On The Job – Phil DiLorenzo

Bartender at Stark Brewing

Explain your job and what it entails.

I’ve been bartending for 34 years. Bartending instructor for 10. Basically, knowing bartender duties, making drinks, waiting the tables, waiting on the people, keeping your bar clean and stocked, and customer relations, is basically what I do.

What led you to this career field and your current job?

I was a carpenter in the ’80s…. I needed a secondary job to get me through the off season, so I picked this up. My father sent me to bartender school in 1990. I picked it up as a second job and as the years have gone on it’s morphed into my full-time work. I got trained as a bartender but then I got into restaurant work so I can wait tables, I can manage, I can host, I can do basically all aspects of the front of the house of the restaurant.

What kind of education or training did you need?

My only formal education was the bartending class that I took about 30 years ago. It was a 40-hour course. The rest of the training I’ve gotten is through companies and corporations training you to do stuff their way.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

Generally, black and whites, or here, it is basically whatever I want as long as it isn’t offensive. Jeans and a Stark shirt is what they want me to wear. But generally I wear jeans, and if I don’t have a Stark shirt I’ll just wear black.

What is the most challenging thing about your work, and how do you deal with it?

Just dealing with the guests, dealing with the people can be the hardest part depending on the guest’s personality and their level of intoxication.

What do you wish you had known at the beginning of your career?

Well, I kind of walked into it with eyes open. I mean, I know what a bartender does, I got the job. Maybe started a little earlier — I was in my mid to late twenties when I started. That’s about the only thing, really.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

A personal pet peeve of mine is when people yell drinks at me while I’m in the middle of doing something else. A good bartender has his next three or four steps planned out. But if I’m in the middle of Step 2 and you yell something at me, it’s going to throw me off of step 3 and 4 and then you’re going to get mad at me because I’m going to need to take care of 3 and 4 before I can take care of you….

What was your first job?

Not including paper routes, washing dishes in an Italian restaurant in the early ’80s … a family-owned pizza joint called the Capri. I washed dishes and did prep work there when I was like 15, 16.

What is the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?

… I use this all the time, especially in my bartending classes. It’s all about the dollars and cents. If you’re not making the dollars, it doesn’t make any sense.

Zachary Lewis

Five favorites
Favorite book: Dean Koontz is the author.
Favorite movie: I like old ’70s car movies, to tell you the truth. Stuff like Vanishing Point and Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry.
Favorite music: Classic rock. I have a vintage stereo system … over 600 records….
Favorite food: Probably more of a seafood person.
Favorite thing about NH: The location. Within an hour of Boston, within an hour of home, within an hour of where I grew up, within an hour of the beach, within an hour of the mountains.

Featured photo: Phil DiLorenzo. Courtesy Photo.

Created by friendship

Author Shannon Hale discusses her process

On Friday, March 29, at 6:30 p.m. author Shannon Hale and illustrator LeUyen Pham will be at Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord (45 S. Main St., 224-0562, gibsonsbookstore.com) to promote the latest installment in their Kitty-Corn children’s book series, Bubbly Beautiful Kitty-Corn.

How do your own children or family influence your work as an author?

They influence my work a great deal. I have four kids and my first book came out the same year my first child was born. When they were younger I was writing young adult and adult novels, but as they grew up I was reading so many picture books and chapter books with them and graphic novels that what I’ve chosen to write in the last few years is greatly influenced by them. Also, sometimes, they just give me ideas for books, they’ll say something, and I’ll be like, ‘Aha! That’s a great idea.’

Can you talk about the importance of friendship and how that influences your work?

My theory is that all stories are about relationships. The relationships between characters is what makes us invested in them and interested in them and that’s the heart of every story, so I love friendship stories. With me and Uyen [LeUyen Pham], we are legitimately best friends and Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn was born directly out of that friendship. It really is just about our love of each other and learning how to best support each other and take care of each other and have fun together. That’s really the essence of those books.

What are your writing rituals or processes, if any?

I don’t have any rituals. I’m not a fussy writer. I think a lot of that is born out of being a stay-at-home mom with four kids for my whole career. I have to write whenever I get a chance. If the kids are distracted for half an hour, I’m writing. I didn’t have a full-time nanny or that kind of leisure. I’ve never had an office space where I would go to, to work, so that I was alone. I have learned to write in kind of a guerilla warfare way, where, if there’s time, I get myself to focus and I just write.

