Coming from a musical family, it’s no surprise that senior Natalie Hix is an active member of the school’s chamber orchestra. Hix is second chair, in the first violin section and also holds a position as president of the school’s irish music group, GOTAK.

“Last year I was in a ‘helping out’ position,” Hix said. “It’s cool to be in a student-lead group. There’s not really a conductor, so we have to work together on a lot of things.”

She first came into contact with a violin at the early age of four, when it was presented to her by her parents.

“It’s a great instrument because you have to work at it,” Hix said, “Practicing for hours sometimes, but the satisfaction after you finally figure out a hard section is unlike anything.”

True to her word, Hix invests a lot of time in her violin. When she’s stressed or bored, she turns to music.

“My favorite thing to play is just pulling up a beat online and doing improv on my instrument,” Hix said.

Being a part of orchestra certainly gives her something to look forward to at the end of a long school day.

“I love the community of orchestra,” Hix said. “Everyone watches out for each other and it’s a great culture.”

In orchestra, everyone has to work together and bring their own skills to the table. Hix not only acknowledges, but admires the effort that goes into playing as a whole, rather than an individual.

“We have to learn how to coordinate with each other and pick up leadership skills,” Hix said. “We have hard music but there’s this understanding when we play where we all pick up on what everyone else is doing and it just feels so in sync.”

When asked if she planned to continue violin, Hix’s smile grew, and she didn’t hesitate to answer.

“Oh yeah,” she said. “Definitely. There’s no doubt about it.”