WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) 鈥� On the frozen edge of the world, staying in practice as a professional musician takes ingenuity, grit and a plastic instrument for schoolchildren that鈥檚 guaranteed not to freeze to your fingers or face.
Natalie Paine is a French horn player in navy who since October has been among 21 military members stationed in . There, her melodies drift across the frozen Ross Sea from perhaps the most remote practice room on Earth.
鈥淚t鈥檚 beautiful and very inspiring,鈥� Paine told the Associated Press. 鈥淚鈥檒l sit there by the window and I will do my routine and play music in my time off, which is not very often.鈥�
An unlikely journey to the ice
The story of how she arrived in Antarctica is an unlikely one. Paine grew up in the hot, dry climate of Adelaide, Australia, where she dreamed of visiting the frozen continent as a scientist.
She studied music at university instead, putting Antarctica out of her mind. Years later however, as a musician in New Zealand鈥檚 navy, Paine learned members of the country鈥檚 military were stationed in Antarctica to support the work of scientists.
When she asked, her instructor said any military member could win one of the coveted assignments.
鈥淢y eyes lit up and I was like, what? Even a musician?鈥� Paine said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 like, heck yeah, why not?鈥�
The most remote practice room on Earth
Her dream was revived but enacting it wasn鈥檛 simple. It took four years of unsuccessful applications before Paine landed a posting as a communications operator.
It鈥檚 a consuming job, worked in six-day stretches that leave little time for music. Paine monitors radio, phone, email and other communications traffic at New Zealand鈥檚 mission at Scott Base, sometimes speaking to people on the ice who haven鈥檛 heard other voices for weeks.
In whatever window she can find, Paine squeezes in scales and mouth exercises, going to great lengths not to disturb others on round-the-clock shifts. That means slipping out of the main base to a hut built in 1957 under the leadership of explorer as New Zealand established its presence in Antarctica.
While she plays by the window, watching seals on the ice, Paine finds new musical motifs bubbling up.
鈥淭here鈥檚 so much beauty and it鈥檚 not tame either, it鈥檚 this wild, untamed beauty of the land around you and the animals as well,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just so overwhelming, spiritually, emotionally, physically sometimes as well.鈥�
A hostile climate prompts ingenuity
Her practical dilemmas included finding an instrument suitable for Antarctica 鈥� something hardy, lighter than a brass French horn and less likely to freeze to her hands. The winner, called a jHorn, isn鈥檛 elegant.
鈥淚t was designed to be a beginner brass instrument for children,鈥� said Paine. 鈥淪o it was like, super compact, super light plastic, very durable, nowhere near as much maintenance required.鈥�
New Zealand鈥檚 navy doesn鈥檛 have records of another military musician being posted to Antarctica so Paine, who will be there until March, could be the first. Her presence has delighted Scott Base and she has provided live music for ceremonies, such as the changing of the flag, instead of the usual tunes from a speaker.
鈥淚 had to have ski gloves on with double layers and hand warmers on the inside to be able to hold the trumpet and still my fingers were freezing,鈥� she said. Paine is, however, likely one of the few musicians to perform a solo Antarctic concert in minus 21 degrees Celsius (minus 6 Fahrenheit).
She said the collective effort between nations to work together on the frozen content had a familiar theme. It reminded her of music.
鈥淢usic is the universal language and it鈥檚 something that reminds us that we鈥檙e all connected,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t brings that connection back to home, back to land and back to the people you鈥檙e with as well.鈥�
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