Open Steelband letter to the Mayor of San Fernando, Trinidad

The difference in opinion between players’ expenses’ reality and the political thought that steel pan bands aren't worth the cost required to pay them properly is a matter of a difference in perceptions, and is within the ability of the pan community to remedy by changing those perceptions of who and what we are. This is a general comment about those perceptions rather than a pointed comment regarding Mr. Joseph's concerns about the perceptions in his own community.

Michael Joseph's points are well put and shared by the pan community at large, and I hope his Mayor is taking note. In Canada, steel pan players for the most part don't join the musicians' union because many of our groups are stuck in the same "less-than" mindset that somehow panists are not so much professional musicians as they are instead a part of a CULTURAL MUSICAL EXPRESSION (which is true, but when the cultural aspect prevails during negotiations, the professional aspect (i.e. dollars) is not seriously enough considered by hiring audiences – and that’s a key perception that needs to be changed). I don't know the situation in Trinidad or elsewhere, but in Canada, almost every professional player of every other instrument belongs to the musicians union and if you want them to play, you pay at minimum the union's SCALE (set) wage or you don't get them, and the cultural aspect of their instrument does not play a part in the negotiations. This does not apply to amateur players or learners who are just happy to get to play free for the public if they can get a chance, but accomplished musicians and performers with playing ability and artistry (including 'folk artists'). In the Canadian community-group pan band, the arrangers, rehearsing conductors, and tuners are professionals and should be paid (and mostly are paid) at least scale as though they were playing whenever the band plays or in some other way for the work they have done. In community-based pan bands, the members of the band or sponsoring groups pay to hire these professionals who are necessary to their very existence. Often, pan is a genre where community-group-based players in the band only get paid any money of serious note if they are in a competition and the prize is large enough to be shared by all after expenses are covered. More often, winnings are ploughed back into the sponsoring group to allay future expenses.

Part of the hesitation regarding joining a musicians’ union or in billing adequately for appearances is that because of the "cultural musical" mindset, even professional-level panists often are victim of a "less-than" philosophy, where the audacity of a pan man to charge scale is unheard of because nobody (they believe) will hire them in bands or in preference to the hiring of other musicians to play other kinds of music. Whether this perception is true or not can be determined by going to the internet and noting that panists do indeed play in combos and with symphony orchestras, etc.

So things like waiting for a civic government to make some kind of decision regarding whether or how much to pay them takes both getting paid --and how much cash that entails-- totally out of their control. In Toronto and elsewhere in the world, steelpan bands are mainly designated and formed as "community groups". Nobody in a 'community group' can consider him/herself a professional musician for scale, because the purpose of the community group is to offer an activity to keep people busy. If you're good enough, you stay in your community group to practice and help bring new players along, but get work outside that group as a professional musician or musical group, and charge accordingly.

If a pan yard sets itself up as a community group, it can at most charge the municipality for providing a recreational opportunity for its citizens (provided it can find an arm of government interested in backing an art form with proven community-building potential). But if a pan yard sets itself up as a core of professional musicians (and "oh, yes, by the way ALSO a teaching facility for pan"), it can charge for appearances at scale, because any musician chosen for a gig by the pan yard acting as agent for its band will automatically be considered a core professional. If you want to charge accordingly, you have to be perceived as being worth the cost. The downside is, if you don't get work, the community may not be there to pay you for the community building effort. So in order to survive by being maintained by the community and collect professional wages for performances, the panyard company has to be able to wear two hats simultaneously. It's up to us whether or not we want to make that decision and how to set up to accomplish it.

When listing his expenses 'before even leaving the yard', Michael Joseph didn't even include the cost of renting/owning/upkeep of a pan yard amongst his costs. Perhaps that’s because his steel pan orchestra is a community group that supports the panyard and its services with membership fees.

Pan bands don't appear out of thin air. We know how much we cost to belong and to maintain our groups. If a steel pan or mixed band is good, they will be hired to play out, not just in Carnival but anywhere any band of any nature is normally hired to play. One of my bands gets hired to play weddings and house parties, for example. If nobody likes a group because their music is perceived to be loud and tinny and unprofessional-sounding instead of melodic and musical, they won't get hired. The bottom line requires that when they are hired, they need to be paid.

