A CASE STUDY ON THE IMPORTANCE AND VALUE OF THE

DESERT WINDS STEELPAN PROGRAMS

by

Brandon Lee Haskett

A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree

Doctor of Musical Arts

ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

May 2009

UMI Number: 3361302

Copyright 2009 by Haskett, Brandon Lee

INFORMATION TO USERS

The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy

submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations

and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper

alignment can adversely affect reproduction.

In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript

and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized

copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion.

®

UMI UMI Microform 3361302

Copyright 2009 by ProQuest LLC All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against

unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code.

ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway

P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346

A CASE STUDY ON THE IMPORTANCE AND VALUE OF THE

DESERT WINDS STEELPAN PROGRAMS

by

Brandon Lee Haskett

has been approved

April 2009

Graduate Supervisory Committee:

Sandra Stauffer, Chair Margaret Schmidt

Jill Sullivan Mark Sunkett Jeffrey Bush

ACCEPTED BY THE GRADUATE COLLEGE

ABSTRACT

This study describes the steel band program at Desert Winds Elementary School

in Phoenix, Arizona. The steel band program began in 1978, and the study documents the

development of the program from its first year through 2008. During the first thirty years

of its existence, the program included a student ensemble, introduction to steel pans in

general music classes, and two adult community ensembles—one that existed from 1984

to 1988, and one that existed from 1997 until the time of this study. The study examines

the value and importance of the steel band ensembles for their participants and addresses

issues regarding steel band ensembles in public schools and in adult education. Data were

collected through observations of the student ensemble and general music classes,

observations of and participation in the second adult ensemble, interviews with alumni of

the student ensemble as well as past and current members of the adult ensembles, an

open-ended series of written questions provided to current members of the student

ensemble, and interviews with the director and various school personnel. Archival data

provided by the director and past members included audio, video, and digital recordings

of both student and adult ensembles, programs, photographs, and other materials. Data

were coded and analyzed for themes related to the research questions and the literature

review, as well as for emergent themes.

Descriptive chapters portray the development of the program at Desert Winds

Elementary School, the pedagogy developed by the director, and the history of the adult

community ensembles. The director, Jerry Lopatin, his background in steelpan traditions,

his use of aural-oral transmission models with self-designed modified lead and chord

charts, and his pedagogical expertise contributed to the success of the ensembles.

hi

Participants in both the student and adult ensembles noted the importance of socialization

and teamwork, quick musical success through effective pedagogy, the therapeutic effects

of the ensembles, and the leadership qualities of the director. These themes are used to

provide curricular and pedagogical recommendations to the field of music education and

the steel band community.

iv

DEDICATION

This dissertation and my preceding academic career would not have been possible

without the loving support of my wife, Sarah. She has successfully weathered the storm

of the dissertation with me and has encouraged me throughout the process.

My parents, Les and Rita, also deserve a great deal of credit for my success. They

nurtured me, always made me believe that I could accomplish anything, and supported

my passion for music. Without them I would not have the self-confidence to have

completed the dissertation process. Last, but not least, are my siblings, who dutifully

attended my concerts throughout the years, always told me that I was going to college,

and love me for who I am. This dissertation is dedicated to all of them.

v

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First, I extend my most heartfelt appreciation to Dr. Sandra Stauffer, my chair, for

her insightful guidance and her keen editing throughout the dissertation process. I may

owe you more than a few red pens, but I am by far a better scholar for all of your work. I

also extend my thanks to my other committee members for their time and feedback,

particularly Dr. Margaret Schmidt for her editing work on the dissertation proposal.

Secondly, several educators have had a profound impact on my life. Jeff Brown,

adjunct assistant professor at Valparaiso University, first inspired me to become a

percussionist and later guided me at the collegiate level. Without his guidance this study

and my career would not exist. Wilbur England, professor of percussion at Indiana

University, taught me many valuable lessons on discipline that I eventually understood. I

persevered because of his guidance.

Lastly, I give my sincerest gratitude to Jerry Lopatin, director of the Desert Winds

steel bands, for letting me invade his life for four years. His humility, candor, dedication,

knowledge, and musical skill are truly inspiring. I learned more from him than any other

person and vow to pass on his knowledge of steelpan just as he would want; it is the only

way to repay my debt for all of his help.

vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

LIST OF TABLES xi

LIST OF FIGURES xii

CHAPTER

1 INTRODUCTION 1

Purpose of the Study 2

Rationale for the Study 3

Delimitations 4

Definition of Terms_

2 HISTORY

The Rise of Steelpan in Trinidad

The U.S. Navy Steel Band 10

The Migration 12

Pan in Trinidad since 1960 14

Important Events in Steelpan in the United States 16

Steel Bands in American Universities/Pub. Schools ___ 17

3 LITERATURE REVIEW 25

The History of Steel Bands in Trinidad and Tobago 25

The History of Steel Bands in the United States 31

Curriculum and Philosophy 38

Curricular Frameworks and Logistical Documents 44

Teacher Expertise 58

vii

CHAPTER Page

Adult Musical Ensembles ____ 60

4 METHODOLOGY 69

Research Design _^^____ 69

Origins of this Study 69

Case Study 70

Settings and Participants 71

Desert Winds Elementary School 71

Jerry Lopatin 72

Desert Winds Steel Orchestra 73

Desert Winds Community Steel Orchestra 74

Data Collection 75

Fieldwork and Observations_ 75

Interviews 76

Transcription of Interviews 78

Artifacts 78

Other Data Sources 79

Data Analysis 79

Coding 79

Role of the Researcher _ _ 81

Researcher Background and Site Selection 81

Trustworthiness 82

Prolonged Engagement 83

viii

CHAPTER Page

Peer Review 84

Member Checks 84

Collecting Corroborating Evidence 85

Providing Disconfirming Evidence 86

Thick Description 86

5 JERRY LOPATIN 88

Lopatin's Background and Education 88

Lopatin's Curriculum and Pedagogy 97

6 THE DESERT WINDS STEEL ORCHESTRA 109

The 2007-2008 DWSO 124

A Sense of Accomplishment 125

Working in a Group/Socialization 127

Tradition and/or Exclusivity 128

Reflections on Lopatin 129

7 THE DESERT WINDS COMMUNITY STEEL ORCHESTRAS 130

The First Desert Winds Community Steel Orchestra 130

The Second Desert Winds Community Steel Orchestra 135

Socializing 141

Music's Affect on Weil-Being _ _ 142

Curriculum and Methodology 144

8 DISCUSSIONS, REFLECTIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 146

Lopatin and Leadership 147

ix

CHAPTER Page

Logistical and Pedagogical Aspects _ _ 152

The Extra-Musical Functions of the Steel Band Ensembles 156

High-Quality Musical Experiences 160

"Authentic" Music Selection 163

The Influence of Children 165

Recommendations for Future Research 166

APPENDIX

A University and Public School Steel Bands 179

B Field Notes and Researcher Journals 192

C Completed Interviews 194

D Sample Interview Questions 197

E Artifacts _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 200

F Inventory of the Desert Winds Steel Band Library 203

G Recordings of the Desert Winds Steel Bands 209

H List of Performances 218

I Repertoire for the DWCS02 (2007-2008 Season) 223

x

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE Page

1 Important Dates in Steelpan Evolution 9

2 Early Steel Bands in the Public Schools and Universities 18

3 Early Public School and Community Steel Band Programs 20

(with no verifiable founding dates)

4 Initial Coding Plan 80

5 Lopatin's Lead/Chord Chart Symbols _ _ _ _ _ _ 101

xi

LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE Page

1 Jerry Lopatin and Freddy Craig at Desert Winds Elementary _____ 97

2 A Lead Sheet from Lopatin's Method Book 103

3 A Chord Sheet from Lopatin's Method Book 104

4 An Invoice from Ellie Mannette to Desert Winds Elementary 110

5 Thank You Note to the Desert Winds PTO 111

6 Harry Belafonte with the DWSO in June 1983 114

7 The DWSO at the ASAA Conference 120

xii

Chapter 1: Introduction

In the middle of the twentieth century, a large Caribbean immigration occurred on

the East Coast of the United States. New York City was a main immigration point, and

many Trinidadians who immigrated brought a new form of music making to the United

States—steelpan.

Rudy King (Rudolph Carter), who migrated to New York in 1949, was likely the

first steelpan player in the United States.1 Others soon followed. Desmond Bravo,

Andrew "Pan" de la Bastide, Cliff Alexis, Hugh Borde, Vincent Hernandez, Kim Loy

Wong, Ellie Mannette, and others played significant roles in establishing steelpan in the

United States. Although Alexis, Hernandez, Wong, and Mannette were steelpan players,

they were also noted steelpan builders.

Community steel bands likely existed in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s;

however, little documentation of these groups exists. The earliest documented community

steel band was created by Kim Loy Wong at the University Settlement2 in New York

City in 1958.3 Murray Narrell, a social worker living in New York City and steelpan

enthusiast, enlisted Ellie Mannette to build steelpans for community groups in New York

City as early as 1966.4

1 Myrna Nurse, Unheard Voices (New York: iUniverse, Inc.: 2007), 101.

2 Located on New York's Lower East Side, the settlement provides numerous social services, primarily to immigrants.

3 The Steel Drums of Kim Loy Wong with the University Settlement Steel Band (New York City, New York: Folkways Recordings, 1958), sound cassette.

4 Nurse, Unheard Voices, 154.

2

Evidence of early U.S. school steel bands is also scarce. The earliest documented

school steel band was formed in 1959 by Kim Loy Wong at the Wiltwyck School,5 ninety

miles north of New York City. A considerable gap exists in documentation for school

steel bands during the 1960s. It seems plausible that other schools incorporated steelpans

into their music programs during this time; however, only one of these groups has been

documented—the Tuley High School (later the Roberto Clemente High School) Steel

Band in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 1967.6 After 1970, there was a rapid increase in the

number of steel bands in the United States in schools and communities, and today there

are hundreds of steel bands in the public schools, colleges, and universities (see

Appendix A).

Purpose of the Study

This study investigates the importance and value of steelpan programs in schools

and communities. Specifically, I examined the Desert Winds Steel Orchestra (DWSO), an

elementary school group, and the Desert Winds Community Steel Orchestra (DWCSO),

an adult community ensemble linked to the elementary program. The following questions

guided this study:

1. What is the impact of steelpan instruction at Desert Winds Elementary School

(including the DWCSO)?

5 Wiltwyck Steel Band (New York City, New York: Folkways Recordings, 1959), sound cassette.

6 G. Allan O'Connor, "A Brief Survey of Steel Drum programs in North American Schools," Percussive Notes (Winter 1981), 58-59.

3

2. What is the curricular philosophy of the primary instructor and how is that

manifested within the steelpan programs?

3. How do participants view their own learning and participation within the

DWCSO and DWSO, and what do they perceive the impact of their

experiences to be? What do they value in the program?

