As the legendary steel orchestra celebrates its 75th anniversary, CAL Invaders deserves kudos for hosting an impressive week of celebrations, and especially for staging its symposium and exhibition—T&T Steelband: The Way Forward—on Monday at the Queen’s Park Oval, Woodbrook.
The Oval’s Century Ballroom was the venue for the event and it was well attended by a number of pan luminaries and academics, Pan Trinbago officials and students of St Francois Girls’ College. In attendance were Pan Trinbago vice president Byron Serrette, Pan Trinbago North Region president Gerald Mendez, bpTT Renegades manager Michael Marcano, Sandra Awai, Rudolph Ottley, Peter Aleong and representatives of Petrotrin Phase II Pan Groove, White Oak Starlift, Power Stars and St James Tripolians.
Symposium presenters included Joanna Shortt, Michael Dinchong and Dr Jeannine Remy and the discussion panel moderators were Serrette and Ottley.
The complete exercise was moderated by veteran Massy Trinidad All Stars member Denise Hernandez.
Short, a UWI graduate student, seemed to hit a responsive note with the students there as she elucidated on the participation of women in steelbands, stimulating many questions at the end of her 15-minute presentation.
Shortt opined that while there is more managerial power in the steelbands for women today, as compared to years of yore, women are still seen as the maternal custodians of steelbands.
She suggested that steelbands are still very much male dominated entities, especially in upper management.
Dinchong was very comprehensive in his presentation, titled Steelband Management in the 21st Century—Managing the App Generation.
He said that a steelband was a unique, complex organisation to manage, with three distinct generations of membership.
He added: “Most steelbands in T&T would have been formed in the last century. Many leaders of these bands, having no formal training in management, would have had to acquire their managerial skills from experience along the way.
“These skills would have been developed to different degrees of effectiveness. It is the view of the author that with the influx of the new generation and its culture, the time has come for leaders and managers of steelbands to revisit their approach to management in order to progress in the new millennium.
“Not many organisations comprise members whose ages span three generations. This in itself adds to the already complex challenge of group management. The dynamics that take place in an average group becomes more intricate where there exist sub-groups, as in the case of most steelbands in T&T.
These sub-groups bring with them subcultures that could cause a disharmony in bands if not managed appropriately.
A senior lecturer in music at UWI, Remy expounded on The Way Forward in Steelpan Music. A Panorama judge herself, she raised many eyebrows when she pointed out some of the shortcomings of judging a Panorama competition, and some of the misconceptions in music and arranging held by arrangers and pan musicians. Remy also spoke about the importation of steel drums for conversion into in pan instruments.
Invaders held its 75th anniversary gala dinner and awards ceremony on Tuesday at MovieTowne’s Banquet Hall & Conference Centre.
http://www.guardian.co.tt/lifestyle/2015-09-25/cal-invaders-shows-way-forward-pan
Replies
Sponsors should be called upon to do more than cut a cheque, they could assist their bands with Legal advise, help train band reps. with managerial skills and assist in the general operations of the band.
Cecil: What do you think about Dr. Remy's inference in the second half of her statement?
Claude, I will surely like the Doctor to tell us what is meant by "misconceptions in music and arranging held by arrangers and pan musicians" maybe someone should ask her..
I can tell you; I have been in that argument for decades among the PAN MEN out here. But ah get in enough trouble on this forum already.
Thanks for the info
"she raised many eyebrows when she pointed out some of the shortcomings of judging a Panorama competition, and some of the misconceptions in music and arranging held by arrangers and pan musicians."
If I paraphrase that sentence on this forum the EXPATS will KICK ME OFF!!!
Just LMAO!