I personally find great value in belonging to two community group bands. I's good practice, fun, and I enjoy the companionship of my fellow players. Speaking as a player, I pay transit and train fares just to attend community group practices, and often have to run to them right out of my busy day, and then I pay a fee to keep the band’s instruments in tune while the community pays for arranging and conducting. The bands have their own instruments, and some players prefer to bring theirs to practice. While I can practice on the tenor pan at home, there is no convenient place I can practice my 6-bass pan set other than those groups or at a pan yard in rehearsal for competition because I’m running and taking transit and trains and it’s a rather large instrument to haul around and set up at my residence. Plus, the two pan bands I play for have three differently- tuned sets of 6-bases, which I like because it helps me maintain my versatility as a bass-man. The same usefulness of belonging to a community pan group goes for some other players in my groups who don’t own their own pans, and of course those who are learning to play in the beginner classes need to have pans provided for them by the group. One of the two groups I play for does a lot of gigs and has begun entering into competitions as well, practicing at either our rehearsal hall or one of our two panyards depending upon the purpose of the practicing and availability of the rehearsal hall. As it’s a community group, it will never have an opportunity to make back the costs of its cultural music appearances. It has, however, discovered that public gigs in auditoriums and hosted by the community that sponsors the band pay well, so we have lately begun to conduct more appearances in halls as warm-up artists where we host featured performers who are the real audience draw.

On December 4th coming, we are hosting a public event where we will also be playing. And it's a very large ALSO because featured artists at the gig include Montreal's Salah Wilson's Steel Pan Academy, four-time champions in both Ontario and Quebec Panorama competitions, and storyteller Rhoma Spencer. Afterwards, limin' back at our rehearsal hall with Salah and the group and Rhoma at a catered dinner will be a very special treat for the musicians and our families.

To date, that community group hosts a big formal new years' eve party where the band plays jump-up tunes AS WELL AS OTHER DANCING MELODIES and there is also a combo orks playing at the party. The attendees love it, and their understanding of the presence of the steel band is only that they are getting two bands to dance to and one of them is actually owned by the party's hosting community group. The music may have a cultural and historical background, but we ensure that to them it's about them and their dancing music. We also play for special events and fund-raisers in the city. In doing so, we are changing the public perception of the band. But we still play at multicultural festivals, in parades, churches, for schools and such, and fund-raisers for our own community sponsorship group as both cultural expression musicians (which is expected, after all) and in order to surprise folks with the versatility of the pan orchestra by also playing dance music like polkas (can a 6-bass play oompah, oompah? You bet it can!), tangos, merengue and other Latin dance forms, folk dances and waltzes, religious music, funny tunes and classical selections.

The treatment of our community steel band is something we are taking charge of by controlling the public perception of who we are. We have taken charge of our own destiny. The point here is whether a group is community based or composed of professionals, there are avenues available to manage the perceptions of the public about steel pan bands. Changing that perception in a country where it is solidly biased toward a cultural acceptance to one where it is recognized as a versatile and paid musical group can only be done by the musicians themselves, not by some government group. Government groups are supposed to be reactive, not proactive or innovative. They will react predictably to the kinds of challenges they are presented with based upon their available information sources. When the information sources say "pay", they will pay. The controlling force over the perceptions of their information sources is us.

Brother Scobie you could'nt have said it better. You should write a letter now to the Organizers of the Grande Fest. Strange things are happening recently with respect to the Steel Bands and Promoters. As was suggested by Courtney, payments/paying fees should be related/alligned to the size of the Bands. For example, if the promoter offers , lets say $5,000, the ensemble should be no more than 10 players. $10,000, 20 Players and so on. Many times it 's not profitable to use your full size Band for an event. Pan is Business. We have Steel Orchestras now, not Pan Sides as they usually refer to us.

