Yo, Gregory, please share. I know very few value what I bring to the table, as a "nobody", but sound advice is independent of the messenger. Peace.
Ten Actions Steelbands May Take To Escape The Steelband Quagmire Of 2017:
1. Pressure the Government to dissolve the corporation, Pan Trinbago and Boycott! NOT ONLY Panorama, but Trinidad and Tobago Carnival 2017, PERIOD! It is time to show our society AND, ESPECIALLY Carnival event organizers, that panmen and panwomen are also patrons of their events. In my opinion, more harm (and scrutiny) will fall on the Steelband Movement, if, in light of the current events, steelbands try and force the issue. It makes more sense to regroup, and come again in 2018, better than ever before! (I believe the steelband community has the ability to do that.)
2. ALL individual steelband executive members, MUST immediately call emergency meetings with their members, explaining the intent and reasoning behind the above decision. They should then organize to hold events at their individual panyards for this year’s Carnival, and begin working on a repertoire of songs. (Begin developing a song list.) If they do “play mas”, the steelband executives should encourage their steelbands to come out with their own mas, and leverage the income they spend during Carnival. So; the ONLY people that should be getting pan players’ money this year, are pan people. The executives can vote on if they hold some form of competition, or if they would just rather hold concerts this year. If they hold a competition, they should make it a “people’s choice”, where people have the option to text in their choice.
3. ALL steelbands MUST immediately end their membership with Pan Trinbago. Those in leadership positions should initiate the formation of a Pan Players Union (PPATT – Pan Players Association of Trinidad and Tobago), immediately register it with the Registrar of Trade Unions, and retain legal counsel to begin drafting a Constitution.
4. They should also begin taking legal action against Pan Trinbago, its Executive, and any of its local, regional, and international business partners, who profited as a direct result of the shoddy business deals of Keith Diaz and his board of executives. They should seek to have the government seize the personal assets of the aforementioned Pan Trinbago leaders and partners, until EACH and EVERY ONE of them are audited. This time, Keith Diaz and his fleeting group of “businessmen”, will not be able to use the association’s funds, so, it would be interesting to see how easy they are able to “cough up” legal fees for pending lawsuits. And, hopefully, the “paper trail” will lead to the missing millions, which can be returned to those who earned it.
5. Immediately after Carnival, begin a series of “information-gathering” sessions, where the executives of each steelband (maybe an Emergency Committee), would visit every functioning steelband (regardless of size), and sit with their members in two-way open DISCUSSION. I placed that word in CAPS, because, again, in my opinion, we NEED to learn how to communicate (with each other). Personally, it is embarrassing to hear certain steelband leaders speak. Not saying that everyone has to be an island scholar (I’m certainly not), but we would accomplish a lot more, if we just learned how to communicate effectively. The shouting at each other MUST end! We need to apply democracy from the micro level, where EVERY voice is an important voice, and EVERY panman and panwoman has a right to be heard. These sessions should be recorded (preferably by video, but audio will work) for future reference. This will provide steelband leaders with a consensus; a “blueprint” of what our local panmen and panwomen need. I am so tired of seeing posts, where people make suggestions, but NONE suggest that we (simply) sit down and listen to those who form the majority of the local steelband community. So; GATHER INFORMATION BEFORE DEVELOPING POLICIES!
6. Simultaneous to the information-gathering “phase”, the steelband executives will need to begin scheduling meetings with various government ministries and NGOs, NOT for “handouts”, as many like to chastise the steelbands for. They would also seek to reestablish relationships with our brothers and sisters in the other cultural organizations, as well. Keep in mind, that, although music is “entertainment”, so too are football and basketball. What they have in common (among other things), is these professional “entertainers” have (a) agents, and (b) unions. AND, rather than seek “sponsorship” from businesses, businesses seek them for “advertising”. THE AGE OF SPONSORSHIP MUST END! Or, the steelbands of Trinidad and Tobago (and, as a natural consequence, their members) will remain in perpetual dependency, while businesses continue to exploit cheap advertising.
