Bus stops are usually incredibly bland and boring. They’re certainly not places you go to for entertainment! Really? Well, think again!
Although you can see her 81-year-old hands are gnarled by arthritis, she seems to peel back at least a decade when she glides over the keys.
Who is she and what’s her name? Meet Natalie. She lives in Melbourne, Australia. She’s somewhat of a local legend there. It’s easy to understand why when you see how she performs.
She sits down in her shabby overcoat and… starts playing the piano. However, it isn’t just a bit of ‘Chopsticks’! No, indeed. This musical piece was composed by Natalie when she was just 13-years-old!
She transforms her sidewalk performance into a beautiful recital, a recital that we would pay good money to see again in a concert hall. The world is listening, and not just listening to an “old” lady playing piano on the street, but listening to a musical genius.
This isn’t just a ploy to get people to cough up some coins while they wait for the bus. No, this is akin to a musical performance that people might see at the Sydney Opera House. She’s been playing for a long time and knows what she’s doing.
If I were there, I’d be giving her a standing ovation after every song. She knows she’s in a place where people are ephemeral – here one moment and then boarding a bus and disappearing. She doesn’t compromise her artistic integrity, though. Her performance is most important, and she won’t cheapen it for anyone.
Her backstory is fascinating. The death of her two daughters led to her current situation sitting near a bus stop bench, doing what she’s doing now. It’s a form of catharsis. She’s played at hotels all over Australia and hasn’t let things keep her down. She could be a shining example to us all about perseverance. Even in life’s hardships… never give up. Natalie hasn’t.
It’s as though she channels and communicates the feelings of an infinite number of souls! What an outstanding, masterful performance and to know this is a raw improvisation boggles the mind!
Just look at how she quickly mesmerizes a group of perfect strangers! So hypnotic and beautiful that it brought tears to my eyes, BRAVO Natalie!! Thanks for posting this memorable piece of music history!
Perhaps we should put pianos on every sidewalk! When this old woman turns up at a boring bus stop it’s not for a reason we might have thought. Prepare to have your breath taken away by her sudden and emotional display.
Watch as her arthritic fingers glide back and forth across the black and white keys like she’s a young woman again. What a beautiful performance.
Where is Natalie now? Recently she performed a piece called “You Asked For Me”. This original composition was written in 1960 and played in March of 2018.
