The potential of pan

THE EDITOR: I have recently returned home after living abroad for a significant number of years. This is my first Carnival in nearly a decade. Of course, one can follow the festivities remotely online, but there is nothing quite like being “in d ting.”

Being in TT for Carnival, one cannot help but marvel at the creativity of our people. This rings especially true for the steelpan – our national instrument. The pan is melodic, it is lively, it captivates. It is simply beautiful. It also has great potential.

Oftentimes we have discussed the potential of the pan in the context of the metropole – how can we take pan to the world? And to a large extent, we have achieved this. Mention the steelpan to people in Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Thailand and someone would have heard of it, and been captivated. What I wish to raise here is the potential of the pan right here in TT.

The pan is productive, it engages our youths. Anyone visiting the panyards or attending Junior Panorama can attest to this. I have also observed this personally.

My 14-year-old niece played with her school band an one of the big contender bands in the junior category. She never complained of the many hours of practice. Instead, she looked forward to going to the panyard and would happily practise in her free time.

I make no comparison to her academic studies in case she reads this.

My four-year-old nephew is the newest panman on the scene – playing for his pre-school jump-up and beating anything in his reach, while singing “beat pan” (Lord Kitchener’s Pan in ‘A’ Minor).

The Ministry of Education and schools have done exceptionally well to nurture and encourage pan in our schools. More can be done in terms of learning from pan and the panyard in terms of pedagogy.

The pan promotes discipline. The eight or so minutes that a band graces the “big stage” represent countless hours of practice and drills, which take significant discipline. Every note must be precise, every jump in time to the rhythm, and, behind the scenes, adhering to the various stipulation set by Pan Trinbago.

The steelpan exemplifies tolerance and unity. Regardless of which band you support, it is easy to look beyond your tribe and appreciate excellence. Hailing from Morvant/Laventille, I support Despers and I am admittedly disappointed this year. But I fully appreciate the brilliance that is Exodus and Renegades and look forward to their offerings in the finals.

All factions of society united and rallied around Joshua Regrello’s attempt at a Guinness World Record.

This is not a naïve attempt to suggest that the steelpan can fix all the problems in TT. For that we need reform and a coming together of individuals, communities and the State. What I am suggesting, however, is that we recognise and harness the potential of the pan in various aspects of our lives, beyond Carnival and Panorama.

We have embedded the steelpan in our national emblem. Now let us take lessons from the pan and panyards into our classrooms, our communities and our policies.

DR JAMELIA HARRIS

Morvant