Steelpan ensembles challenge the dominant Eurocentric paradigm of school and

community concert bands in the United States. Immigrants brought European traditions

such as bands, choirs, and orchestras to the United States, and these musical traditions

have been studied extensively. Since the 1950s, Trinidadian immigrants have brought a

new tradition of music making that has appeared in the public schools and communities.

This new tradition, steelpan, merits investigation.

Rationale for the Study

The development of world music ensembles, particularly steel bands, in the public

schools demonstrates the increased awareness of music educators regarding growing

globalization and a mandate to address the needs of the United States' diverse population.

Music education researchers have documented extensively the history of instrumental

ensembles, such as bands and orchestras, and teaching practices related to these

traditional groups. Research on public school steel bands, however, is virtually non­

existent. While curricular frameworks for steel band have been published, they are

generally limited in scope or outdated.7 Several descriptive studies of school steel band

Francine Morin, Elementary School Steelband: A Curriculum and Instructional Plan for Canadian Schools (ERIC Database, Report: ED401183. 74pp. 1989); Linda

4

o

programs exist. Those studies are isolated however, and do not provide the depth of

information intended in this study; for example, most of the descriptive studies did not

gather participants' narratives, which are included in this study. Additionally, while

various adult community ensembles (e.g. bands, choirs) have been examined, I found no

studies that examine adult community world music ensembles.9 Few researchers have

examined the importance and value of world music ensembles in schools and

communities. This study addresses this need in the literature.

Delimitations

This study is limited to the steelpan programs at Desert Winds Elementary School

in Phoenix, Arizona, including steelpan within the music program, the student group

known as the Desert Winds Steel Orchestra (DWSO), and the adult community group

known as the Desert Winds Community Steel Orchestra (DWCSO). While the study

occurs within the context of the music program at Desert Winds Elementary School, this

is not an investigation of the entire music program; this study focuses only on the

Hildebrand, "A Proposal for a Steelband Program Utilizing a Discipline-Based Art Education Model" (Masters Thesis, University of Manitoba: 1992).

8 Herminio Diaz Cruz, "A Descriptive Study of the Music Programs in Roberto Clemente High School and Selected Feeder Schools as They Relate to Bilingual-Bicultural Education" (Ph.D, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: 1979); Francis Guess, "The Incorporation of Steel Drum Ensembles into School Music Programs: a New Pedagogical Approach" (Masters Thesis, Bowling Green State University: 1998); Gerry B. Hacker, "Steelpan in Post-Secondary Education" (Masters Thesis, University of South Florida: 1999).

9 William Carson, "A history of the Northshore Concert Band, Wilmette, Illinois, 1956-1986: The first thirty years" (Ph.D. diss., Arizona State University: 1992); William Spencer, "An Attitude Assessment of Amateur Musicians in Adult Community Bands" (Ph.D, University of North Texas, 1996).

5

steelpan program at Desert Winds. Lopatin's teaching of the other music classes is not

described.

Definition of Terms

For the purposes of this study, "steel band" refers to an organized group of

steelpan performers. While two groups examined in this study are called "steel

orchestras" by their founder and director, I have chosen to use "steel band" because it is

the most commonly used term in the literature.

In this study, "steelpan" refers to an instrument created from a 55-gallon oil drum

through heating, hammering, and tuning. "Steelpan" was chosen over "steel drum" at the

request of Jerry Lopatin, the director of the steel band at Desert Winds Elementary

School and a primary participant in this study. These terms are debated among steelpan

players. Those who refer to the instrument as a "steelpan" generally do so because they

consider a "steel drum" the raw product from which the instrument is created.

Chapter 2: History

The Rise of Steelpan in Trinidad

Christopher Columbus landed on the island of Trinidad in 1498. Carib and

Arawak Indians inhabited Trinidad when Columbus arrived. The first Spanish settlement

was established in 1592, and diseases brought from Europe decimated much of the Carib

and Arawak populations. By the late 1700s, Trinidad had developed into a plantation-

centered society, and black slaves were brought from Africa to work the plantations.

Trinidad remained under Spanish control until 1797 when the British attacked the island

and gained control. While the British controlled the government, the French also greatly

influenced the island's culture. After the emancipation of black slaves between 1834 and

1838, plantation workers were brought to the island from China and India.

In 1889, Trinidad merged with Tobago to form one nation, and in 1962 Trinidad

and Tobago officially gained independence from England.10 The current population of

Trinidad reflects the cultural mix of African, Chinese, East Indian, and European

influences.11 The original Carib and Arawak populations comprised less than one percent

of Trinidad's population at the time of this study.

In the early 20th century, while under British rule, tamboo-bamboo bands, groups

of musicians who struck bamboo tubes with sticks, became popular in Trinidad after the

Stephen Steumpfle, The Steelband Movement: The Forging of a National Art in Trinidad and Tobago (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1995), 6.

11 Ibid., 6-7.

7

British banned drum usage during Carnival mas and camboulay processions. Drums

were banned because they were considered disruptive and a sign of rebellion. The

tamboo-bamboo groups were supplemented with "a veritable babel of sound from drums,

tubs, triangles, buckets, bamboos and bottles."13 Residents soon realized that they needed

to chain down garbage-can lids to prevent their theft for instrument use.14 Ellie Mannette,

one of the inventors of steelpan, recalls the changes that led from the use of drums, to

bamboo, and finally to the use of metallic percussion:

The predominant form of music was skin drumming—Camboulet [sic] it was called; Shango and Shouter were some of the names of the rhythms played on the skin drums. Skin drumming came from Africa and was present in the very earliest part of the 20th century. The practice was outlawed by the British government in 1931 because, as these groups grew in number, they created problems, such as playing late at nights and generally being a public nuisance. Also, the government thought that the groups were sending ritual messages to each other through the drumming . . . The government thought that, because of the oppressed situation—it was very dissatisfying for the natives—at some time there would be an uprising.

