"The pan is now playing an important part in the rehabilitation and restoration of the mentally ill, thanks to music therapist, Jamal Glynn. In a programme now under way at the St Ann’s Mental Hospital Jamal is assigned to the Psychology Department. After spending eight years with the national steel orchestra, Jamal has now moved on. Before he honed his skills at a number of steel orchestras, including Curepe Scherzando and Solo Harmonites, Jamal has now come to rest at the Phase II Pan Groove where he plays the quadrophonic pan. He has also contributed to steelbands in the secondary school system, including St Augustine Senior Comprehensive and South East Port-of-Spain.
But now Jamal has a major challenge on his hand, and he is undaunted. He holds a masters in music theraphy from Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge and is ready to “give back” to his country. “Music therapy,” Jamal explained is all about improvisation. “I am not teaching them anything. When a client (patient) is able to create melodies, it means he (or she) has some access to his (or her) inner self.
“Music is conscious and inconscious processes.” With the music therapy programme in its infancy, Jamal is optimistic that the contribution of the Psychology Department could change the face of mental health in Trinidad and Tobago." (Source: http://www.guardian.co.tt/editorial/2011/10/14/talk-town)
NOTE: This is a perfect example of opportunities and careers that exist in the pan industry. It also shows the importance of the field of psychology as an alternative to the prescription of psychiatric drugs in the treatment of certain mental disorders.
Replies
keep up the good work bro!
I wish I had a bunch of 5 or 6 autistic kids to teach pan ... I suspect the hidden capabilities of autistic youingsters can be exploited musically to their benefit.
Peter