RBC sponsors Redemption Sound Setters pan camp

The Tobago-based RBC Redemption Sound Setters Steel Orchestra hosted a pan camp for 41 youngsters comprising children from Tobago and the US in July.

A media release said the vacation pan camp 2024 was designed for novices.

Under the tutelage of Shaquille Broomes and Dachelle Morrison, the students were exposed to both theory and practical elements of the pan, including knowledge of scales and chords at the introductory level.

The camp provided an opportunity to profile careers in the pan industry and demonstrate productive use of leisure time for the five-16-year-old participants, the release said.

Coming out of a similar initiative in 2023, ten students in the ten-15 age group honed their skills on the national instrument and were able to join the senior band for Panorama 2024, the release said.

At a graduation ceremony on July 27, each student received a certificate of participation and put on show the skills they acquired during the three-week camp.

“The steelband movement has become an important channel for musical creativity and a significant factor within the cultural fabric of Trinidad and Tobago,” band captain Marie Toby said in the release. She underscored the importance of introducing the pan to beginners.

Witnessing an inspiring display of newly-acquired talent at the graduation ceremony, RBC branch manager Lesa Cruickshank-Simon said in the release, “It is so rewarding to see young people embracing the legacy of the pan – out of the depths of simplicity there is a harmonious, encouraging symphony of hope.”

She was pleased the bank was able to support Sound Setters in making the camp a reality and lauded the band for including children from the US, a step which can continue to foster keeping pan on the world stage.

The band is aiming to make the camp an annual event.