The skin drums were used each year during Carnival by people parading in the streets. After skin drums were outlawed, when the next Carnival season came around the people had nothing to play. So they started to play on bottles and spoons and bamboo joints. They call it Tamboo Bamboo, because they'd cut bamboo in various ways and in various lengths and sizes; they cut holes in them, burn them, do whatever. And they created different percussive sounds on these bamboo joints. And with the bamboo, they used an iron (brake drum) and any type of steel possible that they could make a sound. They also had different sized bottles filled with water. This went on from around 1931 to 1934. Then groups of people started fighting among each other, and fight seriously [sic] to the extent that they were taking some of these bamboo joints, sharpening them like spears, and stabbing each other. It was a real trouble era at the time . . . So Tamboo

Camboulay was an alternative celebration for slaves, who were banned from participating in Trinidad's Carnival

13 Peter Manuel, Caribbean Currents (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2006), 240.

14 Ibid.

8

Bamboo was banned completely . . . I remember it clearly. When Carnival came around in 1935, the boys wanted to play. And they had no skin drums to parade with. So . . . Alexander [Carlton] Forde went around and started gathering garbage cans prior to the celebration. The other groups thought that he couldn't do it and it wasn't going to work . . . But Forde brought out a band of entire steel-garbage can tops, grease barrels, biscuit drums, paint tins—whatever he could find to create rhythm . . . [His band was called] Alexander's Ragtime Band . . . So the next year, everybody came out with steel . . . In 1937,1 started gathering garbage cans myself. We had a number of youngsters living around the neighbourhood and we would practice in my father's backyard. We called ourselves the Oval Boys because we lived right opposite the big pavilion (called [the] Oval) . . . That went on from about [19]37 until [19]41 . . ,15

Due to the oil refineries located on Trinidad during World War II, large numbers

of 55- gallon oil drums were discarded.16 These oil drums became a resource in the hands

of Ellie Mannette and others. Mannette is generally credited with the first use of the 55-

gallon oil drum as a steelpan in 1946.17 Mannette later began creating the "family" of

steelpans, consisting of pans of different pitch sets and ranges. Notes were added to a

steelpan as they were needed to complete a song. In a 1981 interview (with Jerry

Lopatin), Mannette provided the chronology for the creation of various steelpans, as he

recalls it, shown in Table 1. These steelpans now represent most of the instruments found

in a modern steel band, except for the bass pans. Other steel band pioneers have also

claimed to be the first to create various steelpans; however, Table 1 shows the most

15 Gary Gibson, "Ellie Mannette on the Beginnings of Pan in Trinidad," Percussive Notes 24 no. 4, (April 1986), 34.

16 Kim Johnson, 1997. The Man Who Sourcedthe Steel. Trinbagopan. Accessed 18 March 2009. Available from http://www.trinbagopan.com/steelpan/warner.htm.

17 Pan Trinbago. n.d. The Steelpan- A Short History. Pan Trinbago, Port of Spain, Trinidad. Accessed 18 March, 2009. Available from http://www.pantrinbago.co.tt/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=85&Ite mid=100

9

widely accepted account, according to Thomas, of the creation of the steelpans used

today.18 The relatively rapid development in steelpan innovation in an intensely

competitive context makes it difficult to know who was the first to create various steelpan

configurations.

Table 1. Important Dates in Steelpan Evolution (as conveyed by Ellie Mannette to Jerry Lopatin)19

Date Event

Before 1953 All pans were single pans 1953-54 Mannette creates double seconds 1954-58 Mannette creates double guitars 1957 Anthony Williams creates a lead based on 5ths 1958-60 Mannette creates triple cellos 1962 Mannette creates the tenor bass 1963 Bertie Marshall develops the double tenor 1964 "Jackman" creates the high tenor pan

Early steel bands in Trinidad were quite territorial within their neighborhoods and

were essentially gangs. As a reaction to the intense and frequent violence between rival

steel bands during the 1940s and 1950s, various measures were taken by the government

to bring rival members together in a positive way. The Trinidad All Steel Pan Orchestra,

T.A.S.P.O., was created as a result.

On 17 July 1951, (T.A.S.P.O) set sail for England after long struggles to obtain

funding for their historic trip. The group consisted of Ellie Mannette, A. Belgrave,

18 Jeffrey Ross Thomas, "A History of Pan and the Evolution of the Steel Band in Trinidad and Tobago" Masters Thesis: Wesleyan University: 1985, 134-147.

Notes taken by Jerry Lopatin from Ellie Mannette in 1981.

10

Anthony Williams, G. Sealey, P. Davidson, S. Betancourt, A. DeLabastude [sic], D.

Smith, and Winston "Spree" Simon.20 With a band consisting of some of the top players

in Trinidad, this concert tour to England drew attention to the steel band on an

international level. Other bands had toured prior to 1951; however, none brought as much

international coverage as this event.

