I would like to know what it is like for steelbands after the carnival season? do they have stage sides,is there a market for steelbands between panoramas, how do they utilize their pan yards, do they have work shops, after school programs for young people ect? It would be nice if someone could enlighten us as to what happens in the pan yard in the quiet season.
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Activities vary at different panyards after carnival and a lot depends on your finances or if you get some kind of sponsored help. Some bands generate ideas to earn income with volunteered help from diehard members and supporters and don't really employ people. Stage sides practice after carnival two or three days per week and lately the emphasis is on bringing youth to the panyards by way of junior bands being formed with some having tutors for teaching music. Many have done well at music exams.I know of one (there may be others) teaching computer literacy and I suggested that a homework centre can be set up on weekends for an hour or two and not just come to play pan. Ideas are definitely being generated for panyard usage after carnival to avoid dormancy. Like everything else you will unfortunately have the odd exception.
Gerard, thanks for bringing us up to speed on panyard activity, as I've said before it's time that steelbands start looking at themselves differently and utilize the real estate occupy and put members or supporters to work, there is a lot of small businesses they can get into and be profitable. Everyone will be happy to see them try and Do Something For Themselves.
Claude and Bede, bands like Renegades and All Stars have a good location to sell lunches, 4 people could cook up ah storm in the yard and sell, ah kindah mini brakefast shed. They could also do ah day care thing, these panyards could make good dollars if they come up with ways to utilize their space.
In Trinidad you don't need a Day care, somebody always home, like Ma, Pa , Gramma, Papa, and the Lunches, they will be saying, Gey me a trust nah, we is we, lol
Ah know wah yuh saying boi, who say they don't have daycare in T&T? Grampa and Gramma ain't the same as back in the day, most of them are too busy living the life to get tie-up wid babysitting. These days ALL Trini people know it's only in GOD we trust.
I know that there is some activity in the larger panyards but is curious to know what type. I've heard of the stuff that Bird Song do and wonder how many bands do similar things. How many steelbands use there yard for business that employ people?
Cecil, How much money those steelbands make to be able to EMPLOY people, I am sure they depend on people to Volunteer their services.
Thank you, Bede!!!
This is an excellent question, Cecil, and I notice that you've had no responses to this question from the people it most pertains to, the pan people resident in T&T.
I have not been in a pan-yard after carnival for many years, and I'm also curious.
My impression is that some bands, my hometown band Southern Marines, for example, are socially responsible, and, apart from trying to maintain a small stage side throughout the year, also put on youth programs - talent shows, etc., and also do some schooling in the pan-yard.
Of course. it probably takes a while for bands to recover from the post Panoramaa "Dead Pan-yard Syndrome", especially those bands disappointed by an early exit from the competition.
Southern Marines is more than a steelband, it is a community organisation run by responsible people, however more community support is needed especially where talent shows and other efforts are concerned. Scobie and his crew should be complimented for trying to show T&T that steelbands should be more than steelbands.
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