What is your favorite thing about book tours?

My favorite thing about book tours when I am touring with Uyen is that we get to be together. It’s just like extra friendship time. In between events, we keep very busy, it’s exhausting, but in between events we might go to a coffee shop and start working on a new book together. That’s how Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn started, [it] was in a coffee shop in St. Louis, Missouri, between a couple of events on a book tour for one of our graphic novels. So, I love that. I also really, really love seeing the kids. These picture books are so fun because the little kids are adorable. We get to read the picture book to them and see their reactions and hear their hilarious questions and commentary. I just adore that. My kids are older now. My kids are 13 through 20, so I don’t have any little kids at home anymore, so I just eat that up.

Do you have any advice for aspiring children’s book authors?

I guess the main thing would be to write for fun. You need to be able to develop your craft to the point where you can get your sentences to do what you want them to do and that takes a lot of time and a lot of practice. It’s like learning an instrument or a sport. So the more fun you can have while you’re doing it, while you are developing your craft, the faster it will develop for you.

Zachary Lewis

Featured image: Shannon Hale. Photo by Jenn Florence.

In the kitchen with Steve Hardy

General manager and head cook at Yankee Lanes (216 Maple St., Manchester, 625-9656, manchester.yankeelanesentertainment.com)

Steve Hardy at Yankee Lanes is working to change the perception of Bowling Food.“We’re trying to up the ante on our food preparation and service,” Hardy said. In spite of the casual atmosphere of a bowling alley, he tries to offer foods that appeal to a variety of palates, serving everything from fried pickles to steak tips. He takes even snack foods seriously. Case in point: his hand-cut french fries, which are soaked in cold water to remove some of the starch, then fried twice, once at a relatively low temperature to cook the potatoes all the way through, and then, after a rest, again at a high temperature to ensure a crisp exterior.

What dish do you have to have on your menu?

Steak tips, I have a really good following for the recipe.

What would you have for your last meal?

Steak, definitely steak. I’m clearly a steak guy.

What is your favorite local eatery?

Stumble Inn, besides here of course.

Name a celebrity you would like to see eating at the bowling alley.

Gordon Ramsay.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

Our burgers are GREAT! They’re half a pound and cooked to the customer’s specification.

What is the biggest food trend you see in New Hampshire right now?

Mexican and Asian-style food is on the rise here with some really great choices.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

Pot roast; it’s simple, easy and delicious.

Featured Photo: Steve Hardy, General manager and head cook at Yankee Lanes. Courtesy Photo.

On The Job – Cathy Hilscher

Owner of Cats Kingdom

Cathy Hilscher is the owner of Cats Kingdom (679 Mast Road in Manchester, catskingdomonline.com).

Explain your job and what it entails.

I am the owner of Cat’s Kingdom. I am all about the food and holistic care. I am passionate about what I bring into the store and what I sell to people. I help people on an individual basis when they have problems with their cats because a big portion of it has to do with the foods that they eat.

How long have you had this job?

Nine years.

What led you to this career field and your current job?

Pierre, one of my cats, got sick from kidney disease and I realized there wasn’t a lot of education out there for cats and supportive food measures, and here I am nine years later.

What kind of education or training did you need?

I come from a background of retail. I’ve owned a few small businesses and I kind of put them together and collectively came up with this.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

You’re looking at it. Tie-dyed, sweatshirt, casual.

What is the most challenging thing about your work, and how do you deal with it?

Money coming in and money coming out and keeping things going is challenging. That’s the biggest thing. And getting noticed. Whatever you say out there, get me out there. Getting noticed and getting recognized online.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

How much goes into keeping a store in a state in a small environment with everything that is going on in the world. Keeping it afloat and getting the support locally to keep things afloat.

What was your first job?

A diet aide at a nursing home in New York, which is where I come from.

What is the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?

Don’t take things so personally.

Zachary Lewis

Five favorites
Favorite book: I don’t do a whole lot of reading. I don’t really have one.
Favorite movie: I am a sappy person, so anything Lifetime.
Favorite music: ’70’s genre all the way.
Favorite food: Probably Italian
Favorite thing about NH: It is very similar where I come from, a small town in central New York, outside of Albany. Small, quaint – I am not a big-bustling-type person, so it’s perfect. Love the seasons. Everything.

