Youth are the future of pan, and with this motivation Pan Trinbago, as part of the International Conference and Panorama started a week of events on August 3 with a youth empowerment programme.
Over 50 teen representatives drawn from steelbands spread across the country converged on the engineering auditorium at UWI for a forum to challenge them and their role in pan into the future. The interactive event featured talks, panel discussions, and video clips. Pan Trinbago president Keith Diaz challenged the group to step forward, to play an active role in pan; and step forward they did. The youth were not shy and participation was spirited.
Diaz recounted and described pan history and the struggles of pan players as well as opportunities presented by pan. Inspired by the event, the youth were eager to become involved and to assert leadership roles in their own steelbands and from there, move on to Pan Trinbago and the wider steelband community.
The youth empowerment forum at the International Conference and Panorama offered representatives a chance for their voice and perspective to be heard and acted upon. Engaged youth representatives peppered Diaz with questions and many expressed frustrations with the management of their bands. Concerns ranged from the lack of communications skills to the marginalisation of youth in band decision making.
Another discussion panel featured a spirited discussion of important (and always controversial) subject of Panorama judging. Three leading judges for Junior Panorama, Vanessa Headley (arranger for Golden Hands and soon to be judge at Notting Hill Panorama in England), Akua Leith (graduate student in pan at Northern Illinois), and Kareen Brown (captain of the National Steel Symphony Orchestra) addressed the youth and fielded questions regarding the difficulty of judging Panorama judge.
Writing clear, articulate, and useful comments is a more difficult task than one might assume and Headley stressed the importance of judges taking the time to listen to the calypsoes numerous times ahead of the competition in order to properly judge the arranger’s skill. Headley also talked to the importance of “critiquing positively” to encourage bands.
The youth, too, participated in the discussion and frustrations were expressed regarding poor judging, compliments for a good introduction when the arrangement did not have an introduction. Other issues were raised such as the inclusion of subjective extra musical categories that judge the idea of the concept of Carnival spirit or whether “creating excitement” is a proper category. The topic at hand caused lively debate.
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Replies
What Panorama mean?
If you want youth coming to support pan, the country need to take care of crime. Tell me what responsible parent would drop their child off in a panyard and feel comfortable that their child is in good hands educating themselves. Secondly, no restroom facilities provided. I would love to hear the questions asked at that forum, not what the newspaper editor interpreted. Panorama is the flagship of pan in Trinidad and Tobago, still today, I wonder if any of the youth questioned late night band hopping at panorama preliminaries as judges rove from band to band. What parent will encourage their teenage daughter to take part in these events and feel comfortable as she takes a taxi for home? These are the concerns? Not who make better the pan-stick. Education is key, it's not about youth getting $1500 or more for playing at panorama, it's about their education in pan.
So right, Patrick! Older people are not encouraging young ones to think. We are passing on the Complaining style to them. Ask them what is necessary to provide human development in the pan music, in the pan yard? Let them think about "responsibility" and how they take it up to make things happen properly. I am not saying we are to tell young people what to say or to do, but to question them so they think about the solutions. A dialogue which engages critical thought is much needed, I think, in our society!
Thank you so much Ayesha Mohammed, you understand clearly.
odw, there is no better time for youths to step forward than NOW, with all that's happening their presence should be seen and heard.
The question is anybody LISTENING? Who are their role models in the Pan leadership to provide business training and development? I say those who have the power should give funding to their Panyards. Music scholarships and Computer training should be available to them. This should be a part of the government community out-reach by making their Panyards, Community Learning Centers.