Dr. Chris Tanner pulled his pair of drumsticks from his back pocket and clicked them together to silence the cacophony in room seven in the basement of Presser Hall.
It was 7:45 p.m. and the members of Miami University’s Steel Band had spent the last 15 minutes lugging blue, maroon and black steel drum cases into the room one by one, hanging the instruments on their stands and warming up. Everyone was playing a different tune at a different time.
It was their last rehearsal before PanFest on Saturday, April 14. Their practice agenda was scrawled on the whiteboard and consisted of three songs that they were going to perform:
7:45 Supercharger
8:05 Acadia Sunset
8:25 Conquerors
PanFest is a steel band musical showcase and one of the biggest steel band gatherings in the United States. This year’s show featured bands from the University of Akron, Canal Winchester High School, Talawanda High School, Toledo School for the Arts, Bowling Green State University, Elder High School, Clark Montessori High School and the Divine Steel Community Band.
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