Featured photo: Cathy Hilscher. Courtesy Photo.

Future nurses

Nashua HS program offers experience

Lori Chisholm, Program Head of Nashua High School Careers and Technical Education – Health Occupations program, on the donation of eight Stryker Hospital beds through continued partnership with Southern New Hampshire Health.

Can you describe how this partnership changes or enhances the current health educational program at Nashua High School?

Southern and Nashua High have been kind of partnered throughout the years on different levels. Over the last year or so they have actually financially helped us with donations for some of the supplies we use as well as our pinning ceremony at the end of the year. This year they were actually able to donate eight Stryker hospital beds.

We had been replacing our beds one by one with our Perkins grant that we get through the school because they are quite costly. We have two labs, and each lab has five beds in it, so that was a huge help, for the students to actually have beds that work.

Laura Forgione [executive director of inpatient nursing, professional practice, and Magnet Program at Southern New Hampshire Health] … has been coming out every year and speaking to the students as well about their programs. Integrating them into the license nursing assistant part of the hospital as well as medical assisting and then on to nursing if that’s the way they choose to go. So it’s good for them to come into the school as well just to let us know about the programs that they are offering over there.

What is the student response?

One of my students that graduated from this program last year … went on to be accepted into the Rivier School of Nursing. At the beginning of this calendar year he actually asked for a recommendation for an LNA job at Southern. I do know that one of our students is actively working there, to the best of my knowledge. I think it just allows them to have information about different avenues that they can pursue and what the hospitals have to offer. Unfortunately, the State of New Hampshire and all the other states require that all the clinical hours the students get [are] in long-term care facilities. Which is unfortunate because I do think they would gain great experience being able to do that in the hospital as well. It restricts us a little bit in being able to even further the partnership with having students go there for clinicals because it is not approved by the board of nursing by the State of New Hampshire.

How important is hands-on experience for health care professionals?

Hands-on experience is extremely important. We actually start it with our students in the first year of the program, which is their junior year, typically, in our Health Science 1 class. Both the Health Science 1 and Health Science 2 class have full functioning labs that look like, in each room, five different hospital bed areas with curtains and blood pressure cuffs and side tables and overbed tables. We actually work on skills with them for their whole junior year as well as their senior year because in their senior year they actually go out and they take care of real people. They help them get showered, they help them if they can’t go in the shower, you know, get washed up in bed, get them dressed, help them to go to the bathroom, their hair, their teeth. So, they really are hands-on right from the get-go when they go out into the clinical environment. The lab environment is very important because it allows them to practice on each other before they actually touch people that rely on them to be able to help safely transfer them out of bed into a wheelchair.

What is the process of entering the program and how hard is it to get in?

It’s an awesome program. We allow area students to come that don’t have programs like this. We have students from Hollis, Brookline … Milford, Merrimack …. Obviously North and South, even though the actual program is at the South location of the high school. It not only benefits just the Nashua kids but the surrounding towns. So it depends upon the year, to be quite honest. When I had worked part-time in 2007 they had actually added a third teacher, and I was it, because the enrollment was so high. They are approved by the Health Science 1 teacher and the head teacher. If they have any questions they obviously come to me as well. Since Covid, the numbers have been down until this past year. Health Science 1 started with about 65 students. The most we can take in Health Science 2 is 48 because once we get out into the clinical environment I have one other instructor that I work with and we can each only take eight students at a time, and that is per the board of nursing of the State of New Hampshire.

For different reasons people drop out of Health Science 1. It wasn’t what they thought it would be, they aren’t performing as well as they thought they would. Next year I think I’ll have about 40-ish students. They can also do other tracks. Most of our students do the LNA track. I have a few kids that are doing physical therapy. I have two that are on our dental track. We are trying to get Pharmacy. Years ago we were able to let them go out into a clinical environment, into an actual pharmacy and work with a pharmacist and a pharmacy tech to see if that’s something they are interested in, but it is being held up at the pharmacy level because they have to get approval.