The U.S. Navy Steel Band

Six years later in 1957, while U.S. Navy Admiral Daniel Gallery was in

Chaguaramas, Trinidad to inspect the U.S. military base, he was invited by the

government to enjoy the Carnival parade, which included steelpans.21 Gallery became so

enthralled with the sound of the steel bands that he approached his Navy bandmaster,

Chief Musician Charlie Roeper, and asked him to form a steel band.22

Ellie Mannette was asked to build the steelpans for the group and train the

military personnel to play them. Mannette recalls how he began his work for the U.S.

Navy:

One day while working in my pan yard, a big white, Navy van pulled up outside. Seeing the Navy personnel dressed in their uniforms, I began running, certain they'd come for me to lock me up for stealing their drums. I reached the fence and was about to climb over when one of them shouted, "Mannette! Wait! Hey, stop!" I paused at the bottom of the fence then climbed up. At the top, I turned around and asked, "What do you want?" The naval officer replied, "I'm here to see Ellie Mannette." I asked, "What you want him for?" "Are you Ellie?" Refusing to identify myself, I asked again, "What you want him for?" He replied, "They want

20 Trinidadian Guardian April 17, 1951, p. 5.

21 Myrna Nurse, Unheard Voices (New York: iUniverse, Inc.: 2007), 169.

22 Ibid., 170.

11

him down at the Navy base." Scared to death now, I was certain they would hold me down there for stealing their drums.

I thought about my predicament for a moment before climbing down the fence. I walked toward the front on the yard and the parked van with its big, bold lettering, "U.S. Navy," and the men dressed in their U.S. Navy uniform. I asked one of them, "What you want me for at the base?" The officer replied, "Well, the admiral wants to see you. He wants to speak to you about building a Navy steel band." I replied, "Well, OK." I thought I may as well take the chance and get in. I was thinking that this may be a good way to get some drums without stealing them. So, I climbed into the van and went with them down to the Naval base.

I remained in Puerto Rico for three to four months. I lived on the barracks with the Naval people and got the Navy band started in 1957. When I returned, I wore a Navy uniform and lived like a member of the Navy, the only difference was I built drums while the sailors did their required Navy tasks. I remained there for almost a year, which earned me quite a bit of money. The U.S. dollar was much better than the Trinidad dollar. So when I returned home I could live a little better.23

After Mannette finished building the steelpans and training the group, Roeper led

the Navy Steel Band, based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and consisting of naval personnel,

on a tour of the United States with a performance at the White House on 20 November

1957.24 The Navy Steel Band was one of the first large groups of Americans, rather than

Trinidadians, who performed as a steel band, and it is the first connection between an

American group and Ellie Mannette, who would later found and assist numerous steel

bands in the United States. Additionally, the Navy group exposed numerous people to

steel band music through performances on the Ed Sullivan Show and at the Brussels

World's Fair, as well as through their extensive touring in the United States.25

Nurse, Unheard Voices, 384-385.

George Goddard, Forty Years in the Steelbands (London: Karia Press: 1991).

Nurse, Unheard Voices, 173.

12

The Migration

In the mid-1950s, steelpan musicians began to emigrate from Trinidad to the

United States. The two reasons most frequently cited for this migration are employment

and respect. Steelpan musicians in Trinidad were typically lower-class citizens,

frequently unemployed, and associated with violence due to clashes between rival steel

bands. Trinidadians looked down upon panmen, while performers felt the government

was not properly supporting their national art form. For most performers, steel bands only

provided significant financial compensation during the Carnival season. Many felt that

moving to the United States would increase their chances of prosperity.26

When Rudolph Carter (Rudy King) migrated from Trinidad to New York City in

1949, his performances became the earliest known instance of steelpans in the United

States.27 It is unclear whether King brought his steelpans to the United States from

Trinidad or built them in the United States upon arrival. After King had performed in

New York City for a while, producer Sam Manning asked King to perform at the Blue

Angels club in Chicago. King stayed in Chicago for four months.28 Tiffe argues that this

may have helped the migration of steelpans to the Midwest.

^Goddard, 183-188.

27 Ibid., 101.

28 Ibid., 102.

29 Janine Louise Tiffe, "Trinidadian Steel Drum (Pan) Bands in Three Great Lakes States: A Study of Musical Migration" (Masters thesis, Kent State University, 2006).

13

During the years between the immigrations of Rudolph Carter (1949) and Ellie

Mannette (1966), many steel bands from Trinidad visited the United States. After touring

in the United States, some pan musicians decided to stay in the United States. One of

several conflicting accounts of the migration of Andrew "Pan" de la Bastide claims that

he brought members of his Hill Sixty group to California in 1958, with all but one

member staying in the United States.30 Others claim that de la Bastide brought his group

to the United States in 1964 and that he never returned to Trinidad.31

In 1964 Cliff Alexis, a noted Trinidadian steelpan player, along with the rest of

the Trinidadian National Steel Band, played on Mackinac Island, Michigan, and in

Miami, Florida as part of a Moral Rearmament Program, a Christian-based initiative

aimed toward character education. After these initial performances, the group decided to

continue their tour and performed in Albuquerque, New Mexico; St. Louis, Missouri;

Wheeling, West Virginia; Louisville, Kentucky; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and

Trinidad, Colorado. After returning to the island of Trinidad, Alexis decided to immigrate

to the United States, and in 1965, he moved to Brooklyn, New York.32 Shortly thereafter,

in 1966, Vincent Hernandez, a pan builder and player, moved to the United States to

continue the steelpan building work that he had begun in 1962 for Murray Narell, an

jU Ibid., 131.

