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Talented Musician Pursues Dream in Symphony Orchestra

by Briana Vela

March 25, 2016

Natalie Smith

Natalie Smith

Natalie Smith

Natalie Smith

Growing up in a family actively involved in the arts, 16-year-old Natalie Smith knew exactly what she wanted her future to be.

Natalie started playing the violin when she was three years old and has quite the accomplished resume, including having performed in the Lubbock Youth Orchestras and the Youth Orchestras of Lubbock. Natalie has also attended the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp where she played in the top orchestra, auditioned and was accepted into the famed Interlochen Arts Camp this past summer, and was in the World Youth Symphony Orchestra conducted by one of the most famous conductors from all around the world. She will again be attending the Interlochen Arts Camp this coming summer.

Originally from Illinois, Natalie currently resides in Lubbock, Texas, where her father is a Professor of Horn at Texas Tech University and her mother is a violin teacher who also runs the local Suzuki program - a unique philosophy of music education developed by Shinichi Suzuki.

“This has helped and influenced my playing throughout the years,” Natalie said of her parents' connection to music.

Natalie is currently a junior at TTUISD and has set her sights on a career in the symphony orchestra.

“I chose to attend TTUISD because of the hours I needed to practice violin,” Natalie said. “This allows me to focus on school, with the priority of violin.”

With a rigorous schedule of practicing her instrument four to five hours each day, Natalie said she enjoys attending TTUISD because of all it has to offer.

“I'm able to make my own hours for school to allow me to have time to practice… Compared to traditional schooling, I couldn't get many hours of practice in like I can with TTUISD,” Natalie said.

Natalie's father, Christopher Smith, said they chose TTUISD to allow their daughter the opportunities as a musician to practice, perform, and to hear live performances throughout the country.

“We have found TTUISD to be a perfect fit for our daughter, the classes have been rigorous and the teachers have been very involved both in support of her studies and her growth as a student,” Christopher said. “This type of setup works extremely well with her ability to practice multiple hours a day, which is what is needed to pursue such a career.”

Outside of her schoolwork and violin practice, Natalie enjoys reading, spending time with family and learning more about music. Her hobbies include collecting books, researching history and enjoying nature. Natalie said her favorite subject in school right now is history because she loves to learn about the past and how it influences people in today's world.

After graduating, Natalie hopes to attend Indiana University, University of Southern California, Cleveland Institute of Music, or the Cincinnati Conservatory to study music and earn a performance degree in violin.

“I would like to become a professional orchestral musician,” Natalie said.

“Our daughter is so much happier being able to pursue her dream of being a symphonic violinist, which we know is a difficult path,” Christopher said about Natalie attending TTUISD.

“I believe those students who are involved in a discipline that requires individual attention should pursue TTUISD to allow for their skills to be ‘honed-in,'” Christopher said. “For us, [TTUISD] has allowed her to study, practice, and perform from anywhere in the world.”