Not all of the students come out as LNAs. Some of them in Health Science 1 decide they want to be physician assistants, which, really, going into college they don’t need my program, the Health Science 2 program. They really would benefit from heavy loading on the sciences in their high school journey.

Zachary Lewis

Featured image: Lori Chisholm. Courtesy photo.

On The Job – Elaine Setas

Owner of Taste & Art of Greece

Elaine Setas is the owner of Taste and Art of Greece at 32 Hanover St. in Manchester.

Explain your job and what it entails.

I am the owner of Taste and Art of Greece. We are a Greek import business supporting small-batch artists and designers of Greece… .

How long have you had this job?

I started in 2018, with launching a website, TasteandArtofGreece.com. Since 2021 we have had some pop-up boutiques that were temporary around Manchester. [The Hanover Street location opened in 2023.]

What led you to this career field and your current job?

…A friend of mine in Greece who lives on the island of Lesbos who is my business partner, he had the idea to bring a traditional store but didn’t know how to launch it. I… I ended up getting laid off from my office job right before Covid in 2019 and decided to give this 100 percent of my energy, and it has become a labor of love for me.

What kind of education or training did you need?

Everything I have done has led up to this point. I was an English major, I was in theater, but I was an office assistant. What helped me with what I took in school: I was well-spoken, well-read, I could write well. I wasn’t shy in front of people because of my theater training. I learned a lot from my various office jobs over the years. Especially my last job I was at, 11 years working for CEOs and presidents. … They showed me a lot of the marketing that you need for this kind of job, because I am not just selling product. We are sharing stories about the artists, about who made the product… .

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

Well, right now, I try to wear Mediterranean-inspired clothes, but on occasion you will see me in leggings and a sweatshirt.

What is the most challenging thing about your work, and how do you deal with it?

I want to say sometimes people don’t understand what goes into the price of something. Or they don’t understand that a handmade item that’s being shipped from Greece might be at a certain price point … we are not buying our things mass-produced. Then we’re paying for customs, we are paying for shipping, we are paying the artist to support their work.

What do you wish you had known at the beginning of your career?

Learning how to bring things in through customs was not easy. We wanted to have more food coming from Greece and we realized we had to deal with FDA regulations. … I wish I knew more Greek. … I can answer in English, I can understand [Greek] but I speak in English.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

I don’t take the fact lightly that I am representing special artists and designers.

What was your first job?

The first job I ever had was working for my dad at Dunkin’ Donuts. As a waitress.

Zachary Lewis

This interview was condensed.

Five favorites
Favorite book: short stories and short story anthologies
Favorite movie: A Room with a View
Favorite music: U2. ’80’s music. Anything with George Michael.
Favorite food: Chinese
Favorite thing about NH: I love that it’s got mountains and lakes, and you can feel like you are in another world in some parts of the state.

Featured photo: Elaine Setas. Courtesy Photo.

New spot at the U.S. Attorney office

New attorney will focus on civil rights cases

Jane Young, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Hampshire, recently announced the appointment of Matthew Vicinanzo as Assistant U.S. Attorney. Vicinanzo will specifically handle civil and criminal civil rights cases, according to a press release.

What led you into the legal profession and what does the U.S. Attorney’s office do?

U.S. Attorney Young: The U.S. Attorney’s Office is the highest federal law enforcement officer in the district. So New Hampshire only has one district. There are 94 U.S Attorneys across the country. In this office we enforce criminal laws. We represent the state in civil matters, and we do civil enforcement as well.

AUSA Vicinanzo: For me, I have family members who are lawyers. So I learned from them, saw them as examples, role models. Based on observing and learning from my family members who are attorneys, there are two main reasons why I chose to be a lawyer. One was it was a challenging career. One where you are always taking new cases and the law is always changing so you always have to keep learning and have to keep thinking creatively. And then the second reason was it presented an opportunity to help others. I figured when I was going to law school no matter what happened in my career I would be able to use my skills and training to try to obtain something meaningful for somebody. Particularly somebody who was vulnerable.

Young: So, it is a noble profession. When I was done with college. I knew I wanted to advance my career, and law school seemed like the logical choice. I like to read, I like to write. I will tell you that I didn’t know what kind of lawyer I wanted to be. After my first year of law school, I was lucky enough to be hired as an intern at a county attorney’s office. It was something that I really enjoyed, where you can make a difference. It’s problem-solving; so to see investigations, to ask questions, to be able to put the facts together to determine if you had a case and then to be able to get up in a courtroom and present the facts and really make a difference for the community.

