Jeff Weisner is a bassist in the NSO.

At a certain point on any NSO tour, you'll hear someone make some version of the following comment: "All these concerts and rehearsals are really ruining this tour for me!" It's a joking way of pointing out the sometimes annoying reality of touring. All of us come on a tour with at least some plans of being, well, tourists. We're in a foreign country, staying in a nice hotel, and being paid to do it. All of us want to find ways to get out and experience local culture and see the sights. (Fortunately, our schedule does allow us some time to do this; three days from now many of us will be on the Great Wall on our day off in Beijing!)

However, the truth is that that we're here to perform and present what we do to a new audience. Travel is stressful and sometimes exhausting, and we need to structure our touristic activities around making sure that our energy and focus can be there for our rehearsals and concerts. Yesterday afternoon in Macau was the first time on this tour that I had to curtail my sightseeing urge in order to be ready for a concert. We had a rehearsal in the morning and had the afternoon free. It was the only large block of free time we had in Macau, and I had hoped to take a stroll in the city. However, I sensed that a huge wave of jet-lag-related exhaustion was headed my way, and instead of strolling I opted for a nap and nice dinner at the hotel. I get frustrated being in a place like Macau and not having a chance to see much; it's not too likely I'll be back here again anytime soon. However, I'm pretty sure that I would have treated the audience at last night's concert to a few impromptu and unscheduled bass solos if I hadn't rested!