Jonathan Scales - To the Orient and Back - UpClose! - Forum

Have Pan, Will Travel...

“Musicians play music to uplift people, but every once in a while it's the musician that is in need of 'spiritual uplifting' the most....thankful for a great night in Tamshui Taiwan! ❤ ” ... Jonathan Scales

When Steel Talks spoke to composer, panist and performing artist Jonathan Scales just before he began his month-long tour of Asia with his group Jonathan Scales Fourchestra. In speaking about the then-upcoming tour Jonathan said "there will be a lot of collaborating with the local musicians over there and a lot of workshops and clinics for students, in addition to us just doing our show." In realty there was much, much more.

Jonathan Scales Fourchestra captured the imagination and hearts of the people of the Orient. And in return the group lived a fascinating and profound experience that will be with them for a lifetime.
Like Emmanuel "Jack" Riley, Robert Greenidge, Len "Boogsie" Sharpe, Clive Bradley, Earl Rodney and Ray Holman to name a few - Jonathan Scales is part of the now-most recent group of musicians like Andy Akiho, Andre White and Leon "Foster" Thomas who are simply game-changers as they shine light on the steelpan instrument and art form through a different prism.

In this follow-up interview with Jonathan, When Steel Talks (WST) takes an in-depth look at the travel, the man, his music and his pan.

See complete interview

I like reading the episodic life of "The Steepan Adventures of Fourchestra, with Jonathan Scales". He's very expressive as a player and very articulate as a player/teacher. I like the following comment which indicates that every performance is a prelude to a pan workshop in foreign, but in its home Trinidad and Tobago, it is casually accepted by us the locals. This is something I have been doing to satisfy the curiosity of my audiences for some time now. This following statement by Jonathan reveals a lot to educators of steel pan,

"This was after a big show we had in Changsha, China. After the last song, I brought my pans down into the audience for people to get an up-close-and-personal look at the pans. The number one comment I get from audiences is that they wish they could see my hands during the show. I think this is something that we take for granted in the steel pan community. People are amazed to see how it works, but to us, it's just playing pan! So, I try to give people the opportunity to see what I'm doing when I can." Scales, WST 2017.

Thanks again and again Fourchestra-Jonathan Scales

Replies

MC Joseph April 28, 2017 at 7:37am

I like reading the episodic life of "The Steepan Adventures of Fourchestra, with Jonathan Scales". He's very expressive as a player and very articulate as a player/teacher. I like the following comment which indicates that every performance is a prelude to a pan workshop in foreign, but in its home Trinidad and Tobago, it is casually accepted by us the locals. This is something I have been doing to satisfy the curiosity of my audiences for some time now. This following statement by Jonathan reveals a lot to educators of steel pan,

"This was after a big show we had in Changsha, China. After the last song, I brought my pans down into the audience for people to get an up-close-and-personal look at the pans. The number one comment I get from audiences is that they wish they could see my hands during the show. I think this is something that we take for granted in the steel pan community. People are amazed to see how it works, but to us, it's just playing pan! So, I try to give people the opportunity to see what I'm doing when I can." Scales, WST 2017.

Thanks again and again Fourchestra-Jonathan Scales
- Claude Gonzales > MC Joseph April 28, 2017 at 11:52am
  
  Mike: With your background, you should be putting a show on the road to the FAR CORNERS of the earth (showcasing the PAN) as Jonathan Scales is doing. Trinis watching from the sidelines as Americans take the PAN around the world -- kinda updside down!!!
  - MC Joseph > Claude Gonzales April 28, 2017 at 5:30pm
    
    Yes Claude you're right. I'm preparing my package to provide info showcasing my contribution for Pan through media, music and the environment soon. When it's ready I will definitely post it on WST for the forumites to participate also.
    
    Thanks for the forward drive from your end.
Bugs April 27, 2017 at 11:38am

Congratulations Jonathan. Very , very impressive.

bugs
Claude Gonzales April 27, 2017 at 11:26am

Well!!! Tears got to be flowing in the MECCA!!! Although everybody staying silent. Maybe the CIP will put a BAND together and organize a WORLD TOUR.
- Bugs > Claude Gonzales April 27, 2017 at 11:40am
  
  CIP needs to read this.and come up with plan.
  
  bugs

This reply was deleted.