Can you expand on how this newly created position will further support the civil and constitutional rights of Granite Staters?

Young: So when I first assumed this role in May of ’22 it became clear to me that we were in need of somebody who could address civil rights issues. In this office there were people who did civil rights matters but they did them in addition to other jobs that they had, and when an opportunity came to make a presentation for the job I thought, we have nothing to lose. We are a small state. We don’t, on the federal level, have a dedicated civil rights unit. I had come from the Attorney General’s office where there was a creation of a civil rights unit and I saw the difference that it made. First, just in outreach to be able to go into communities to talk about the issues in communities to listen to individuals and to tell them there are avenues that they could pursue. That they had rights and that they should stand up for those rights. We applied for the position. … Within a year of requesting the position we were allotted the position, we advertised for the position and now we have an attorney, although he’s new in the door I will say he is up to his eyeballs somewhat in alligators because there are a number of issues and when there is somebody who can address those issues, people come.

Vicinanzo: Just to add to what the role brings, in addition to enforcement and outreach from our office my position can be a vehicle for collaboration with other state and local entities. With the state civil rights unit with local governments and with non-government organizations that represent individuals who can bring their needs to us.

What is an example of a type of civil or criminal matter that would be handled by the civil rights Assistant U.S. Attorney?

Young: I am going to answer that somewhat broadly. Again, new in this position, we would go out and meet with individuals, religious groups, and we would ask them what are their concerns, and they would tell us, so we would come back and do some trainings or some outreach. Then we would hear about things that are going on, right, the war in Israel, and we would reach out to out community members and they would say ‘No, we think we’re OK, but thank you for reaching out,’ and within a couple of weeks they would call and they would say, ‘We really need you to come and talk to us. What are ways that we can address the issues, deal with our safety concerns?’ I will tell you that when we sit in rooms with individuals across religious communities, the fear and concern is palpable. So we met with the Chief of Manchester who is currently the head of the chiefs association and we said law enforcement needs to know the houses of worship in their communities. They need to know their concerns so, God forbid the day that something really bad happens you’re not in their trying to introduce yourselves. We sent a letter out to the law enforcement community with the state police, the FBI, the Attorney General’s office standing together saying that we will have zero tolerance for civil and criminal violations of the Civil Rights Act. I also, then, was asked to go to a police department, maybe two weeks ago. I went on a Monday morning and in that police department were the local leaders of houses of worship. Whether they be a priest, a rabbi, or security officer, just to have them come together and know that they all have the same safety concerns and that there are avenues for them to pursue as far as training, what they can do, having a police officer drive by. That’s remarkable that could happen and the only reason that that happens is because people have dialogue, people have relationships, and people have trust.

Vicinanzo: That’s a great example of something that is going on now that we feel in our community. In general, from this position we will enforce the federal civil rights statutes as they apply to the citizens of New Hampshire. It could be enforcement of the ADA, Americans with Disabilities Act, protecting their rights and accommodation. It could be protecting service members and veterans to make sure their housing and employment rights aren’t violated. Ensuring that students have equal access to education. That all of our citizens have equal protection under the law. On the criminal side, as Jane mentioned, we look at crimes that target individuals on the basis of protected status like religion, race or gender or disability or perhaps their political beliefs. We look into that from this office as well.

Young: I think people should see us as a resource. Whether it’s community members, whether it is law enforcement. We are here. We are a 24-hour-a-day operation. We answer our phones, we look at cases to determine if there is a federal violation. If not, perhaps a state partner can help. We did a public service announcement last month highlighting human trafficking. Now that we have an attorney dedicated to this we are going to start to look at human trafficking that is occurring in this state as well as other forms of violations to people’s fundamental rights.

Attorney Young, what qualities led to Vicinanzo’s being chosen for this position?

Young: His intellect, his demeanor, his commitment to New Hampshire, and his willingness to do this job to make this a better state. To protect people’s rights. To protect the downtrodden, people who have not had a voice before. They certainly will have a champion. That shone through as we met Matt through the different layers of this hiring process. He was the ideal candidate. To have somebody like Matt, who was in private practice, to be able to make the sacrifice to come here I just think speaks volumes of his character and his ability to do this job skillfully.

