Cynthia Steele is the Orchestra Manager of the NSO.

The orchestra played two fabulous back-to-back Young People's Concerts in Helena on Thursday.  It was truly a joy to see the audience filled with students and hear the cheers at the end of the concert. Logistically, we all had to check out of the hotel earlier in the morning, take the bus directly to the YPC, and then bus straight to Little Rock. Because we were going to be in a concert or on a bus through the lunch hour, we coordinated boxed lunches for the orchestra to pick up after the concert and eat on the bus. We had some logistical discussions about how to organize our four buses and the many school buses after the concert, and it was complicated to get everyone their lunch and on the bus and off to Little Rock, but once we did, we were able to check in here in LR and have the rest of the evening off.

However, when we say "evening off" or "orchestra day off", this is misleading – this is when the myriad of outreach and educational activities, as well as chamber music concerts, are happening. For example, after that YPC in Helena, we had a Community Service Performance in Helena at a nursing home, an In-School Ensemble/Assembly in Searcy at Harding University, Sectionals/Coaching at Hendrix College in Conway, three Chamber Music Concerts (in Forrest City, Brinkley, and Conway), and an Improv Show in Little Rock that involved two of our musicians. And this was just in one afternoon/evening! The NSO musicians and staff certainly keep busy in the "off" times! Since I came to the NSO three years ago, I've been impressed at the extra above-and-beyond work that they do in their "free" time on the Residencies, the amazing programs that they create, and the dedication to making the Residencies a great experience for the state we are visiting.

Kate Preston, Assistant Production Manager, passing water to a stage crew member (Dave Langrell) in preparation for the boxed lunch distribution.

Water for the orchestra for the YPC and the boxed lunches.

Emil de Cou, Associate Conductor, before the YPC trying out an electric violin. It's not quite as snazzy as the baseball bat violin!

Steve Dumaine, Principal Tuba, in the Green Room.

An example of the bulletin board in the Little Rock hotel, which lists all the educational/outreach/chamber activity pickups and departures.