CHENEY, Wash. — A student at Cheney Middle School has been selected for the opportunity of a lifetime.
Eighth-grader Natalie Dees will perform as a soprano during the Middle School Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall in June of 2019. Participation in one of three Honors Ensembles is limited to the highest-rated middle school performs in North America and select international schools.
Dees auditioned for the Honors Performance Series in the fall and was accepted after a review by the selection board. She will join other performers from 39 U.S. States, several provinces of Canada, Malaysia, Qatar, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.
The finalists will come together for five days to learn from master conductors before the public performance at Carnegie Hall on June 22.
“I could not be more excited about this. I’m getting to follow my dreams,” Dees said.
Dees has studied music for three years and is a member of the Cheney Middle School Choir. She has received superior ratings at festivals throughout the Northeast Music Educators Association.
Dees said she has never received any formal singing lessons and that the audition for the Middle School Honors Performance Series was outside of her comfort zone.
Cindy Martin, Dees' mom, said her daughter gets good grades and is an “honored part of her school community.”
“My daughter loves music. She’s been singing since the day she started walking. I’m so excited to support this dream of hers,” Martin told KREM. “She has worked hard and I’m proud of her.”
Martin said she Dees lives in a single-income household, and is searching for support from friends, family and the local community. Her daughter has set up a GoFundMe account to pay for travel expenses and other costs.
Dees’ biggest hurdle is raising the money, she said. She needs $1,800 for participation and her mom also needs to travel with her due to health issues. The family is estimating that costs will be at least $4,000.
"I was diagnosed with PKU as an infant, which essentially means I can't process food the way everyone else does. The cost of my medical bills alone has always held us back a little. But I'm a fighter, and I am pursuing my dreams! Whether its the scary part of auditioning, health stuff, or finances, I won't let anything hold me back,” Dees wrote on the GoFundMe page.
Nine people have donated $650 to the GoFundMe account in more than two weeks.