Zachary Lewis

Featured image: U.S. Attorney Jane Young. Courtesy photo.

On The Job – Rachel Mack

Co-Owner of Loon Chocolate

Rachel Mack is the co-owner of Loon Chocolate along with her sister, Sara Steffensmeier, in Manchester. (This interview has been condensed.)

Explain your job and what it entails.

We have two great chocolate makers who help us make the chocolate. … I do most of the work setting up the shop here in the front, getting things ready on the operation and production side of things.

How long have you had this job?

Myself and my sister had bought Laurel Hill Jams and Jellies in February of this past year, but buying Loon Chocolate in June was really when everything changed and it became this full-time job.

What led you to this career field and your current job?

I had worked in finance for years and years, enjoyed the work … but I wanted something different. … Once we had gotten through [Covid, 2020 and homeschooling] I was looking at what was next — was I going to go back to a corporate job or was I going to do something else? — and that’s why we started with the jams and jellies as something on the side to fill the time while my daughter was at school and to keep me busy and mentally challenged. … It worked so well, that’s why we moved so quickly into taking over the chocolate as well. The chocolate is the majority of our time.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

Our merch that we proudly wear that has our logo of ‘Live free and eat great chocolate.’

What is the most challenging thing about your work, and how do you deal with it?

We had a big shipment we had to send out in the fall leading up till Christmas and it was to a customer who wanted things a very particular way. If you are in a large business you can send that off to the shipping department and they can deal with it. … When you are a small-business owner you have to do it all. … but it really is fun to have each one of these challenges that you are faced with. That really is the hardest thing. Every day you walk in you don’t know what new thing you are learning that day.

What do you wish you had known at the beginning of your career?

There is a quote I heard recently, and I know I am going to screw it up, so I apologize, but it was, ‘don’t worry about the right decision, make your decision right.’

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

I wish I could just magically let everyone know … every detail about where the chocolate comes from because I think it is fascinating,

What was your first job?

My first real job, I was 16 years old … I worked for … Suncoast Motion Picture Company.

What is the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?

I was so stressed at the beginning of starting all this … and my husband really helped me and he was like, ‘Just say yes. Say yes to the challenges that come to you. … Do the scary thing and great things are going to happen.’ It was absolutely true.

Zachary Lewis

Favorite book: I love a journey. I loved The Hobbit.
Favorite movie: I know people don’t like Return of the Jedi, but I am going to say Return of the Jedi.
Favorite music: U2.
Favorite food: Any sort of Mexican food.
Favorite thing about NH: I just love the personality. The general vibe. People in New Hampshire are kind, and they don’t stress too much.

Featured photo: Rachel Mack. Courtesy Photo.

On The Job – Deanna R. Hoying

Executive Director of Symphony New Hampshire

Deanna R. Hoying leads Symphony New Hampshire, the state’s oldest professional orchestra, known for its blend of classical and modern music and community engagement through music education.

Explain your job and what it entails. 

I am involved in all areas of running the organization. This includes interfacing with the public at concerts, working with our board of trustees, strategizing with marketing about our message and our reach, working with our collaborative partners around the state, all development areas … working with our musicians and working in partnership with our music director to create each season of concerts.

 How long have you had this job? 

I began this position in August 2021, but I have been with Symphony NH since April 2019.

What led you to this career field and your current job? 

I have been in music since I was 7. It began with piano lessons, then studying French horn. I have a music performance degree in French horn from the Cleveland Institute of Music. Then I attended Temple University in Philadelphia to do graduate work in music education. I have been in the world of arts administration since 1996. … I have been the director of education for three opera companies — Cincinnati, Arizona and Kentucky — and the director of education and community engagement for the Louisville Orchestra from 2014 to 2018 before moving to Manchester in 2018.

What kind of education or training did you need?

When I began work in arts administration in 1996, it was on-the-job training. I was originally hired at Cincinnati Opera because I had a background as a musician and music educator and could write curriculum. That honed my writing skills to create grant narratives for development departments.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire? 