JJ also referred to contracts etc. This is where we have reached. I was very fortunate to attend a Seminar last week, presented by the Trinidad and Tobago Entertainment Company LTD. What I learnt in that Seminar, I wish all Leaders of Steel Orchestras get a chance to participate in future Seminars like that one. Guidelines were given as regards TOOLS FOR MARKETING, NEGOTIATING CONTRACTS AND AGREEMENTS, BREAKING CULTURAL CODES, INFO ON WORLDWIDE CONSULATES AND CULTURAL ATTACHES, ROLL OF THE MEDIA AND REPERTOIRE DEVELOPMENT. IT was indeed one of the BEST SEMINARS I have ever attended. I would like to publicly thank the experienced Presenters. Thank you CEO T & T Entertainment Co., Ms. Dionne MC Nicol- Stephenson, Nestor Sullivan, Michael Marcano, Lisa Ghany. Josanne Leonard, Lyndersay, Ray Holman and the staff at T & T Ent.

We really have to treat Pan as a business. There is so much knowledge out there. I am speaking of 'in Trinidad'
These guys are so learned. We had in that Seminar over 50 years experience in the Marketing of Pan.

Replies

Mark Mañuel State November 27, 2010 at 3:40pm

The difference in opinion between players’ expenses’ reality and the political thought that steel pan bands aren't worth the cost required to pay them properly is a matter of a difference in perceptions, and is within the ability of the pan community to remedy by changing those perceptions of who and what we are. This is a general comment about those perceptions rather than a pointed comment regarding Mr. Joseph's concerns about the perceptions in his own community.

Michael Joseph's points are well put and shared by the pan community at large, and I hope his Mayor is taking note. In Canada, steel pan players for the most part don't join the musicians' union because many of our groups are stuck in the same "less-than" mindset that somehow panists are not so much professional musicians as they are instead a part of a CULTURAL MUSICAL EXPRESSION (which is true, but when the cultural aspect prevails during negotiations, the professional aspect (i.e. dollars) is not seriously enough considered by hiring audiences – and that’s a key perception that needs to be changed). I don't know the situation in Trinidad or elsewhere, but in Canada, almost every professional player of every other instrument belongs to the musicians union and if you want them to play, you pay at minimum the union's SCALE (set) wage or you don't get them, and the cultural aspect of their instrument does not play a part in the negotiations. This does not apply to amateur players or learners who are just happy to get to play free for the public if they can get a chance, but accomplished musicians and performers with playing ability and artistry (including 'folk artists'). In the Canadian community-group pan band, the arrangers, rehearsing conductors, and tuners are professionals and should be paid (and mostly are paid) at least scale as though they were playing whenever the band plays or in some other way for the work they have done. In community-based pan bands, the members of the band or sponsoring groups pay to hire these professionals who are necessary to their very existence. Often, pan is a genre where community-group-based players in the band only get paid any money of serious note if they are in a competition and the prize is large enough to be shared by all after expenses are covered. More often, winnings are ploughed back into the sponsoring group to allay future expenses.

Part of the hesitation regarding joining a musicians’ union or in billing adequately for appearances is that because of the "cultural musical" mindset, even professional-level panists often are victim of a "less-than" philosophy, where the audacity of a pan man to charge scale is unheard of because nobody (they believe) will hire them in bands or in preference to the hiring of other musicians to play other kinds of music. Whether this perception is true or not can be determined by going to the internet and noting that panists do indeed play in combos and with symphony orchestras, etc.

So things like waiting for a civic government to make some kind of decision regarding whether or how much to pay them takes both getting paid --and how much cash that entails-- totally out of their control. In Toronto and elsewhere in the world, steelpan bands are mainly designated and formed as "community groups". Nobody in a 'community group' can consider him/herself a professional musician for scale, because the purpose of the community group is to offer an activity to keep people busy. If you're good enough, you stay in your community group to practice and help bring new players along, but get work outside that group as a professional musician or musical group, and charge accordingly.

If a pan yard sets itself up as a community group, it can at most charge the municipality for providing a recreational opportunity for its citizens (provided it can find an arm of government interested in backing an art form with proven community-building potential). But if a pan yard sets itself up as a core of professional musicians (and "oh, yes, by the way ALSO a teaching facility for pan"), it can charge for appearances at scale, because any musician chosen for a gig by the pan yard acting as agent for its band will automatically be considered a core professional. If you want to charge accordingly, you have to be perceived as being worth the cost. The downside is, if you don't get work, the community may not be there to pay you for the community building effort. So in order to survive by being maintained by the community and collect professional wages for performances, the panyard company has to be able to wear two hats simultaneously. It's up to us whether or not we want to make that decision and how to set up to accomplish it.

