YOUNG PEOPLE’S CONCERTS 2016-2017 STUDY GUIDE
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ATLANTA STEEL PAN: LATIN AMERICA IN THE CARIBBEAN
ATLANTA STEEL PAN: LATIN AMERICA IN THE CARIBBEAN
January 31, 2017
All Ages
Compiled and edited by Melanie Darby
Table of Contents About the ARTIST ................................................................................................................................. 2
About the PROGRAM .............................................................................................................................. 2
Background on STEEL PAN................................................................................................................... 3
VOCABULARY............................................................................................................................................ 5
PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES .................................................................................................... 5
POST PERFORMANCE ............................................................................................................................ 6
ACTIVITIES (K-5) ................................................................................................................................. 7
Making Steel Drums Caribbean Style! ................................................................................................ 7
CROSS CURRICULAR CONNECTIONS and STANDARDS....................................................... 10
REFERENCES AND RESOURCES ...................................................................................................... 11
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1000+ images about Steel Pan Trinidad on Pinterest | Trinidad, Steel. .................................. 12
Ellie Mannette: Father of the Modern Steel Drum - YouTube ................................................... 12
Ellie Mannette & Invaders - Wizards of the Steel Drum - YouTube ......................................... 12
Steel Drum Note Layout and Function - Steel Drum Shop ........................................................ 12
Steelpan - Trinidad and Tobago .................................................................................................... 12
Atlanta Steel Pan & Island Music Videos ..................................................................................... 12
About the ARTIST
Also known as Atlanta’s Jazz Pan Man, Paul Vogler of Atlanta Steel Pan began in 1967 as
drummer in rock & roll garage band. In 1977 Paul came home to Atlanta joining Possum Trot, an
eclectic/electric bluegrass band. Possum Trot played Burt Reynolds Club and cast parties for
both Kristy McNichol and Jody Foster. They also played the sets of Don Knox & Tim Conway’s
1979 movie: The Prize Fighter. Possum Trot opened for and appeared with The Nitty Gritty
Dirt Band, Elvin Bishop and others.
As a public educator at public and private schools (Baylor and McCallie schools of Chattanooga)
and universities including UTC and Georgia Perimeter College. Paul Vogler lectured on World
Music, Percussion, Jazz Studies and Electronic Music and directed Jazz Band and Orchestra.
Paul’s company, Atlanta Event Music, has provided educational programming since 1995,
receiving the 1997 Dorothy Mullen National Arts Award for “The Bessie Bus”, a mobile jazz
and blues program. Currently, Paul maintains an active performance schedule with Atlanta
Steel Pan and Island Music, the Atlanta Jazz Trio, and 2nd Line Atlanta while continuing to
teach private lessons.
About the PROGRAM
Atlanta Steel Pan takes you on a musical tour of Latin American music in the Caribbean
Islands! Learn how the musical, rhythmic and instrumental influences of Spain and
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ATLANTA STEEL PAN: LATIN AMERICA IN THE CARIBBEAN
Africa influenced Latin America, the Caribbean Islands, and the USA. A whirlwind
musical tour around the world and through history!
Caribbean music includes many styles from many countries and territories. These
Island Nations and territories include a rich and diverse group music cultures we
collectively call Caribbean. Music influences from Africa, Europe and the United
States include Rhythm, Melody Harmony and Instruments.
Some famous musical styles from this region are Calypso (Trinidad), Reggae (Jamaica)
and Salsa (Cuba).
The continent of South America lies East of the Caribbean Islands. There are many
countries and music cultures in South America. We will only include Samba and Bossa
Nova from Brazil as it relates to Caribbean musical style as a whole.
Background on STEEL PAN
Steel Pan
Steel pans (also known as steel drums or pans, and sometimes, collectively with other
musicians, as a steel band or orchestra) is a musical instrument originating from
Trinidad and Tobago. The metallic surface is concave. Steel pan musicians are called
pannists.