31 Ibid., 65.

32 Ibid., 87-88.

14

American social worker. In fact, Hernandez recommended Mannette to Narell for future

steelpan building.33

Jeff Narell, a noted American steelpan player and Murray Narell's son, noted that

in the late 1960s Mannette formed his own band in New York, the Hummingbirds, which

consisted of mostly Trinidadian immigrants. Additionally, Rupert Charles, an Antiguan

steelpan player, and Tommy Rey, a pan player from the Virgin Islands, also formed steel

bands in the late 1960s in New York City, presumably comprised of immigrants.34 This

migration of tuners and performers to the United States caused great concern in Trinidad,

but led to few improvements in how Trinidad treated the art form.

Pan in Trinidad since 1960

In 1962, the island of Trinidad became independent from Britain and the new

government felt it was important to improve the image of steelbandsmen, who had been

much maligned due to open street warfare between steel bands in the late 1950s.

Corporate sponsorship enabled bands to purchase new steelpans and pay for arrangers,

tuners, and uniforms. During this time, partnerships led to groups with names such as the

Amoco Renegades; the Coca Cola Desperadoes, now the West Indian Tobacco Company

(WITCO) Desperadoes; the Pam Am North Stars (since disbanded); the Shell Invaders,

now the BWIA Invaders; and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) Starlift,

now Petrotrin Starlift. This corporate sponsorship, along with the guiding influence of

Nurse, Unheard Voices, 154.

EI 01.15.08

15

steel band leaders such as George Goddard, helped the steelbandsmen shed some of the

social stigma attached to them.

The competition between steel bands rose to a new level in 1963 when the

Carnival Development Committee decided to organize to the street festival with a new

competitive event, Steelband's Panorama. The first Steelband's Panorama was held at

Queen's Park Savannah on 22 February 1963 with steel bands from all over Trinidad

competing for prizes. Each group performed a calypso of their choice. Winners were

financially rewarded and some were offered trips overseas as well as booked for

additional performances at home. Several bands rose to national prominence through this

competition: the Desperadoes, the Renegades, the All Stars, Phase II Pan Groove, and

Exodus.36

Since the 1960s, many steel bands have performed in some of the most

prestigious concert halls around the world. The Desperadoes have performed at the Royal

Albert Hall (London), Carnegie Hall, the Apollo Theater (New York), and the Lincoln

Theater (New York). Additionally, the Desperadoes performed at the United Nations

building in New York and the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Other bands,

including the Renegades, All Stars, Phase Two, and Exodus, have performed in London,

Pan Trinbago. n.d. The Steelpan- A Short History. Pan Trinbago, Port of Spain, Trinidad. Accessed 18 March, 2009. Available from http://www.pantrinbago.co.tt/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=85&Ite mid=100

36 Ibid.

16

Paris, and venues in Japan, performing classical music as well as more traditional

calypsos and socas.37

American musicians, such as Kenyon Williams, Keith Leinert, and Elizabeth

DeLamater have also traveled to Trinidad for Carnival. Jeanine Remy, an American who

helped start the University of Arizona steel band program, now teaches steelpan at the

University of West Indies in Trinidad. Andy Narell, an American musician, has played in

Trinidad several times and has adjudicated for Panorama.

Important Events in Steelpan in the United States

Liberace, a famous pianist who incorporated classical music, pop music,

showmanship, and glitz into his musical routines, was widely popular in the United States

from the 1950s through the 1970s and known for his Las Vegas-style shows. Prominent

steel bandsmen of the 1960s and 1970s performed with Liberace's group and point to it

as an important event in the migration of the instrument to the United States. In 1967,

Hugh Borde, a steel pannist from Trinidad, met Liberace at Expo '67 in Montreal.38

Liberace also made contact with Cliff Alexis, a steel pannist from Trinidad,39 and

Herman "Rock" Johnson at this time as well.40 Liberace booked the steelbandsmen to go

on tour with him. During their important tenure with Liberace, this steel band performed

on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Mike Douglas Show, The Tonight Show, The Merv Griffin

37 Ibid.

38 Nurse, 53.

39 Ibid., 189.

40 Ibid., 293.

17

Show, and The David Frost Show, and toured extensively in the United States, including

performances at Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, and the Waldorf Astoria. ' The

steel band associated with Liberace was likely the first to receive wide television

exposure in the United States. Further research on this group in warranted, since it is

frequently cited as an important development in the migration of the steelpan to the

United States.

Steel Bands in American Universities and Public Schools

During the early migration of Trinidadian pan musicians to the United States,

community, university, and public school programs began to appear. Kim Loy Wong,

Pete Seeger, and Murray Narell started youth steel bands in New York during 1959 and

into the 1960s. Wong produced a recording titled, Kim Loy Wong and His Wiltwyck Steel

Band,42 which indicates that Wong was instructing the Wiltwyck School steel band, north

of New York City, in 1959. The recording of this ensemble is the earliest known

documentation of a school steel band in the United States.

Another early steel band, the Tuley High School Steel Band (now Roberto

Clemente High School Steel Band), formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The ensemble

was originally started through the encouragement of a district administrator, and was led

by Tom Henry, a music teacher at the school.43 The group performed extensively in

Ibid., 53.

Kim Loy Wong and His Wiltwyck Steel Band, 1959.

O'Connor, "A Brief Survey," 59.

18

Illinois and Indiana and still exists today.44 This school program is an anomaly, because it

was founded in Chicago before many of the groups in New York were established.

