Wednesday, August 11, 2021
CASTRIES, Saint Lucia
With two more weeks to go before it wraps up, the Cultural Development Foundation’s Steel Pan Training Summer Workshop is already receiving some deserved positive feedback.
The workshop, which runs from August 3 through 27, offers youngsters aged 7 to 20 years both the theory and practical aspects of steel pan music. Held at the National Cultural Centre from Monday to Thursday each week, many youngsters are already learning their chops at the art form known for its pulsating and captivating sounds.
“So far, the students have been progressing quite well,” said Gregory Piper, Theory Facilitator. “I know music theory can be a bit tedious, but it’s also very important. Being able to read music cuts down your rehearsal time by almost half. Many people downplay music theory, but’s it’s an essential asset to have as a musician.”
Piper said he’s encouraged to see the youngsters gravitating towards music theory in steel pan. The veteran musician, who started playing pan at around eight or nine years old, took up steel pan by hanging around the steel bands that were popular at the time. He’s now one of Saint Lucia’s most popular composers and music directors.
“Marchand was a hub for steel pan and Diamond Steel was there,” Piper said. “After school, I would stand up and listen to those guys play. So my first musical instrument was pan. After gravitating to the instrument, I was enlisted into the police band and the rest is history.”
The training workshop started with Piper teaching the students the basics, such as the bass and treble clefs, learning the lines and spaces on the staff, and pitch. Throughout his sessions, he often gives brief pieces of advice as to how students can transpose what they are learning into their lives.
“A human being just having an artistic end to their own being is very important,” he said. “I’ve told the students that the people whom I’ve played music with became my friends. So if you can speak the musical language, it gives you a broader perspective.”
For anyone thinking of getting into music, Piper said there are many opportunities, including being able to work on cruise ships. One of the island’s best kept secrets, he said, is the high number of local musicians working on cruise ships. The police band is also another avenue because with many senior members retiring from the band, there is always the need for new members.
Meanwhile, Practical Facilitator, Hausan “Zorro” Griffith, noted that he is also making progress with his eager students.
“The students are catching on pretty fast,” he said. “After two or three sessions, they basically get the idea of what to do. It’s a lot easier to move on after that.”
Griffith is credited with creating a high level of awareness for steel pan in Saint Lucia. He has led many steel pan orchestras to victory at the annual Panorama competitions. Like Piper, his first musical instrument was pan and he’s determined to see its continued growth.
“Growing up, pan had a stigma of being a ‘rude boy, bad boy’ kind of thing,” Griffith stated. “But I think we’ve gotten over that in the open era. “The Cultural Development Foundation is doing a great job in trying to raise the awareness of steel pan. Over the years, the CDF has taken up the mantle of promoting steel pan around the island. It’s now just a matter for the young people to take ownership of the art form.”
Registration for the CDF Steel Pan Training Summer Workshop continues. Call the CDF’s offices at 1 (758) 457 9021 or 1 (758) 452 1859 for more information.
(ENDS)