When listing his expenses 'before even leaving the yard', Michael Joseph didn't even include the cost of renting/owning/upkeep of a pan yard amongst his costs. Perhaps that’s because his steel pan orchestra is a community group that supports the panyard and its services with membership fees.

Pan bands don't appear out of thin air. We know how much we cost to belong and to maintain our groups. If a steel pan or mixed band is good, they will be hired to play out, not just in Carnival but anywhere any band of any nature is normally hired to play. One of my bands gets hired to play weddings and house parties, for example. If nobody likes a group because their music is perceived to be loud and tinny and unprofessional-sounding instead of melodic and musical, they won't get hired. The bottom line requires that when they are hired, they need to be paid.

I personally find great value in belonging to two community group bands. I's good practice, fun, and I enjoy the companionship of my fellow players. Speaking as a player, I pay transit and train fares just to attend community group practices, and often have to run to them right out of my busy day, and then I pay a fee to keep the band’s instruments in tune while the community pays for arranging and conducting. The bands have their own instruments, and some players prefer to bring theirs to practice. While I can practice on the tenor pan at home, there is no convenient place I can practice my 6-bass pan set other than those groups or at a pan yard in rehearsal for competition because I’m running and taking transit and trains and it’s a rather large instrument to haul around and set up at my residence. Plus, the two pan bands I play for have three differently- tuned sets of 6-bases, which I like because it helps me maintain my versatility as a bass-man. The same usefulness of belonging to a community pan group goes for some other players in my groups who don’t own their own pans, and of course those who are learning to play in the beginner classes need to have pans provided for them by the group. One of the two groups I play for does a lot of gigs and has begun entering into competitions as well, practicing at either our rehearsal hall or one of our two panyards depending upon the purpose of the practicing and availability of the rehearsal hall. As it’s a community group, it will never have an opportunity to make back the costs of its cultural music appearances. It has, however, discovered that public gigs in auditoriums and hosted by the community that sponsors the band pay well, so we have lately begun to conduct more appearances in halls as warm-up artists where we host featured performers who are the real audience draw.

On December 4th coming, we are hosting a public event where we will also be playing. And it's a very large ALSO because featured artists at the gig include Montreal's Salah Wilson's Steel Pan Academy, four-time champions in both Ontario and Quebec Panorama competitions, and storyteller Rhoma Spencer. Afterwards, limin' back at our rehearsal hall with Salah and the group and Rhoma at a catered dinner will be a very special treat for the musicians and our families.

To date, that community group hosts a big formal new years' eve party where the band plays jump-up tunes AS WELL AS OTHER DANCING MELODIES and there is also a combo orks playing at the party. The attendees love it, and their understanding of the presence of the steel band is only that they are getting two bands to dance to and one of them is actually owned by the party's hosting community group. The music may have a cultural and historical background, but we ensure that to them it's about them and their dancing music. We also play for special events and fund-raisers in the city. In doing so, we are changing the public perception of the band. But we still play at multicultural festivals, in parades, churches, for schools and such, and fund-raisers for our own community sponsorship group as both cultural expression musicians (which is expected, after all) and in order to surprise folks with the versatility of the pan orchestra by also playing dance music like polkas (can a 6-bass play oompah, oompah? You bet it can!), tangos, merengue and other Latin dance forms, folk dances and waltzes, religious music, funny tunes and classical selections.

The treatment of our community steel band is something we are taking charge of by controlling the public perception of who we are. We have taken charge of our own destiny. The point here is whether a group is community based or composed of professionals, there are avenues available to manage the perceptions of the public about steel pan bands. Changing that perception in a country where it is solidly biased toward a cultural acceptance to one where it is recognized as a versatile and paid musical group can only be done by the musicians themselves, not by some government group. Government groups are supposed to be reactive, not proactive or innovative. They will react predictably to the kinds of challenges they are presented with based upon their available information sources. When the information sources say "pay", they will pay. The controlling force over the perceptions of their information sources is us.
Elizabeth Richards November 26, 2010 at 2:30pm

Very wll said Mr. Michael Joseph, very well said. I will also add to my comment one word... RESPECT!!!!!
Courtney Leiba November 25, 2010 at 4:29pm

