Los Angeles, CA
Natalie Rowland ’21 (aka adoo) has been singing and dancing and making noise since she was a kid. From piano lessons and acting in school plays to releasing her solo debut album ("Heartbroken 5 Year Old," 2021), Natalie has kept chasing music as she's found it to be the most magical thing in this world.
As a 15-year-old sophomore at Chaminade College High School (West Hills, California), Natalie created the Heartstringz Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to spreading the joy of music to hospitalized children, teens and the elderly. Heartstringz has provided ukuleles to the patients at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, Shriner’s Hospital, Ronald McDonald House and Motion Picture Television Fund.
Throughout her time at William & Mary, Natalie loved all the opportunities the music department had to offer — from interning at the Kennedy Center through the W&M Washington Center to studying Middle Eastern music abroad in Oman to playing the mandolin for the Appalachian Music Ensemble. Natalie was also awarded the Louis E. Catron Grant for Artistic Development and the Anna Belle Koenig Nimmo Scholarship to support the recording and production of her debut album, “Heartbroken 5 Year Old” — out now on all streaming platforms.
Now Natalie is working on new music with her band “Future Bigfoot” and is planning on moving to Boulder, Colorado, to check out the music scene there.
I'm so happy I got to study something that feels like learning magic for my college degree. I met some of my favorite people through music at W&M and I'm eternally indebted.