Behind the Scenes…

As February flips to March, our rehearsals are focusing on getting small-group songs just right. Here’s a look at a little musical “sausage” being made. It starts with a quartet gathered around Music Director Mak Kastelic at the piano…

Mak works with Ali, Paula, Ron and Ralph as they start working through a particularly enchanting song about parents watching their children…

Here’s a taste of the instruction and collaboration needed to pull off a song such as this. Click on the image below to see the video, part of the NST YouTube channel. Then come hear the finished product May 6 – 9 at Rise Church in Tigard.

Rehearsals have begun for Mothers & Fathers & Kids … Oh, My!, NST’s May 2026 show. It’s a show that crosses genres as well as generations, and touches a range of emotions as we use music to look at families and family relationships. It should be a fun production, just in time for Mothers’ Day.

Earlier in the year, NST unveiled When We Were Young(er), our new initiative. We took it to several Portland-area retirement homes. Rehearsals began in December, with our first round of on-site concerts occurring from January 5-20.

These “mini-shows” showcase two smaller casts performing different collections of songs from recent NST performances. We plan on mounting a new series of such shows this summer.

Here are some photos from the mini-show rehearsal hall…