I think that now that the steel band has developed we have to separate the community bands from a commercial steel band. For each member of a band to be paid a reasonable amount, the commercial band should be a group of four or five players to make it affordable. eg. Bertie Marshall with Highlanders Steel band of Laventille made it possible to pay his group for a house party. Once when I was home in Trinidad, my uncle asked me if I am making money out of my music and I told him, "Yes!". Because my band consisted of one tenor pan backed by keyboards, bass guitar and drums and or a double second we were able to get at least $200.00 for each member for a three hour gig. Organisers cannot afford to have a large band in a small venue. We now have to rethink to make our members commercially viable. Silver Stars steel band used to play good dance music a few years ago. Now we only play tunes for Panorama.
- Patrick F Joseph > Courtney Leiba November 25, 2010 at 6:46pm
  
  Brother Scobie you could'nt have said it better. You should write a letter now to the Organizers of the Grande Fest. Strange things are happening recently with respect to the Steel Bands and Promoters. As was suggested by Courtney, payments/paying fees should be related/alligned to the size of the Bands. For example, if the promoter offers , lets say $5,000, the ensemble should be no more than 10 players. $10,000, 20 Players and so on. Many times it 's not profitable to use your full size Band for an event. Pan is Business. We have Steel Orchestras now, not Pan Sides as they usually refer to us.
  
  JJ also referred to contracts etc. This is where we have reached. I was very fortunate to attend a Seminar last week, presented by the Trinidad and Tobago Entertainment Company LTD. What I learnt in that Seminar, I wish all Leaders of Steel Orchestras get a chance to participate in future Seminars like that one. Guidelines were given as regards TOOLS FOR MARKETING, NEGOTIATING CONTRACTS AND AGREEMENTS, BREAKING CULTURAL CODES, INFO ON WORLDWIDE CONSULATES AND CULTURAL ATTACHES, ROLL OF THE MEDIA AND REPERTOIRE DEVELOPMENT. IT was indeed one of the BEST SEMINARS I have ever attended. I would like to publicly thank the experienced Presenters. Thank you CEO T & T Entertainment Co., Ms. Dionne MC Nicol- Stephenson, Nestor Sullivan, Michael Marcano, Lisa Ghany. Josanne Leonard, Lyndersay, Ray Holman and the staff at T & T Ent.
  
  We really have to treat Pan as a business. There is so much knowledge out there. I am speaking of 'in Trinidad'
  These guys are so learned. We had in that Seminar over 50 years experience in the Marketing of Pan.
Sarah-Ann November 25, 2010 at 2:03pm

I hold my hand up to Scobie and I hope that the Pan Fraternity suppoprt each other. RESPECT has been earned by them and although respect has no price, the money that should be paid to them can reflect the sentiment. No Ms Coudray cannot haul Junia Regrello screeming and kicking inti this. He is a Pan Man first. Politics blow way. Mr Joseph I applaud you
Glenroy R Joseph November 25, 2010 at 12:36pm

Good job, Scobie.

You've become one of the most outspoken advocates for the steelband and the panist.

You have our support and best wishes in your endeavours on behalf of the steelband community.
evan lobo November 25, 2010 at 12:17pm

even under pnm - pan went really no where and of course under the various presidents of pan trinbago - b-s
driving big cars and all is not about the movement
that is what the fight for leadership is always about - what can i get out of it
- Sarah-Ann > evan lobo November 25, 2010 at 2:05pm
  
  Explain yourself
lennie tyson November 25, 2010 at 8:20am

Very well said Mr. Joseph many in our society pay lip service to our herculean efforts for to long. What is needed at this time are leaders like your good self coming together and setting standards for all bands to follow Re. minimum performance fees and conditions like stage and or platforms, even written invitations and contracts. Until due respect is forthcoming all bands should stand in solidarity with your orchestra.

Lennie ( stretch ) Tyson
LIFE LONG PAN MUSICIAN
Frederick Bowen November 25, 2010 at 8:10am

Well said, well noted. i trust this bring our beloved Alderman back to reality and Her avoidance in getting caught up in the politics of "hysteria' being practiced by the peoples partnership.

This reply was deleted.