The two quick staccato beats of the Congo drum lingered in the air for half a second, then laughter erupted from the orchestra chamber at El Sistema Oklahoma. A moment later, Thunder forward Kyle Singler shared a sheepish grin from the back of the room with fellow forward Josh Huestis, who was front and center, conducting the group of 140 Oklahoma youths.
On Wednesday, the Thunder duo dropped by El Sistema, a non-profit, after school program. While there, they encouraged the children to continue working hard to learn the instruments they recently picked up. All 220 children that attend El Sistema are Oklahoma City Public School students, many of whom wouldn’t have the opportunity to own an instrument.