The modern pan is a pitched percussion instrument made from 55 gallon industrial
drums that formerly contained chemicals. Drum refers to the steel drum containers
from which the pans are made; the steel drum is more correctly called a steel pan or
pan as it falls into the idiophone family of instruments, and so is not a drum (which is a
membranophone). Other instruments in the idiophone family include xylophones,
cymbals, and glockenspiel.
The playing surface of the pan is divided into convex sections by channels, grooves,
and/bores. Each convex section is played by using a pair of straight sticks tipped with
rubber to strike the surface; the size and type of rubber tip varies according to the
class of pan being played. Some musicians use four pan sticks, holding two in each hand.
This skill and performance has grown out of Trinidad and Tobago's early 20th-century
Carnival percussion group. The pan is the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago.
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ATLANTA STEEL PAN: LATIN AMERICA IN THE CARIBBEAN
Steel pans (steel drums) were created on the Caribbean island of Trinidad in the 1930s,
but steel pan history can be traced back to the enslaved Africans who were brought to the
islands during the 1700s. They carried with them elements of their African culture
including the playing of hand drums. These drums
became the main percussion instruments in the annual
Trinidadian carnival festivities.
In 1877, the ruling British government banned the
playing of drums in an effort to suppress aspects of
Carnival which were considered offensive. Bamboo
stamping tubes were used to replace the hand drums as
they produced sounds comparable to the hand drum
when they were pounded on the ground.
These tubes were played in ensembles called tamboo bamboo bands. Non-traditional
instruments like scrap metal, metal containers, graters and dustbins were also used in
tamboo bamboo bands. However, by the 1930’s these metal instruments dominated the
tamboo bamboo bands. The bamboo tubes were eventually abandoned and replaced by the
metal instruments. These early metal pan bands were a rustic combination of a wide
variety of metallic containers and kitchen utensils which were struck with open hands,
fists or sticks.
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ATLANTA STEEL PAN: LATIN AMERICA IN THE CARIBBEAN
The metal pan players discovered that the raised areas of the metal containers made a
different sound to those areas that were flat. Through experimentation, coincidence, trial
and error, and ingenuity on the part of numerous innovators, the metal pan bands evolved
into the steel pan family of instruments.
As the pan makers knowledge and technique improved, so did the sound of the instrument.
VOCABULARY
Concave: hollowed or rounded inward like the inside of a bowl
Convex: curved or rounded outward like the exterior of a sphere or circle
Idiophones: an instrument the whole of which vibrates to produce a sound when struck,
shaken, or scraped, such as a xylophone, cymbal, glockenspiel, bell, gong, or rattle.
Membranophone: is any musical instrument which produces sound primarily by way of a
vibrating stretched membrane.
Pannists: a musician who plays a steel pan
Steel Pan: a musical instrument originating from Trinidad and Tobago. They are made
from 55 gallon industrial drums that formerly contained chemicals. Drum refers to the
steel drum containers from which the pans are made.
PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES
Prepare (Pre- or pre-performance)
Before the program, discuss with your students what makes a good audience.
Compare appropriate behavior for different kinds of audience situations—e.g., rock
concert, sporting event, ballet.
Students will get more out of the program if they come prepared. Use this guide to
help students anticipate what to listen and look for.
Set a good example. Catch up on paperwork and email after the performance.
Warm Up Questions to set the stage for engaging students:
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ATLANTA STEEL PAN: LATIN AMERICA IN THE CARIBBEAN
What is percussion?
Can anyone name a type of drum?
What role do drums usually play in theatre, historic paintings, movies, or in a band?
How do drums vary from culture to culture?
How are drums played?
What are drumsticks? Why do you think they are called sticks?
Can drums be used for communication—how?
What are some ways you could learn to play the drum?
What do you think the first drum ever built looked like?
What is the Caribbean?
Can you name places located in the Caribbean Ocean? Warm Up Questions for meeting the Georgia Performance Standards for “Listening/Speaking/Viewing”:
Describe the perfect audience.
What are some of our class rules for being good listeners?
