A slight elderly woman sets down the few possessions she carries with her in plastic bags and has a seat at the piano on the side of the busy Melbourne street. Within seconds, her seeming arthritis riddled hands begin to glide across the keys with ease, playing an original composition of beauty and haunting melancholy.
Her hair tousled by the breeze and a look of joy and rapt concentration on her face, it is plain to see that 79 year old “Natalie”, the only name people know her by, finds her greatest joy in creating beautiful music. Although passersby’s are moved to contribute money, it is clear that is not Natalie’s motivation. The music is her motivation.
In fact, she once refused payment by the department store where her playing drew large crowds. A free spirit, Natalie talks of having a home and a family in the past, but never quite feeling “permanently settled” and dreaming of the day that she could live out of a suitcase. With her mysterious origins and downtrodden appearance, it is said that people tend to avoid Natalie on the street.
However, people flock to her when she plays, drawing onlookers in sheer amazement as her human spirit and amazing talent shines through. The crowds drawn by Natalie are no longer limited to passing pedestrians. In fact, the YouTube video featuring one of her street-side recitals is now at 400,000 views and growing.