At one point during pan historian Kim Johnson’s 2014 TedX talk in Port-of-Spain, he explained that “before pan is encountered as music, it is experienced as a form of belonging.”
“Learning (pan),” argued Johnson, “is through pleasure and love.”
Some experts are wont to contend that such a view of the unique nature of pan and its music underpins both its strengths and weaknesses – particularly the notion that, in the past and even today, rote learning of the instrument in a panyard context brings with it, what Johnson describes as a high level of informality and a sense of “family” and not necessarily the sterile environment of a classroom.
Artistic director/conductor of the National Steel Symphony Orchestra, Akua Leith, hints at such a dynamic in the crafting of musical arrangements for Panorama in particular.
“What is most interesting to me is beyond all the musical elements an arranger could use, it seems to come down to what moves our people,” he told T&T Guardian. “One could argue it is more of a cultural thing than a musical thing.”
“I have seen this unfold in the panyards. Simple musical elements can bring forth a great deal of excitement, while sophisticated musical elements are barely recognised,” Leith added.
“The traditional elements are easily discernible, and usually bring about a certain response from the listeners and players alike; hence our job as arrangers is to continue to introduce new material that will eventually become appreciated by all.”
Yet, the development of the instrument, music composed for it and the accompanying musicianship have undergone an uneven metamorphosis, claims former Pan Trinbago president and decorated pan leader, Owen Serrette.
“There is a different direction now,” he said in an interview, “what we have more of now are musicians and not just panmen.”
He however said while this was a move in the right direction—and he has been a staunch supporter of music literacy among pan players —“we are not seeing the progress (in terms of youth participation).”
“Let’s face it,” he said, “we (my generation) didn’t have that kind of talent. Being musically qualified is good for the pan but we do not seem to be getting the young people to come on board.” He estimates that no more than 20 per cent of young pan players progress from school and junior bands to the senior level.
However, pan musical leadership is witnessing the unfurling of a new generation. Leith, a music graduate, is himself 34; the same age as highly-successful Supernovas arranger, Amrit Samaroo. In 2012, Shenelle Abraham took over Panorama arrangement for Skiffle at 24, Mia Gormandy now of Birdsong is 29 and young pan phenom, Aviel Scanterbury, is this year arranging for Arima Angel Harps at the age of 22.
Scanterbury, a recent UWI music graduate, said the annual line-up of Panorama arrangers has undergone “something of a facelift with younger arrangers coming into the battle zone and proving themselves quite brilliantly.”
This change, he said, “has been something that the steelband fraternity has only recently come to terms with—not that it hasn’t been tried in the past.”
“I would like to think that the quality of steelpan players has improved within the last decade as more and more players are musically literate and more technically advanced,” Scanterbury said. “I think … this could be thanks to the implementation of pan in schools, steelbands forming youth steel orchestras and an increase in tertiary level programmes around the world for players to hone their craft.”
“This is a step in the right direction,” he added. “However there is still more to be done.”
Samaroo, who led Supernovas to second place in the large band category of Panorama 2016, straight from a winning position as a small band with a big sound, is just as enthusiastic about what he sees in the panyard among the youth.
He is however concerned that the gap between tertiary level training and careers in the music industry. “I have noticed there has been more youth involvement in the last five years,” he told T&T Guardian. “That has dramatically increased because of the pan in schools programme and the instrument being introduced a lot sooner in the school system.
http://www.guardian.co.tt/lifestyle/2017-02-02/pan-next-generation
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