WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — On the frozen edge of the world, staying in practice as a professional musician takes ingenuity, grit and a plastic instrument for schoolchildren that’s guaranteed not to freeze to your fingers or face.
Natalie Paine is a French horn player in New Zealand ’s navy who since October has been among 21 military members stationed in Antarctica. There, her melodies drift across the frozen Ross Sea from perhaps the most remote practice room on Earth.
“It’s beautiful and very inspiring,” Paine told the Associated Press. “I’ll sit there by the window and I will do my routine and play music in my time off, which is not very often.”
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’s navy, Paine learned members of the country’s 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.
“My eyes lit up and I was like, what? Even a musician?” Paine said. “He’s like, heck yeah, why not?”
Her dream was revived but enacting it wasn’t simple. It took four years of unsuccessful applications before Paine landed a posting as a communications operator.
It’s 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’s mission at Scott Base, sometimes speaking to people on the ice who haven’t 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 Sir Edmund Hillary 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.
“There’s so much beauty and it’s not tame either, it’s this wild, untamed beauty of the land around you and the animals as well,” she said. “It’s just so overwhelming, spiritually, emotionally, physically sometimes as well.”
Her practical dilemmas included finding an instrument suitable for Antarctica — something hardy, lighter than a brass French horn and less likely to freeze to her hands. The winner, called a jHorn, isn’t elegant.
“It was designed to be a beginner brass instrument for children,” said Paine. “So it was like, super compact, super light plastic, very durable, nowhere near as much maintenance required.”
New Zealand’s navy doesn’t 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.
“I 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,” 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.
“Music is the universal language and it’s something that reminds us that we’re all connected,” she said. “It brings that connection back to home, back to land and back to the people you’re with as well.”
In this photo provided by Antarctica New Zealand, Natalie Paine plays a plastic French horn at Scott Base in Antarctica, on Nov. 16, 2025. (Anthony Powell/Antarctica New Zealand via AP)
In this photo provided by Antarctica New Zealand, Natalie Paine plays a plastic French horn at Scott Base in Antarctica, on Nov. 16, 2025. (Anthony Powell/Antarctica New Zealand via AP)
In this photo provided by Antarctica New Zealand, Natalie Paine plays a plastic French horn at Scott Base in Antarctica, on Nov. 16, 2025. (Anthony Powell/Antarctica New Zealand via AP)
NEW YORK (AP) — Make no mistake, New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns has heard all the harsh criticism this offseason.
There's no way to duck that much heat — especially when some of it's coming from your own kitchen.
But after saying goodbye to popular slugger Pete Alonso, star closer Edwin Díaz and two other Mets stalwarts before Christmas, a steadfast Stearns remains confident in his vision for 2026 and beyond.
“Clearly, this has been an offseason with a lot of change. Some of that change has been really tough," Stearns said Tuesday at a Citi Field luncheon with Mets beat reporters.
"I certainly understand that there have been points in this offseason that have been frustrating for our fan base. We’re not blind to that at all. I’m certainly not blind to that. I hear it. I recognize it. I hear it from my friends and family, at times. I’m also very convicted that what we are doing is the right thing for our franchise going forward to accomplish our goals of creating a consistent playoff team. A team that year after year is a true World Series contender.”
In addition to letting Alonso and Díaz leave as free agents, Stearns traded outfielder Brandon Nimmo and versatile veteran Jeff McNeil — both homegrown Mets.
New York signed closer Devin Williams to a $51 million, three-year contract, infielder Jorge Polanco to a $40 million, two-year deal and reliever Luke Weaver to a $22 million, two-year agreement. With the club intent on improving its defense, Gold Glove second baseman Marcus Semien was acquired from Texas in the trade for Nimmo.
“It has not been hard for me to stay patient and stick to my principles,” said Stearns, raised in New York City. “I grew up a Mets fan. I love the Mets. I am committed to doing this job in a way that I think truly sets us up for success for a sustained period of time. That’s why I want to be here.
"And so I think that end goal and that end desire and that motivation makes it much easier for me to not be swayed by some near-term sentiment. As difficult as near-term sentiment can be, and certainly in this town as loud as it can be, I understand ultimately what our task is, what our mission is, and I believe we’re on our way to achieving it.”
Looking for a big bat in the outfield to pair with Juan Soto, the Mets are believed to to be pursuing free agent Kyle Tucker, who batted .266 with 22 homers, 73 RBIs and an .841 OPS in 136 games for the Chicago Cubs last season.
Last year’s World Series teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays, are thought to be the other finalists for Tucker.
New York finished 83-79 last season and missed the playoffs even though owner Steve Cohen was on track to be baseball's second-biggest spender at $431 million in projected payroll and luxury tax.
“What we’ve done previously has not been good enough. We all know that. I certainly know that. And we’ve got to do better,” Stearns said. “We have elite talent at the top of our major league roster. We’ve got a very good farm system. And we’ve got a very good present-day major league team as we sit here today that’s going to get better before we get to opening day.”
Stearns, a small-market success while running the Milwaukee Brewers, pointed to young Mets players like catcher Francisco Alvarez, third baseman Brett Baty and pitcher Nolan McLean as reasons for both immediate and long-term optimism.
“We do think we’ve got a really special crop of young starters,” Stearns said. “I think to this point we’ve yielded really good prospects, and the next challenge for us is let’s turn them into really good major league players.
"I think we’re going to be able to be a good team and win games in somewhat different ways than maybe we have over the past couple of years, and the roster we’re putting together I think will reflect that.”
Top prospect Carson Benge will get a chance to make the big league team out of spring training, possibly in center field.
“We think this is going to be a really good player who’s going to be good here for a long time. Whether that begins on opening day, I’m not sure yet,” Stearns said. "There’s not a lot that we don’t like.”
Left-handed reliever A.J. Minter, rehabbing from surgery for a torn left lat muscle, probably won't be ready for opening day. "But it shouldn’t be too far into the season,” Stearns said.
Christian Scott is expected back following Tommy John surgery in September 2024.
“He’ll be fully ready to go. Exactly how we ramp his season, I think we still have to determine that,” Stearns said.
Third baseman Mark Vientos is expected to get playing time at first along with Polanco.
Stearns said Soto has “worked incredibly hard” on improving his defense this offseason in the Dominican Republic.
“I think Juan can get materially better and I think Juan is the type of person and player when he puts his mind to something, generally achieves it,” Stearns said. “We have to be better at keeping runs off the board. Our pitching and defense has to be better."
McLean and fellow right-hander Clay Holmes are set to pitch for the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic in March.
“We are having conversations with both of those guys about workload,” Stearns said.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb
FILE - New York Mets' Pete Alonso gathers his belongings in the dugout after the Mets lost to the Miami Marlins in a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky,File)
FILE - New York Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns responds to questions during a news conference about MLB trade deadline deals, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith, File)
