Truly Talented: Student Profile Natalie Schweizer

Student accompanist Natalie Schweizer shares her musical gift through on campus performances

Story & Design | Kira Crow

For those who’ve attended any choir or band performances this year, chances are you’ve seen Natalie Schweizer. She’s a familiar face on campus. As a first-year student coming in as a sophomore, Schweizer is very involved on campus and known by many.

She is involved in Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Wind Symphony, Jazz Band, Badinage, Concert Choir, and Campus Crusade for Christ. Additionally, she sings and plays the French horn and piano, and serves as an accompanist for both band and choir shows. Just this school year, she has been in 10 to 12 campus concerts. She is majoring in music education and her end goal is to become a music teacher.

Schweizer decided to come to HutchCC because, “it was a great place to start. I’ve had three older siblings come here and they’ve all come back with great stories. I’m very much blessed in the music department to be so fully participated in just a year.”

When it comes to what she likes about HutchCC, Schweizer said, “the people, you can tell they care. I’ve had a lot of professors who, they just they reach out, they notice if I’m not doing so well. The classes have been rigorous enough that it keeps me on my toes. I feel like it’s challenging enough to help me to grow. And I’ve also made some lifelong friends here which is really exciting.”

Thanks to Schweizer’s mother, she has been playing piano since she was five or six. She has participated in band and choir since fifth grade.

Serving as the piano accompanist for campus performances is an experience.

“A challenge,” Schweizer said. “It’s also an exercise of patience with myself, the director, and the kids in the choir. I have to be patient and you have to work hard to be able to be there and be reliable and dependable. So it’s been good to reinforce that lesson for me.”

Natalie Schweizer, Nickerson, sings during the Singin’ & Swingin’ Vocal and Instrumental Jazz Concert on Nov. 5.

Photo | Kaitlyn Seiwert

On top of being so involved with HutchCC, Schweizer also plays piano, keyboard, and sings for her church’s praise and worship team at least once a month. Her Christian beliefs are very important to her.

“The biggest part for me is to spread the love of the Lord through music,” she said.

One of the many teachers that encourages Schweizer is Professor and Director of Choral Activities, Neal Allsup. Allsup has been teaching at HutchCC for 34 years. In this time, he has had many accompanists and many more students.

Schweizer plays piano for the Autumn’s Melody Concert Choir Show on Oct. 22. This concert was for the Wind Symphony & Concert Chorale. Photo | Kira Crow Schweizer practices a solo during the Badinage rehearsal.

Photo | Kaitlyn Seiwert

“I don’t think I could give a higher sense of praise than to say she is truly one of the most talented students musically that I’ve ever had here in 34 years. And usually that goes along with a great, a heightened sense of ego, but not with Natalie. I don’t think that she’s ever had an egotistical thought in her,” Allsup said about having Schweizer as an accompanist.

Schweizer is truly a special, hardworking, talented student. These are factors one needs to have in order to be a good accompanist.

“For a really great accompanist, they need to kind of feel like they can read the mind. They’re playing along, but they’re also hearing what needs to be fixed so they know as soon as we stop, they’re trying to figure out where we’re going to go back to and she does that so well,” Allsup said. “She has musicianship skills, she doesn’t just sit down and can play a few things, she reads well, she knows the mechanics of what needs to happen, and she thinks ahead.”

Schweizer will be graduating this May and transferring to Sterling College to further her education. Sadly, she will no longer be the accompanist for HutchCC.

“Unfortunately we are gonna lose that incredible, incredible talent. I mean with the incredible talent she has musically, she’s an even better person. She’s a remarkable person,” Allsup said.

After graduating with her teaching degree from Sterling, Schweizer plans to teach music education. Her dream is to teach Kindergarten through 12th grade music.

“Probably the biggest motivation for teaching is that I know there are kids out there who need somebody. They just need somebody who wants them to be there and wants them to succeed and pour into their life and be a mentor for them,” Schweizer said. “I’ve had a lot of teachers through grade school, high school, and college who have done that for me, so I want to turn around and do it for the upcoming generation.”

As for any advice she has for fellow students, Schweizer said, “Get yourself involved now. You’ll learn more through experience than you will through watching. There’s value in observing but there’s also value in getting your hands dirty yourself and figuring it out.”

Schweizer practices a solo during the Badinage rehearsal.

Photo | Kira Crow