I am always struck by the notion that some insist on seeing the steelband's future purely as business.
And I'm not talking about the professional panist, or even the small 'side" that does gigs and may even be doing quite well.
And obviously for a steelband to be successful, its finances should be handled in a proficient and businesslike manner.
I'm talking about the Steel Orchestra, the large steel band made up mostly of amateurs who actually play for the joy of it, though of course financial compensation for their efforts is highly appreciated.
Now, pan has potential to generate income, and maybe this potential has not been fully taken advantage of.
Some can and will make a profit from pan, and we sincerely hope that as many as possible do so.
Every way that the steelband can generate revenue should be explored and exploited.
But the purpose of business is profit.
A business makes a profit that goes to its owners, shareholders investors etc.
A non-profit , on the other hand generates income to sustain itself , pay its employees, and perform some social or cultural function.
The Steelband is about art and culture, and should not be promoted, advertised or identified as business.
And lets face it, there may be financial benefits (taxes, etc.) for a successful steelband organization to be SEEN as a non-profit.
Not everyone who contributes to this forum or participates in the art form does so with the intention of profit.
I like to think that I make a small contribution to the promotion of the art form, but I do not expect to be paid.
Pan is part of my culture, my being.
I see the steelband the same way I see the symphony orchestra, the opera. dance, and ballet; as an art form.
These art forms employ highly skilled, professional artists, but still depend on grants and sponsors for sustenance.
Businesses come and go, some succeed and some fail; but art, like the steelband is (hopefully) forever.
Art represents much more than putting dollars in someone's pocket. It represents the cultural lifeblood of a people and for it to survive and prosper the community has an obligation to support it.
Most societies understand this, hence there are patrons, sponsors and organizations whose main philanthropic purpose is support of the arts.
In the United States, The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the Federal Government which since its creation in 1965 has given out billions in grants to support art, including the performing arts - dance, theatre, music.
Many of the organizations receiving these funds are considered "Non profit", though they pay their employees and artists, and charge for their performances.
I would like to see steelbands in this category, as non profit cultural and artistic entities deserving of sponsorship, grants and taxpayers dollars, but also capable of generating income.
Though some conservatives object, it is generally understood that government -i.e. the taxpayers, and private organizations have an obligation to support the arts and to keep culture alive.
In return, a vibrant culture is capable of rewarding the populace in many ways, not the least of which is revenue generated in the economy by events, festivals, tourism etc., where the main attraction is that culture.
And BTW, this is one of the reasons why steelbands are entitled to receive government funds.
Steelband funding isn't charity. Steelband activity in T&T generates income to the nations coffers, and the steelband deserves a share.
It is not about business for profit.
It is about art and culture.
Replies
Thanks for your continued conversation and substance. I understand the cultural artform of the steelband( in its many sub -groups),which we have carved out, as intrinisc to our being a "cultured society". it affords the lovers of music the platform to appreciate the presentation of specially written arrangements or any genre of music for different audiences. It certainly impels those in this steelband universe to see the profusion of smaller aggregation, well balanced to attract and hold their local communities as the primary funding sources.
There has always been a tension with those with the responsibility for making choices, on the distribution of limited resources, and shrinking musical constituencies for underwriting the arts, in whatever endeavor of cultural appreciation, so business models, as a vehicle, to get to some structural level of music production, becomes a patner or may become the primary driver, where endowments may be set up with prescribed governing rules for funding,so whether it is a large or small group, the business engine becomes a critical driver and does affect the finished product.Governments should not be in the business of defining cultral appreciation as it bends to political drift.
Seeing the steelband as art and culture does not preclude efficient use of funds allocated to the steelband, nor should it prevent the steelband organizations from investing in steelband related industries i.e. manufacturing, transporting, recording etc.
Well said Glenroy. I share your views. All art forms have professionals, part timers and amateurs. In just a few years since its creation, Steelband (Pan) has created quite a few professionals and part timers who do not need assistance. It has also developed large and small 'art and culture' groups that are very competent and running their affairs.The next stage is to discuss criteria for allocation of public funds. Notice I did not say 'assistance'. This must include how we allocate prize monies at the major competitions. My view is that there is some inequality there.
Good points Kevin.
One of the questions we should be asking in T&T is whether the funds allocated to the steelband art form from public funds is equitable, based on the art form's contributions - financial and otherwise, to the common wealth of the nation.
Then we should determine if those funds are wisely used, and if the best use of the bulk of those funds is sharing them among the top bands, as Panorama prize money.
Thanks for your thoughts on this topic but much is needed to be done in the Steelband world to ensure that it remains a cultural Icon because a lot of those who make the most out of the culture wants to be able to rape the culture of its little injections of cash. One arranger wants to arrange for as much bands as he can, one band wants as much players as he can no thought for others.
A for instance big bands get millions for placing first in Panorama how much of that goes to the players not counting what the government pays each player. How many young people when the carnival is over find meaningful employment in the steelpan industry.
Who or rather which business that you know would invest in Pantrinbago as a business, and what is being done to encourage the young people to forge relationships with business that would benefit both the young people and the art.
While small bands struggle every year to train the younger players the large bands are only too eager to thief these same players from the small bands on the pretext that the young players want to play with a big band. Especially when every year they park up by the small pansides luring the players away.
