Natalie Christa Rakes finds herself at the convergence of memory and music in her performance on “Memoir” — Grammy-winning composer Steven Mackey’s deeply personal and dramatic new piece.
“Memoir,” a recently released 75-minute CD, is narrated by Rakes and backed by musical performances by the Dover String Quartet and percussion group Arx Duo. Mackey is a Princeton resident and has been a professor of music at Princeton University since 1985.
Bridge Records, the label that released “Memoir,” describes it as “an emotional journey through the life of Mackey’s mother, Elaine.” The project highlights Rakes’ unique voice, with her performance drawing on her own life experiences.
Born and raised in a religious household in the small town of Churchville, Pennsylvania, Rakes had a childhood steeped in the quiet tempo of suburban life. The current Lawrence Township resident says she often felt the pull to explore a world beyond the one she knew, and her love for music and the arts unfolded at Council Rock High School.
The Rakes family rarely stuck to the “straight and narrow” path. Her father, Jerry Rakes, was a “self-made man” who pursued a career in restoring classic cars and building a successful auto body business. Rakes says the members of her family were all dreamers and artists, and she knew she wanted to follow in their footsteps.
Rakes says her father supported her efforts to forge a path in the arts instead of pursuing a traditional career, but seeing her take that risk was also terrifying for him.
“He didn’t want me to end up with nothing,” says Rakes. “He had a really hard time when I moved to LA to pursue my dreams.”
Her father’s brother, Pal Rakes, was a musician who was signed to major record labels, including Warner Brothers, Atlantic Records, and others. Exposure to her uncle’s musical journey planted the seed for her aspirations. “He was the first person in my life who showed me that someone could be successful in music,” she says.
During her teenage years, a major influence was Myka, a woman who was dating Rakes’ uncle at the time. Myka was deeply involved in the arts, particularly theater, and had even starred as Mary Poppins on Broadway. Rakes says that Myka’s influence was profound, and she fondly recalls writing letters to her as a child, thanking her for revealing “another side of the world.”
Rakes’ early expeditions into the music world began with the viola and piano in elementary and middle school, but the bass guitar truly resonated with her. In high school, she began writing original songs and playing in various bands — a passion that continued into her 20s and early 30s.
“Playing the bass was the start of me learning that I loved music so much,” Rakes says.
Her journey took her across the globe, including a period with a 1960s garage rock band that toured extensively and appeared on a reality television show. She also dabbled in pop music, achieving multiple number one hits on European dance charts and contributing to soundtracks for television shows like “American Horror Story” and “The L Word.”
However, it was her experience working at Warner Brothers that provided a different perspective on the music industry.
“I learned a lot about the behind-the-scenes of making money in a band, which can be pretty hard,” she explains. This knowledge proved to be invaluable as she navigated the often-unpredictable world of creative work.
Rakes’ path took an unexpected turn in 2010 when a friend connected her with Mackey, who was looking for a personal assistant. What began as an administrative role soon evolved into something far more significant.
Mackey “is regarded as one of the leading composers of his generation and has composed for orchestra, chamber ensembles, dance and opera,” says the Princeton University Music Department’s website.
He has been nominated for four Grammy Awards, including Best Classical Album in 2010 for “Dreamhouse,” and won the Grammy for Best Small Ensemble Performance in 2012 for “Lonely Motel: Music From Slide.”
Known for his innovative approach to classical music, Mackey was inspired by his mother’s unpublished memoir, a document encapsulated within a loose-leaf three-ringed binder that offered a raw and candid glimpse into her life.
According to the Bridge Records website, “Ms. Mackey bore witness to the tumultuous 20th Century — The Great Depression, WWII, while battling social anxiety, divorce and alcoholism. She writes with disarming candor about her experiences, which are brought to life in son Steve’s propulsive, yet tender, heartfelt score.”
Mackey says that initially, the idea of setting such a personal story to music was daunting, but he saw potential in the narrative’s simplicity and emotional depth.
“My mother was an ordinary person, but she had an interesting life,” Mackey says. “Her memoir wasn’t a poem or literature; it was just her truth, written to be very simplistic.”
The process of transforming Elaine Mackey’s life story into a musical composition came with its own set of triumphs and obstacles. Mackey experimented with a variety of musical styles and techniques to properly convey the emotions of his mother’s lived experiences.
Rakes’ involvement came in 2019 when Mackey asked her to record a few paragraphs from his mother’s memoir. “He came to me with a piece of paper in his hand and said, ‘Can you record this into my phone?’” Rakes recalls. “I didn’t even think twice about it.”
What started as a simple recording exercise quickly transformed into something more. As Mackey began composing, he found that Rakes brought an unexpected exuberance to the project. Her voice, with its natural sweetness and Pennsylvania roots, reminded him of his mother, making her the perfect fit for the part.
“We all began to love her voice,” Mackey says. “It wasn’t just a voice recording anymore; she became a performer in her own right.”
The “Memoir” project demanded a deep emotional connection to the material, something Rakes was able to achieve through a careful balance of artistic interpretation and respect for Elaine Mackey’s lived experiences. The process of embodying Elaine’s character required Rakes to navigate the complexities of Elaine’s life, from her youthful fervor to the darker moments of struggle and loss.
“I had to change characters three times throughout the performance, for each paragraph,” Rakes explains. “It was a lot of bouncing back and forth, but it was so beautifully done that it was a very smooth transition.”
Rakes noted that one of the biggest hurdles she needed to overcome within this project was memorizing the entire piece, which runs over an hour. Rakes admits that the task seemed daunting at first, but she ultimately succeeded — a feat she considers one of her greatest accomplishments.
The project also required Rakes to perform live, something she hadn’t done in years. She found the experience incredibly rewarding.
“Performing and being in front of people in the crowd, seeing their faces light up with laughter in the audience — it just really feeds me as an artist and actress,” she says.
“Memoir” has been performed live several times, with notable performances including: Princeton; Fayetteville, Arkansas; Providence, Rhode Island; and Seattle, Washington. The recording, which features Rakes’ narration alongside the Dover Quartet and Arx Duo, was released on August 16 on all major platforms.
For Rakes, the project has been a career-defining moment, one that has opened new possibilities for her future. While she continues to work closely with Mackey, she is excited about the potential for new collaborations and projects.
“I’ve loved that this experience has allowed me to travel and be up on stage,” Rakes says. “Anyone who wants to pursue creative aspects and musical areas should just do it because I doubted myself a lot, and I’ve gotten so many no’s from people. It’s so important to keep pushing forward.”
As for her future in the field, Rakes sees endless possibilities. “The world is getting smaller and smaller, and it would be such a shame to let your talent die out,” she says. “I’m just so grateful to be able to share this dream and live it.”
Mackey’s “Memoir” is a testament to the power of music and memory, a project that has not only honored the life of Elaine Mackey but also brought Rakes into the spotlight as a narrator and performer.
Both Mackey and Rakes say they hope that listeners will be moved by the story, finding their connections to the themes of love, loss, and resilience that resonate throughout the piece.
For Rakes, the journey from Bucks County to the world stage was anything but ordinary, and she hopes her role in “Memoir” is just the beginning.
Lawrence Township resident Natalie Christa Rakes was working as Steven Mackey’s assistant when a simple request led her to become the voice of "Memoir.",