7. Each individual steelband should IMMEDIATELY register as corporations! (Doesn’t take a lawyer.) Understandably, the current economy does not favor the granting of small business loans or other financial assistance, however, that is not stopping others from forming businesses. Business will always include different levels of risk, however, EVERY STEELBAND MUST BECOME ATONOMOUS, and owning your own business (or, in the case of steelbands, yourselves) gives you that freedom in an “open market”.
8. Once the pan players’ union is registered, it should open membership, and launch a membership drive. Each individual steelband should have their members nominate their representatives for each executive position, and those who are nominated would then become their delegates for a regional election. During the regional election, the delegates of each of the steelbands, would then campaign in their respective regions, by way of town hall meetings and debates, and then a regional election would select the delegates (from the various regions) who would then campaign (nationally) for the executive positions of the pan players union. (In the “Blueprint”, I suggested that these positions should require college degrees, however, I have since changed my position on that requirement, as there are many examples of successful business entrepreneurs without college degrees.) THERE SHOULD BE A TERM LIMIT OF 4 YEARS, AND NO ONE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO SERVE MORE THAN ONE TERM! By the way; if there is one criticism that I have, with regard to my dad’s (George “Sonny” Goddard’s) career, is that he should not have been allowed to keep returning to the position as president. Granted, he ALWAYS did so with good intent, AND after repeated requests of the majority of “steelbandsmen” for his return, but his “on again; off again” (as many termed it), in my opinion created and environment that was counterproductive, and robbed the Steelband Movement of other, younger (fresher) ideas and leadership styles. His desire to not be a distraction or political liability, by the way, explains the “off again” part of his story. (He never wanted to be a negative influence on the Steelband Movement.) So; UNION; CONSTITUTION; ELECTIONS; TERM LIMITS.
9. The newly-elected Executive, should immediately begin developing a marketing strategy and a business plan. They should then appoint the necessary business professionals, opening the positions (firstly) to union members with the necessary qualifications, before posting them publically. They should seek to establish a network of relationships within the government and private sectors, in the implementation and development of their strategy and plan. They would begin negotiating arrangements that benefit all parties, and reach out to other international musicians’ unions, such as the American Federation of Musicians, with the aim of forming alliances and receiving training and advice on running a successful nonprofit musicians’ union. They would also reach out to the numerous international steelband communities and schools, as part of the networking effort. AND, they MUST create a budget! Fiscal responsibility is key to recovery. So; MARKETING STRATEGY; BUSINESS PLAN; BUDGET.
10. Finally, there should be a written contractual agreement between each player (the “associate”) and their respective steelbands (the “business”). So; the pan player will be responsible for the delivery of performances, the steelband will be responsible for the payments for services rendered, and the union would negotiate with the steelbands, on behalf of the pan player/union member. The steelbands (as for-profit business) will then have the freedom to function in an “open marketplace”, locally, regionally, and internationally, and do so annually, and not just during Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival season. The union should seek to persuade the government to immediately solicit the US Embassy and other foreign diplomatic agencies, to grant temporary work visas to ANY pan player union member that secures work as a pan player overseas, or the members of any steelband that secures work overseas. And, both steelband and union should embark upon an “education drive”, aimed at improving the individual panman’s and panwoman’s knowledge of (their) steelband history, of the “Steelband Movement”, and of their representative associations –from the Steelbands Association to (hopefully) the Pan Players Association of Trinidad and Tobago (PPATT). Of course, this is in addition to all their normal union activities. The pan players’ union, should function in a non-profit capacity; steelbands should be for-profit corporations, and panmen and panwomen would then enter into contractual agreements as “Associates” (employees) of their respective steelbands. Pan players may be “hired” as “independent contractors”, which will give them the ability to write off business expenses. Their union can assist with negotiations between steelbands and pan players, based on the latter’s “resume”. Of course, they can set up a “salary rate schedule” and a “salary cap”, and steelbands can negotiate to “trade” pan players (as they do in the NBA). Anyway, this is some of my suggestions, and I welcome any and all constructive criticism, and counter-suggestions. More power.
George D Goddard. Honoring George "Sonny" Goddard's Legacy.
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Sound message indeed. The Messenger is well respected here in the Forum.