New York, USA - “What disappoints me the most about the steel pan movement is exactly that, the lack of a movement. There doesn't seem to be a "movement." There seems to be plenty of different entitie
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New Jersey, USA - “I’m always proud to see the steel pan being used all over the world. For instance, going to ICP and seeing a steel band from Japan was amazing...
“My experience at ICP was definite
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New Jersey, USA - “Finding a place for steelbands to practice is one of the greatest challenges this current generation is facing. Not only is this a problem in New York but also in New Jersey where m
New York, USA - “My passion is the music, and the instrument and the art form, so it’s difficult to walk away from an instrument that I’ve grown up with. But I appreciate the versatility of the instru
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - A tsunami of Steelpan lovers descended on the little village of Tamana on Saturday 19th March 2016 as Pan Trinbago held the first in its series Pan in De Countryside for 2016.
People came as is the custom, from all over Tri
Seattle, Washington, USA - “What captivated me at first was the uniqueness of the instrument and the beautiful sounds it makes....” says founder of Seattle Women's Steel Pan Project, Oriana Estrada.”
"..... They won't [attend the pan performances] because you see they can walk into a panyard and watch them practice....So that is the greatest challenge - to get the public to realize - here is an artform, and they should pay for it. So they [pan pl
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Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - “She was a former student of the great music phenom, Winifred Atwell. And as the founder of and an educator at the Pan Pipers Music School, she provided the entree point and s
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - “She was an intellectual, a star, a child prodigy, a music Pioneer, multi-talented, thoughtful, forward-thinking and a steelpan musical collaborator in an era when women were
New York, USA - “....The feeling I get when I’m playing – it’s like I can feel the music running through my body. Playing pan invoked so many positive emotions. I found myself thinking about it 24/7.
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - “My passion for Panorama, Pan and culture starts with my love for my country... I am extremely proud to be an ambassador for the only acoustic instrument invented in the 20t
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - “I’ve grown up around Aunty Pat, hearing her thoughts over and over about the treatment of pan and our culture. It has help shaped my own thoughts on the issue at hand, so t
Pan Trinbago
New Arranger for Birdsong Steel Orchestra!
Ph.D. candidate in ethnomusicology at Florida State University (FSU) Mia Gormandy replaces Composer/ Arranger Andy Narell at Birdsong Steel Orchestra.
At 27 years old, Gormandy, is the manager
by Tony Fraser
By DONNA TEREK The Detroit News
...Lyndon Sorzano, 43, says the sound of steel drums was everywhere when he was growing up in Trinidad and Tobago. He played in a school band that won a trip to play a music festival in Inverness, Scotland, an experie
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Montréal, Canada - “Growing up, most little girls would spend their time playing with dolls, throwing a tea party with their teddy bears etc. I on the other hand was given a pair of pan sticks… thank
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - “My biggest challenge is people (mostly men) underestimating my ability to “handle it.” To this day before I even sit behind a drum, when they see that I am a female and I am
New York, USA - “It’s just such an amazing instrument to say you know how to play....I feel like the community doesn’t welcome steel pan....The community needs to be more understanding and welcoming t
Indiana - Westfield High School music teacher Jeffrey McLaughlin learned how beneficial a WEF grant can be this school year. McLaughlin used his $1,000 grant to have steel pan educator David Chase visit his class. Chase is originally from Trinidad an
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