a really safe and fun space where they can be themselves and meet a lot of new people.”

As one of the long-standing members of the orchestra, Natalie hopes to leave her mark on the tight-knit community. Fellow cello section member and close friend junior Aya Sugaya observes Natalie’s ability to unite her orchestra peers in countless ways.

“Natalie is what brings the section together,” Aya said. “Her presence is able to connect everyone in a way. The subtle ways that she helps the freshmen and sophomores with orchestra, cleans up when other people forget to and quietly supports everyone are a strength of hers.”

Natalie’s impact in the musical community also extends beyond orchestra. Through a non-profit organization called Notelove, she gives free weekly piano lessons to low-income youth.

“Composing and teaching are similar in the sense that you have to really look at how a piece is constructed or how you’re going to construct a piece,” Natalie said. “They’re different in that when you’re composing, you can manipulate the piece however you want. When you’re teaching, you have to consider how it’s supposed to be played, your interpretation and the child’s interpretation of the piece.”

Natalie reflects on how teaching through Notelove has taught her how to improvise and adapt to various learning styles and skill levels. Sometimes, she needs to stray from lesson plans and make last-minute changes to support her students.

“It was pretty difficult figuring out how to deal with students whose attention spans were super short and how to keep them on task or keep them playing piano,” Natalie said. “I’ve learned how to deal with younger kids and how to be more firm about what needs to happen. Persistence is important.”

Closefriend and Lead Resource Director of Notelove senior Claire Perng knows Natalie both in and outside of school. As Natalie’s overseer, Claire notices how her strengths reflect in her commitment to the organization.

“Natalie always puts her best effort into whatever she does,” Claire said. “After Natalie’s first Notelove lesson, I saw 12 messages from her being like, ‘oh my God, this kid is so good. This kid picked up on things so fast. I’m so proud of the kid.’ She only had a 30 minute lesson, but the kid wanted it to be longer and they were so excited to learn.”

Natalie’s active engagement with those around her applies not only to music but also to school. Math teacher Caren Furtado appreciates Natalie’s refreshing presence in the classroom, having taught her for two years in Precalculus and Calculus.

“She can make jokes and take jokes, making the atmosphere very conducive for other people,” Furtado said. “Basically, she makes everything safe. When you’re around Natalie, you don’t feel judged in any way. Anyone who sits with Natalie just feels like, ‘I can ask any question,’ or ‘I can talk to you,’ or ‘I don’t have to be afraid of your judgment.’”

Whether it’s through small, personal gestures for her close friends or meaningful connections with the music community, Natalie always brings a receptive mind and an open heart to the conversation. For this, she credits piano and cello — two defining factors that will never leave her side. 

“Music has been a part of my life for so long that it just feels like a part of me,” Natalie said. “Rather than teaching me things, it’s like my friend as I slowly take on and develop its traits. I’ve learned to express myself through music. If I just stopped listening to and playing music, there’d be a piece of me missing. Music can express things that words can’t, and it’s a great outlet for my emotions.”