Trinidad Express
...Next up is the National Small Conventional Bands Competition with qualifying rounds beginning on December 9. As the competition works its way to the finale of the Large Band competition on February 22, one can only hope that Panorama 2020 will be spared the annual ritual of wailing and gnashing of teeth. Much of this has to do with a lack of money and the anxiety of bands scrambling to attract and keep pan players who secure their own finances by playing for several competing bands in any given Panorama season.
This is hardly ideal and there is a strong lobby for the practice to be banned. However, the financial insecurity of the pan-playing community is a reality which makes it difficult to eliminate the practice without damaging consequences for the competition.
Ultimately, the solution lies in the development of a viable steelband industry that is able to support year-round employment of a substantial number of pan players, arrangers and support staff. An important condition for activating the steelband’s potential for economic development is a functional, focused and effective Pan Trinbago as the representative body...
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"Much of this has to do with a lack of money and the anxiety of bands scrambling to attract and keep pan players who secure their own finances by playing for several competing bands in any given Panorama season ... and there is a strong lobby for the practice to be banned. However, the financial insecurity of the pan-playing community is a reality which makes it difficult to eliminate the practice without damaging consequences for the competition."
Well the singular issue that MERRYTONESTOTHEBONE has been fighting against for years -- now seems to be FRONT AND CENTER in the conscious of THE PAN WORLD. As they say today: It is now a TOP OF THE MIND issue!!!
Like MERRYTONESTOTHEBONE should be on that PAN TRINBAGO EXECUTIVE!!!
This editorial -- like so many others -- takes an IVORY TOWER view of PAN TRINBAGO oblivious to the ACTUAL CHAOS that exits within the organization today ... especially as it relates to STAFFING!!!