KUALA LUMPUR: Seated at the piano, Natalia Lee does not need sheet music to guide her. The 14-year-old relies on memory, years of practice, and a finely tuned sense of touch as her fingers travel confidently across the keys.
For Lee, who is visually impaired, music has become far more than a pastime. It is a way to express herself, challenge her limits, and build confidence with every piece she learns.
The Sekolah Menengah Pendidikan Khas Setapak student began piano lessons at the age of five. Nearly a decade later, she admits that mastering a new piano piece still demands patience and concentration.
“The biggest challenge is memorising complex musical works, especially when I have to jump from one part of the keyboard to another,” she told Bernama after performing at the “Suaramu, Syairku” concert in Angkasapuri recently.
“I need to judge precisely where my fingers should land.”
Without being able to follow sheet music while playing, Natalia must commit each passage to memory, including changes in rhythm, position and mood.
Yet the process has also taught her to persevere. Her dedication earned her the opportunity to represent her school at the concert, where she performed a medley arranged with her teacher, Christine Chin, after just two weeks of intensive rehearsals.
Natalia credits her family and teachers with giving her the encouragement to keep going whenever a piece seemed difficult. “I would not have achieved this without their support,” she said.
Her advice for fellow musicians, especially those with disabilities? “Never give up on your dreams. Always stay positive and keep working towards what you want to achieve.”
She was not the only young performer from the school to take the stage. The Setapak Ukulele Crew, comprising five visually impaired musicians aged between 13 and 20, entertained the audience with a medley of three songs.
Among them was 20-year-old Azeem Ikhwan Mahadi, whose interest in music began only after his teachers and classmates encouraged him to try the ukulele.
“At first, I thought I wouldn’t be able to do it because I had never played an instrument before,” he said. “But as I learnt step by step, I gradually began to enjoy it and eventually developed a passion for it.”
For Azeem, learning an instrument has opened up possibilities extending beyond the stage. Despite the shortage of music-learning materials for the visually impaired, he hopes to pursue music professionally and believes performances or part-time work could eventually help support his studies and daily expenses.
He, too, had words of wisdom to share: start, keep learning, and do not assume the opportunity is beyond reach. “Anyone can succeed in this field,” he said.