How do we show someone we appreciate their visit to our school or classroom?
How does being part of an audience help make you a good citizen?
What are some examples of bad audience behavior or attitudes?
How does a negative audience member effect your enjoyment of a show or performance?
How would this make the performer feel?
How do we want the performer to feel when they leave our school or classroom?
POST PERFORMANCE
Reflect (Post- or post-performance)
Reflection activities may vary, but some suggestions include—mapping some of the
places encountered in the musical journey; journaling about the performance
experience; creating a short in-class performance of rhythm using hands, finger-
snapping, or light desktop drumming (or combinations); list the names of the
instruments on the board and match them to their definitions or the sounds they
make; researching the history of drums or allowing students to create their own drum
which explores their cultural background or cultures currently being studied; learning
counts or beats which mirror mathematical concepts; reading stories which feature
drums or drumming; investigating the role of drums during battles; challenging
students to draw, or devise a way to recreate their favorite percussion instrument
from the show.
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ATLANTA STEEL PAN: LATIN AMERICA IN THE CARIBBEAN
ACTIVITIES (K-5)
Find the Caribbean on a map; discuss how far it is from where students live; what are the major borders or bodies or water
the Caribbean & have them put it together individually, in cooperative large or small groups, or in think-pair-share; then label the capital, cities, or major political or geographical landmarks
now about Caribbean music or history and record it on a graphic organizer for a “before-and-after” comparison or fill in a K-W-L Chart chronicling What do you KNOW about Caribbean music / What do you WANT to learn / What did you LEARN
on on the Internet or use technology to introduce Caribbean
match them before and after the performance to their sounds or names or the way they looked
Making Steel Drums
Caribbean Style!
You will need an empty juice carton. Give it a wash out and with some sharp scissors, carefully cut
out two of the sides. Cut off the top but not the bottom. You should end up with a shape like a
slanted roof that will be the steel drum`s base.
The bottom of the carton is now the shape of a triangle which you can use as a template to make
the other end of your base.
To do this, use one of the
discarded sides and cut out a big
enough oblong for the triangle
shape. Its length should be the
same as the long triangle side and
its height the same as the height
of the triangle.
Use a felt tip to mark your triangle and fold these 2 lines. Now check the picture that you have a
triangle with sides that will be used to attach it to the base end.
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Use a stapler to fix it into place and paper over your base in a paper of your choice. I chose the
same color as the steel drum to make it look uniform.
Making Steel Drums Using Tin
Foil
You need a tin foil plate. We got
ours from Mr. Kipling tarts. Loved
having an excuse to buy and eat 2.
It was for a good cause so I`m
not suffering any pangs of
conscience. We need the plates
for our Summer Work Shop you
know!
Take the plate and use its diameter to mark out where the holes for the legs (aka) 2 skewers or
garden sticks.
Once you have punched your holes,
push the skewers through and put
a piece of blue tack on the ends.
This will support the base by
fixing it to the table top. Put this
aside until you make the drum.
To make the drum, join two
lengthwise strips of A4 metallic
card together and then use your
tin foil plate upside down as a
template by wrapping the metallic
card strip around inside the
lip. This is important so that the
pan can fit inside the drum. Hold
it in place while you staple it to
make a cylinder.
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ATLANTA STEEL PAN: LATIN AMERICA IN THE CARIBBEAN
See how it looks just like a steel
drum!
If you want to decorate the drum,
punch holes around the edge of
the card for ribbons.
Now tape the skewers to the
inside of the drum on both side to
secure.
If you want a crisscross design, make some holes around the bottom too. You can decorate it any
style you like. Try and think of one.
Making Steel Drums Look
Colorful
Get your ribbon and weave it
between the holes. If you take a
spoon and pull the ribbon between
your thumb and the spoon, it will
curl up like the ribbon in the
photo.
Weave diagonally from hole to hole, then work the other way to get the crisscross effect.