Daytime at work is very relaxed. We are on a hybrid schedule with typically one day per week in the office. Concert attire is different with a more dressed-up vibe.

What is the most challenging thing about your work, and how do you deal with it?

There are a lot of puzzle pieces in putting together a season. Working with the music director to create concert programs, then finding venues to be able to perform, making sure our librarian/personnel manager has all the information needed to hire musicians, … I try to be very organized and methodical … I do take time for exercise and meditation; that helps me focus on the challenges at hand.

What do you wish other people knew about your job? 

Building partnerships and relationships takes time. Rebuilding an audience after Covid has taken time and effort, but we are finally seeing the results of the hard work.

Angie Sykeny

What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received? 

It’s important that the community feels a sense of ownership in the organization — it’s their orchestra.

Five favorites
Favorite book: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Favorite movie: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Favorite music: Rush. Favorite songs: “Tom Sawyer,” “Subdivisions” and “Red Barchetta”
Favorite food: Sushi
Favorite thing about NH: The sense of community

Featured photo: Deanna R. Hoying. Photo credit Sid Ceaser.

Very short movies

Nashua holds its annual Tiny Film Festival

The Nashua Public Library’s 2nd Annual Tiny Film Festival is now accepting 60-second film submissions in all genres until March 6, with a screening and awards ceremony on Saturday, March 9, at 3 p.m. Pamela Baker, programming and marketing librarian, discussed the festival’s inspiration, its focus on fostering creativity across all ages and how it serves as a platform for community engagement and storytelling.

What was the inspiration behind starting the Tiny Film Festival, and why focus on 60-second films?

The film festival idea grew out of two things we noticed here at the library. One, we’ve met so many creative customers through our programs, especially our craft programs and writing workshops. Part of our mission is to support this kind of lifelong learning; the festival is an opportunity for people of all ages to step out of their comfort zones and challenge themselves. … As the quality of filming on phones gets better and more and more people of all ages get comfortable using their phones, this also seemed like an opportunity that most people could take advantage of. And for anyone who doesn’t have access to a phone, the library offers free computers where people could create a film. Our Teen Room specifically offers free stop-motion cameras and other technology that teens could use as well. Second, we’re very lucky to have a movie theater space here in Nashua. We have many older adults who come to our free movie series — we show classic films every Sunday afternoon and new releases on Tuesdays — and reminisce about the time that Nashua had several movie theaters. The festival is a great way to remind the community that every week there is a space you can go to relax and watch free films with other people, which is still a special part of going to the movies. … And, because the films are only 60 seconds, we were able to screen all the entries at last year’s festival.

How has the festival evolved since its inaugural event last year?

During last year’s festival, so many people remarked that they loved how connected they all felt watching these stories from their friends, family or even neighbors. In response, this year we’re focusing on enhancing those connections by creating more time to “party.” We’re opening the doors early for our red carpet photo booth and offering free popcorn. We hope people stay after the awards to meet the creators and talk about the films over light refreshments.

Can you describe the judging process and how the Nashua Public Library staff determines the winners?

Our staff love watching these films but hate having to pick just three for awards. We have three age groups for the festival: kids, teens and adults. Our Youth Services team judges the kids and teen entries, and the rest of the staff judge the adult films. Everyone votes through an anonymous form for their top three picks.

What do you look for in a winning submission, and do the criteria differ between age groups?

We judge the films on the same criteria for each age group. We evaluate based on originality, creativity, plot, pacing and structure, characters, cinematography, sound quality and music score.

With the festival open to all genres, have you noticed any trends in the types of films submitted by different age groups?

We’ve noticed that the kids’ age group is excellent at using toys as props in their stories and seem so comfortable in using different technology like stop-motion cameras. Their films are so fun to watch. We were blown away at the artistry of the teen films, especially the technology students at Nashua High South. The teens weren’t afraid to tackle big themes and really captured their perspectives on life well. Those were actually the types of films we expected to see from adults, not teens.

After the festival, how does the Nashua Public Library plan to showcase the winning films and engage with the participants and audience?

We launched a new website in the fall, so while we weren’t able to host the videos for everyone to watch on our old website, this year we’ll have a page dedicated to the festival where everyone can watch the winners and get inspired to make their own films for next year’s festival.

Featured image: Courtesy photo.

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