Sorry but this topic will I believe reach nowhere, since the advent of the art form some of these same questions are today still being asked. No Forum for debates, it ultimately results in what each band organisation wants with no regard to the players or the same culture that we love so much.
Even the schools treat the culture as a tool to force players to play for them how much does the school kid benefit from this when the school band wins.
But like everything else in a country of 1.6 million how we deal with things, fete when we have and when it done we talk until we have again. Belly full but man hungry. I wait to hear more maybe but like any Government if the majority dont like them is not enough reason for them to leave, but to make you suffer until they cant go anymore or until they pocket full.
Steel band my culture out of struggles of slavery and indentureship, from pounding of the hammer to burning with fire this comes from deep within our very souls and germinates into that feeling you feel when you hear the knock of a pan you cant sleep because something calling you, a rhythm, a sound familiar. You alone know, this culture contains fabric from every strata of our society yet we treat it with no respect.
Maybe what I said made sense but in the end next year we will still be discussing Judging criteria, no of players in Large small and medium bands. We still only have Panorama and Music Festival. The only other injection was Pan Ramajay and to date no one has thought to take it up from where Exodus left off.
Let me say good night and wish you luck in engaging a wide ranging debate and discussion on this topic a lot of people believe that if business running the organisation is more for them. 50 years of steel a struggle to control your own destiny now they want to give it back reminds me of 1970 all the marching and protest that took place to ensure equality for all we are right back where we started those who were in control before the marching are in control again
I have been following this discussion carefully.
It is of vital importance and thanks must be given to the man who initiated it.
The discussion has been wide-ranging because many persons have (sometimes deliberately) have misunderstood the basic position made in the initial statement,
I think that the point being made that, as an art form and one that is so important to our very recognition of our national identity the steelband should be seen as 'belonging' to the nation and therefore partly funded by the government and private enterprise in the manner that the American National Endowment for the Arts or the British Arts Council fund artistic endeavousr that cannot fund themseves because, though important, they do not have a market that make them quite viable.
(Interestingly, countries like China and Japan go much further in their assistance of art forms that are considered 'national treasures' -- which steelband is to us, right?)
So, although steelband is, to some, a business and needs to be operated as such, the movement as a whole qualifies for national (government) assistance. This should be done through the structured expenditure on research, on training (of pannists, tuners, etc) and even on assistance to those community based bands who, no matter how efficiently run, find it difficult to survive as 'business' entities.
It is these bands that for years, have been a part of the life blood of many communities, a life blood which makes them different from any other community in any part of the world. That make them truly 'trini'!
While it is true that, to qualify for this assistance, a steelband has to prove itself efficiently run, and therefore able to make best use of the funds it receives, this is different from it being a business.
When have we ever heard of people drawing up a business plan and going to investors. The investment: a steelband and then state. "we will purchase drums from A; hire B to tune the pans, Hire X as arranger,Rent premises from C or D, Have F build racks, Hire company G to chrome the pans, Hold auditions for the pannists who will play, etc, etc.
That is a feasible plan for a small business, but to me, a panside cyaan start so!
Well said, Noah!
Cecil, Pan in T&T is not Bread and Butter to most. You think Pan Players in T&T would/could be persuaded to boycott anything that dont affect their kitchen table? And if it did they rather STARVE than be serious. To most Pan People in Trini, Pan is a FUN THING. Why do you think that they are being TRAMPLED upon so easily by the Pan BOSSES??
You think everyone here in T&T dont know what is going on in Pan Trinbago? It is not important enough Cecil!!! When it is important enough, when it begins to hurt, and hit the right places THEN movement will take place.
WE ARE THE ONLY ONES ON THIS FORUM THAT ARE COMPLAINING!!! Have you read in any of the T&T News Papers, Letters of complaints about Pan Trinbago, even when the Pan Players were taking SO LONG to get their little pittance??? It is only when Salah complained on this Forum things happened in a rush.
Our intentions here are noble, but FOR WHO? And if the Pan People dont care, it is of no use!! You are correct, a Panorama boycott could do some damage, but you think the Pan Players really care? Panorama is a 'Fun Thing' every year for most Players.
So we continue to Talk until something happens.
Bertel: Ain't NOBODY outside of Trinidad ain't go change NOTHING. And I still did not put enough NEGATIVES in that sentence. The TALK will continue on the forum but change will come to Pan Trinbago like a race between a SNAIL and a TURTLE ... real slow!!!
In the meantime me and Diaz working out the details of GREENS 2014 where we are looking to gross about TEN MILLION DOLLARS this year. We do appreciate the hard work and practice put in by the 10,000 pan players and we will get their little pittance to them in due course. But don't for one minute believe that the WST FORUM is dictating our behaviour.
From now on we will be directing most of our responses to you because you have a good understanding of sarcasm, hyperbole, figurative language, timbre and tongue-in-cheek. And most of all, it is clear that you comprehend the banter and ole talk and sense of animated exchange that underlies the unique art of Trinidad called LIMING ... which I consider to be a big part of our CULTURE much like PAN and CALYPSO and DIALECT.
We share a common conviction: YUH CYAR SIT DOWN IN FOREIGN AND TELL WE HOW TO RUN WE COUNTRY!!!
Apart from making a CD can someone tell me how can steelbands make a dollar in T&T?
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