Trinidad Newsday

Today, his wish remains “to see this instrument in all the schools as a compulsory instrument for students to learn music.”

“Funny enough, I have been a student at the Scarborough RC School… no pan, Scarborough Junior Secondary School…no pan, Signal Hill Senior Comprehensive School…little pan, because the musical director at that time was Mr Frank Stanisclaus and he was also the arranger for Our Boys Steel Orchestra, and we had a little steelband."

He said pan needs to treated with the status it deserves.

"It is our national instrument, it is an instrument where we need to respect. The same way how we stand at attention in singing our national anthem with pride, it deserves the same respect too because it’s what the red, white and black represents,” he said adding, “We tend to be followers in what we want to do in music and in life in general, so I believe we need to take a stand in becoming a leader in setting that trend in having steelpan instrument in the school system, compulsory from primary right up to the tertiary-education level.”

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  • This is d very reason I was told that Ellie Mannette left Trinidad. He approached the then Gov't 2 have pan in schools & was turned down, but with d same type of offer from  the U S ,he left. Everyone knows d rest of d story. 2 c we still debating this after 52 yrs,Ellie dead, it's a sad commentary on us as a people.Steelpan & steelpan music all over d world,yet we, where d instrument was birthed still arguing whether it should b in our schools,let alone b compulsory in our schools. 

  • It's encouraging to see Mr. Stewart adding his voice in support of an action that the Minister of Education has recently commissioned.

    1. MoE to hire 120 music instructors for Pan in All Schools project
    2. Education Ministry gives pans to ECCE centres

    Mandatory is a strong word to be thrown out in a (racially polarized) democracy.

    I suspect that denominational boards responsible for policy in some schools may have the right to determine the structure and content of their school's syllabus in conjunction with the respective school board, and possible the school's principal. Quite likely this may also be the case in some government (public, for the benefit of our global audience) schools. The evidence however suggests that the Ministry of Education's intent is for its inclusion in the curriculum.

    It would be interesting to note what response the following would evoke, especially when we consider the specific action suggested predicating the subject of the discussion. 

    SDMS Statement No.1 MUSIC IN SCHOOLS

      

    • Russell Providence: Yuh want to get me in MORE TROUBLE than I am already in by posting these kinds of articles.

      Look at this passage (and by the way some of that passage was recently posted on THIS FORUM):

      "Having unfortunately lost much of his heritage to the onslaught of the European, the Afro-Trinidadian's greatest aspiration is to play the European's Classics and be recognised for it. The greatest credits to pan comes from the Eurocentric and the American experience; and pan became acceptable to the upper class when steelbands began to play Beethoven."

      Now I am not expressing any opinion on the above passage; but it is relevant in a way for me as a CALYPSO LOVER. This EUROPEAN CLASSICS tendency has INVADED PANORAMA MUSIC from THE JUDGES to THE ARRANGERS -- and as a CALYPSO LOVER and a TRINIDADIAN ... it breaks my heart to hear STEELBANDS europeanizing CALYPSO on CARNIVAL SATURDAY in the LAND OF STEELBAND and CALYPSO.

      I am DYING to hear a LARGE BAND play a CALYPSO in TRINIDAD CALYPSO FASHION (NATIONAL PRIDE) on a PANORAMA STAGE on CARNIVAL SATURDAY NIGHT!!! But this new CHAMPION ARRANGER we have now taking THE CALYPSO ARRANGEMENT further and further into EUROPE and all the other arrangers FOLLOWING THE MAN.

      • Claude don't blame d arrangers,blame PAN TRINBAGO. We have been telling them 4 yrs 2 resist those who want 2 introduce all these classical components,eg dynamics,into d music.My contention is,we played a lot of classical music as our bomb tune & never included these things. Now we polluting our music by including them. Calypso is calyoso,Meringue is meringue,Samba is samba etc. We r d only people who r not satisfied with what we produce,so we have soca,ragga soca,chutney soca,all derivatives of calypso.Calypso + pop,calypso + soul,calypso + East indian rhythm,we must add something 4 it 2 remain palatable. But yr after yr d same pop & country music coming out of north america unchanged & we lapping it up

  • Considering the import the national instrument is supposed to mean for T&T as a nation, I can see the value Duvone would like to see given.  I would like to know what subjects are currently mandatory.  I was raised when the focus in a newly independent nation, was on making it well-rounded starting at the primary educational level, including "civics".  Once we graduated to the secondary level, many subjects like arts were made redundant (affordability?) much to the chagrin and dismay of many of us as only those with funds could continue "privately".  Going forward, let's hope the national goals will be more of a focus and dialogue for brain-storming for educators and citizens alike as part of national service.  This tribal mentality does not advance but divides and stifles progress.

  • Oh, excuse me, gotta go to Tokyo for a “steel pan Christmas”. Laterz.

  • It's most interesting that at the bottom of this article there were two responses:

    Raj Maharaj
    If every Tom, Dick and Harry could call for their personal policy on school education, we could be in a sorry state.. Although pan is a national instrument and it makes beautiful music, calling it to be mandatory in school is certainly ridiculous.
    Sharon Smith
    If it was Tasa, then the comment would be different. Our people always fight down our own. So sad.
    • At the end of the day, it always boils down to ‘pan vs Tassa’, ent? What a mentality! Please don’t read anything into the common “p” and the capital “T”, eh?

      • EYE say let the Ministry give the community/government schools the option to choose the instruments of their CHOICE...

        Ol' Lady - Mungal Patasar & Pantar

        Indian Calypso-Jazz, Harold Headley tenor pan

        Trinidad All Stars - Aai Aai Aa Sukoo Sukoo

        Chutney pan...arranger Leon 'Smooth' Edwards

  • While I agree to the inclusion of instruction in pan playing in schools I would not agree to the extent that it be made "mandatory."

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