Quincy native Natalie Hagwood may be the changing face of the modern-day cellist.

 

Unbridled by past conventions of what her instrument could and should do, the Sacramento transplant, who began formal cello training at age seven, continues to blossom. Her desire to explore new musical horizons and expand the changing role of cello in contemporary music continues with solo releases that have helped her find her “true voice” and quench her self-professed “hunger for creativity.”

 

As a child, Natalie grew up with the music of the church, sang harmonies with her singer/songwriter father, and was encouraged to further her musical education by her mother. She fell in love with youth symphony in her junior high years, and during her high school years took cello lessons from a University of Nevada Reno cello teacher who encouraged her to pursue a degree in Classical Cello Performance, a degree she would eventually receive from the University of Nevada in 2017.

 

A brief post-graduate stint at the University of Washington allowed her to study with UW Professor Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir and Dr. Kevin Krentz while teaching privately with the Seattle Cello Academy. During her time in Seattle, she won the University of Washington Concerto Competition, soloing with the UW Symphony in 2018. She has performed with piano-cello Duo Libra and Los Angeles Philharmonic Concertmaster Martin Chalifour and held benefit concerts in Los Angeles to raise funds for the Paradise Campfire victims.

 

Finding herself locked into a narrow “classical vortex,” she left the university and began ravenously listening to non-classical music and exploring her folk and singer-songwriter roots. Collaborations with Celtic, Americana and jazz bands eventually brought her together with bandmates Dear Darling, with whom she performed with for five years. While a member of Dear Darling, she honed her folk cello and vocal harmonizing skills while performing intimate house shows and once-in-a-lifetime shows on the Cayamo Music Cruise through the Caribbean and NPR's Mountain Stage in Charleston, WV. Additionally, Ms. Hagwood performs as a member of Solabel, a Sacramento-based ensemble of established jazz, folk, and Broadway talents whose messages of joy, hope and community crosses musical boundaries

 

Her first solo release, “Steady Love,” co-written with a college friend, Jeremiah Cossa, is a luscious ballad built on intricate polyrhythms and beautifully layered harmonies. Admittedly, one of her many coming-of-age tunes, the track chronicles a particularly rocky time during her marriage when she realized that the institution wasn’t always going to be “shiny and new.”

 

The heartfelt “Mama” speaks to the changing dynamics with her mother over time, while “Spider Song” addresses her frustration with fear cycles controlling her actions. The latter two tracks, performed pizzicato with solo cello and Hagwood’s ethereal mezzo-soprano voice continue to expand the evolving role of the instrument in contemporary music, while helping shape her own unique musical voice.

 

“It’s like quenching a thirst,” Natalie says. “The more that I prioritize my new music, the better I can show up for my other ensembles, and I’ve got to keep chipping away at expressing myself.”

 

Expressing herself also includes time mentoring others through her Concert-Ready Cellist Program. Natalie’s unique curriculum confronts the isolation and stage fright inherent in traditional private lesson models, opting instead for a community-based model inspired by team sports that encourages the sharing of one's gifts. Students in The Concert-Ready Cellist Program perform together regularly, and Natalie's teaching philosophy centers on giving students the technical skills they need to play the music they love. From Jimmy Hendrix's "Purple Rain" to Taylor Swift's "Love Story," she thrives in keeping the musical door wide open and guiding a student to their unique musical goals. Twice-a-month, students meet to play in cello choir ensembles, while an Open Mic Night every three months keeps things fresh and exciting.