By 1985, steelpan ensembles existed in at least twelve states. G. Allan

O'Connor45 published the results of a survey of school programs in 1981 and Jeanine

Remy46 compiled a list of steel bands in the United States that was published in 1990. A

synthesized list of early public school and university steel bands can be found in Table 2.

Table 2. Early Steel Bands in the Public Schools and Universities

Year Founded Institution and Location Director Source

1959

1967

1970

1972

1973

1973

1974

1977"

Wiltwyck School Wiltwyck, New York Tuley High School (later Roberto Clemente High School) Chicago, Illinois Horace Greeley High School, Chappaqua, NY University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado Performing Arts Learning Center, St. Paul, Minnesota Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, Illinois Lancaster High School, Lancaster New York

University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois

Kim Loy Wong Tom Henry

CD Liner Notes Diaz Cruz O'Connor

James Ley den O'Connor

John Galm

Cliff Alexis

G. Allan O'Connor John Marone and Joe Casamino Thomas Siwe

Remy

O'Connor Remy O'Connor Remy O'Connor Remy

O'Connor Remy

44 Unknown. n.d. Steel Drum Band. Roberto Clemente High School, Chicago, IL.

Accessed 18 March 2009. Available from http://www.rccachicago.Org/photogallery/v/historical_photos/historical_steel_drum/.

45 G. Allan O'Connor, "A Brief Survey of Steel Drum Programs in North American Schools," Percussive Notes (winter 1981), 58-59.

Jeanine Remy, "Establishing a Steel Band Program in the United States, Percussive Notes (Spring 1990), 16-33.

19

1978

1978

1980

1980

1980

1981

1981

1982

1982

1983

1984

1984

1984

1985

1985

1985

Desert Winds Elementary School, Phoenix, Arizona Oberlin Conservatory, Chicago, Illinois University of Akron, Akron, Ohio

Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, Illinois The American Conservatory of Music, Chicago, Illinois Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas West Liberty State College, West Liberty, West Virginia University of North Texas, Denton, Texas Waubonsie Community College, Aurora, Illinois Baylor University, Waco, Texas

Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah East Texas State University, Commerce, Texas Western Illinois University, Macomb, Illinois

Jerry Lopatin

Justin David

Larry Snider

Johnny L. Lane Jeffrey Thomas Walter Parks

MarkR. Williams Robert Schietroma Steven Sweigert Larry Van Landingham Scott Meister

Tim Peterman

Michael Combs Ron Brough

Robert Houston Richard Cheadle

Remy

O'Connor Remy O'Connor Remy O'Connor Remy O'Connor Remy Remy

Remy

Remy

Remy

Remy

Remy

Remy

Remy

Remy

Remy

Remy

*John O' Connor lists this date as 1974.

In addition to the groups listed in Table 2, O'Connor lists three other steel band

ensembles in existence at the time of his publication in 1981,47 and Ellie Mannette notes

that he established steel bands at Public School (P.S.) 41 and P.S. 63 in New York City

O'Connor, "A Brief Survey," 59.

20

48 before 1981. No founding date has been located for these ensembles, and the directors

are currently unknown. Table 3 lists these additional early steel band programs.

Table 3. Early Public School and Community Steel Band Programs With No Verifiable Founding Date

School Founder Source

Bayway Community Center Robert Petracco Seeger Kim Loy Wong

Clinton Rosette Middle School, G. Allan O'Connor O'Connor Dekalb, Illinois

Edmunds Elementary School, Jim Phillips Des Moines, Iowa P.S.41, New York City, New York P.S. 63, New York City, New York Springstead High School, Spring Hill, Florida

O'Connor

Ellie Mannette (founder) Mannette

Ellie Mannette (founder) Mannette

Dave Naumann O'Connor

Early development of steel bands in the United State is connected to the

immigration of pan tuners. New York social worker Murray Narell convinced Ellie

Mannette, a pan builder and tuner, to come to the United States in 1967. Vincent

Hernandez, a steelpan tuner who worked for Narell before Mannette, indicates that he

recommended Mannette to Narell.49 Ultimately, Marinette's move had a tremendous

impact on steelpan in the United States. Mannette recalls:

48 Ellie Mannette, interview by Jerry Lopatin and anonymous (Tape 2, Side 2), January 1981, Personal Collection of Jerry Lopatin, Phoenix, AZ.

Nurse, Unheard Voices, 154.

21

Well, there was a certain gentleman by the name of Murray Narell. He works at the Grace Lines Shipping [Cruise Ship] Company in New York City. He is public relations, PR. He works in the PR section. He came to the islands to see one of the Carnival celebrations that take place every year in February. He got interested in steel drums. He saw the activity and the charisma that takes place. He said this would be very good for all key areas of New York. . . He saw a problem. If he could bring those steel drums in, it might quiet the neighborhoods. So, he inquired in the government, who is the best man to sell, to come to the United States to build these drums. And of course they send him to me because I was more or less famous in Port of Spain steel drum. So, he came to me in 1963. [He] asked me to come. I didn't care to come. He came out '64, '65 and '66, three years in a row. [He] continuously asked me until I said, "OK, Murray."50

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Trinidadian immigrants Mannette, Wong,

Vincent Taylor, Ansell Joseph, Vincent Hernandez, and Rudolph Charles were part of a

group of instrument builders and steelpan teachers who were associated with the

University Settlement51 in New York City, and they trained other musicians in the art of

steelpan building. While Mannette notes that many of these builders were likely in

business for financial reasons more than musical reasons, they also helped spread the

steel band art form within the United States, so their contributions should not be

overlooked.52 Many of the school and university groups in the United States were made

possible by Trinidadians who immigrated to the United States around this time, as

knowledge about steelpan building, tuning, and performing comes extensively through an

apprenticeship model with performance taught primarily through aural-oral transmission.

