Natalie McMahon, a second-year studying music technology and broadcast journalism, has found a transformative power through her music that she hopes to share with others.
From a young age, McMahon has been innately drawn to music — both listening to it and playing it. She grew up playing the violin and piano and has found her passion now with her acoustic guitar. Not only does she find comfort in playing music, but also in writing it.
Some people write stories, or you know, play imagination. I would make up songs.
Natalie McMahon
Growing up in a small town outside of Cleveland, Ohio, McMahon found herself aspiring to take her singing and songwriting to the next level. Lyrics kept hidden in her small notebook soon took the form of fully made songs — McMahon has created well over 100 original songs.
In high school, McMahon turned her dreams of recording into a reality. “I reach out to a couple of producers and I hear nothing forever. Then I hear back from one, it’s this little indie producer outside of Cleveland that used to work in Nashville,” McMahon says.
Coming to Penn State proved to be a transformative experience for McMahon. Moving from a high school of only 32 students to a University with over 80,000 was hard to believe, but incredibly necessary for her future as an artist.
In her childhood, McMahon had only a small group of friends and coming to University Park opened her eyes to an entirely new world. She is a part of Penn State’s acapella group, Shades of Blue, where she both sings and creates musical arrangements.
McMahon started recording and producing her own singles starting her junior year of high school with her song “Celestial Heartbreak.” She finds inspiration in artists like Noah Kahn, Gracie Abrams and Lizzy McAlpine and describes her music as ‘drama-girl-autumn.’” For McMahon, the words mean the most. Lyrics and their meanings are what move her and what she hopes will move her listeners.
“I have a lot of trouble expressing myself and just in my personal life, so this is really my way of sharing how I feel.” McMahon hopes that sharing her own experiences through music can reach people she never had thought of reaching before.
I wanna be that person, where some little girl is like, ‘my parents are going through a divorce,’ and she’s sitting in her room, in her feels, listening to my music.
Natalie McMahon
McMahon was one of the performers this year at THON: Penn State’s student-run philanthropy that raises money and awareness for childhood cancer. “I had a chronic illness when I was in middle school and when I see kids that are really struggling when they really should just be kids, I feel like we need to provide them with everything we can,” McMahon says.
Performing at THON is just one of the many big things happening in McMahon’s music career in the future. Rather than just a hobby, music is McMahon’s whole life. Performing and creating music as her career is not a choice of if, but a matter of how. Her passion is clear to anyone who meets her, she is bursting at the seams with music, emotion and creativity.
“I feel things so big,” McMahon says.
McMahon’s EP is coming out this spring which showcases her innate desire to connect with people and express emotions that everyone can relate to. Her home is also on the stage, where she will continue to perform at State College, Cleveland and beyond.
I really try my best to connect with people as much as I can … I wanna make people feel.
Natalie McMahon
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