When you’re finished, sit the tin foil plate on the top of the drum. It should fit snuggling with the
lip overlapping the edge. Now get another 2 skewers, put some blue tack on the ends or some large
beads for the drum sticks and you have an awesome steel drum kit.
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ATLANTA STEEL PAN: LATIN AMERICA IN THE CARIBBEAN
CROSS CURRICULAR CONNECTIONS and
STANDARDS
Page Standard Explanation
MK-5GM.6 Listening to, analyzing, and describing music a. Identify specific music events in an aural example, given appropriate terminology. b. Identify characteristics of musical elements in music which represent diverse genres and cultures.
MK-5GM.7 Evaluating music and music performances. a. Evaluate musical performances of themselves and others. b. Explain personal preferences for specific musical works and styles using appropriate vocabulary.
M6-12GM.9 Understanding music in relation to history and culture a. Perform, listen, move and/or distinguish between music from various historical periods and cultures (e.g., various world regions). b. Describe how music and musicians function in various cultures. c. Demonstrate appropriate audience behavior for the context and style of music performed
Program Focus
SSKG2 The student will explain that a map is a drawing of a place and a globe is a model of the Earth. a. Differentiate land and water features on simple maps and globes.
SS1G2 The student will identify and locate his/her city, county, state, nation, and continent on a simple map or a globe.
SS1G3 The student will locate major topographical features of the earth’s surface.
a. Locate all of the continents: North America, South America, Africa,
Europe, Asia, Antarctica, and Australia.
SS3E3 The student will give examples of interdependence and trade and will
explain how voluntary exchange benefits both parties.
SS6G1 The student will locate selected features of Latin America and the Caribbean.
SS6G4 The student will describe the cultural characteristics of people who live in Latin
America and the Caribbean. a. Describe the results of blending of ethnic
groups in Latin America and the Caribbean
SS6H1 The student will describe the impact of European contact on Latin America
SS6H2 The student will explain the development of Latin America and the Caribbean
from European colonies to independent nations.
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REFERENCES AND RESOURCES
http://www.steelpan-steeldrums-information.com/steel-pan-history.html
Steelpan Odyssey -- Trinidad and Tobago https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL1RQ9FGZyE
The Map of Notes on a Steel Pan http://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/24611688558 http://www.koolkidscrafts.com/making-steel-drums.html
Development and History of the Steelpan The Skin Drum Era- West African drumming heritage in Colonial Trinidad 1700’s-Late 1800’s Tamboo Bamboo Era- Late 1800’- Early 1930’s- Bamboo sticks, bottles, and spoons Garbage Can Era- Mid 1930’s - The 1st Steel Bands… Used a variety of metal cans played with cut off broom handles. Pre-Melody Pans- Late 1930’s- Made from smaller 15-25 gallon steel containers Ping-Pong Era- Early 1940’s-1945- 30-35 gallon containers. Winston “Spree” Simon- 1st to play a melody on steelpan, invented the “Spider” Pan Ellie Mannette reversed the playing surface to a concave bowl, made the Barracuda pan. Introduction of the 55 gallon drum- 1946- Birth of the modern Steel Drum instrument Ellie Mannette invents the “Invader” Pan Pan-Around-the-Neck Era- 1947-Mid 1950’s –Steelpan bands carry pans on straps and march in parades. State of the Art Era- Begins with electronic tuning, Circle of Fifths note placement, chrome finishes and placing Steel Pans on stands.
Links to check out
SSWG2 The student will explain the cultural aspects of geography.
SSWG7 The student will describe the interaction of physical and human systems that
have shaped contemporary Latin America.
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ATLANTA STEEL PAN: LATIN AMERICA IN THE CARIBBEAN
1000+ images about Steel Pan Trinidad on Pinterest | Trinidad, Steel.
Ellie Mannette: Father of the Modern Steel Drum - YouTube
Ellie Mannette & Invaders - Wizards of the Steel Drum - YouTube Steel Drum Note Layout and Function - Steel Drum Shop Steelpan - Trinidad and Tobago Atlanta Steel Pan & Island Music Videos