Ellie Mannette, interview by Jerry Lopatin and anonymous (Tape 2, Side 2), January 1981, Personal Collection of Jerry Lopatin, Phoenix, AZ.

51 The University Settlement House in New York's Lower East Side provided a wealth of resources and social services for the immigrant population in New York.

52 Kaethe George, "Ellie Mannette: Training Tomorrow's Steel Band Tuners," Percussive Notes (October 1994), 31-32.

22

After Mannette fulfilled his contract with the Graceland Shipping Company

during the 1960s and early 1970s, he accepted a position to help develop steel bands in

New York City's public schools. Mannette recalls how the Board of Education offered

him the position.

[While] I was doing work for Graceland, I had a band in the community.... I was doing a show in the evening and Dr. Fallon, who was one of the big guys in music in New York City, he was here. He heard the local community band play. He said, "Ellie can you bring the band to the board of [education] headquarters to do a concert?" I said, "Yeah." So I took the band to the headquarters.

I took them there and they played a concert and the teachers and music people got interested. Right away, they said they'd never seen anything like this at the Board of Education. How do we get these drums? I said, "Well, I don't know because I'm working at Graceland and there's no way I can break away to work for the board." I said I'd have to find out. So eventually my visa was up, my contract was up at Graceland, I told them I was not going to renew the contract. I would still work for them, but I wanted to work for myself, and I want to work on my own. So I spoke to Dr. Fallon again and told him I was free to work for the Board, you know. So I started at P.S. 41 and P.S. 63 public schools. [It] gradually started catching on and high schools took it up, junior high, high schools, and colleges.54

In addition to the ensembles at P.S. 41 and P.S. 63, Mannette notes, in a

conversation recorded in 1981, that he helped found between twelve and fifteen school

steel bands during his time in New York.55 While these bands no longer exist today, they

surely drew attention to the art form and encouraged others to develop steel bands.

Mannette's early years in New York City in the 1970s involved partnerships with

several school ensembles including the Horace Greeley High School Steel Band in New

Ellie Mannette, interview by Jerry Lopatin and anonymous (Tape 2, Side 2), January 1981, Personal Collection of Jerry Lopatin, Phoenix, AZ.

55 Ibid.

23

York City, directed by James Leyden. The Horace Greeley High School group, founded

in 1970, was one of the first public school steel bands in the United States.56 Although

Mannette did not build the steelpans for Horace Greeley High School, Leyden quickly

enlisted him to tune the school's pans, and this was one of Mannette's earliest

partnerships with U.S. music educators.

The earliest documented university steel bands in the United States were the

ensembles founded in 1972 at the University of Colorado by John Galm and in 1973 at

Northern Illinois University by G. Allan O'Connor. The steel band program at Northern

Illinois University is widely credited as the first active performing college steel band.

Two Trinidadian steelpan tuners, Mannette and Alexis, became prominent figures in

university steel band programs: Mannette at the University of West Virginia

(Morgantown) and Alexis at Northern Illinois University (Dekalb, Illinois).

With the exceptions of the University of Colorado, Roberto Clemente High

School (Chicago), and the Desert Winds Elementary School groups (Arizona), steel

bands in U.S. universities and public schools developed from east to west over the years

between 1959 and 1985. The University of Colorado and Roberto Clemente High School

ensembles are unusual cases and would be excellent choices for further research. This

study focuses on the steelpan program at Desert Winds Elementary School and the Desert

Winds student and adult steel bands. Founded in 1978 by Jerry Lopatin, the Desert Winds

Elementary School student ensemble is likely the first steel band created west of the

56 G. Allan O'Connor, "A Brief Survey of Steel Drum Programs in North American Schools," Percussive Notes (winter 1981), 58-59.

57 Nurse, Unheard Voices, 180.

24

Mississippi River. In Chapter 5, Lopatin's connections to Murray Narell and Ellie

Mannette in New York are discussed.

Chapter 3: Literature Review

The purpose of this literature review is to position this study within the context of

existing literature related to the importance and value of steel bands in school and

community settings. Additionally, literature related to steel band pedagogy is addressed.

This chapter describes relevant literature on the history of steel bands, public school steel

band programs, adult ensembles, steel band curriculum, philosophy of music education,

and teacher expertise. The literature was examined for its methodology, relevance to this

study, and strengths and weaknesses.

The History of Steel Bands in Trinidad and Tobago

Jeffrey Ross Thomas' master's thesis58 is the most comprehensive study on the

history and evolution of the steel band in Trinidad and Tobago. Thomas gathered data

through fieldwork and archival work in Trinidad, by performing with steel bands in

Trinidad, and via interviews with steelpan musicians.59

Thomas divides his study in into multiple parts: social, cultural, and political

developments leading to forerunners of steelpan between 1500 and the late 1800s; the

evolution of the steel band's precursors; and social conflict, creation and development of

a steelpan governing body, performance contexts, and the evolving role and status of

steelpan in Trinidad.60 Additionally, Thomas provides numerous appendices with

Jeffrey Ross Thomas, "A History of Pan and the Evolution of the Steel Band in Trinidad and Tobago" Masters Thesis: Wesleyan University: 1985.

59 Ibid., vii-ix.

Ibid., 1-64, 65-154, 155-265.

26

information on sponsorship, steel bands, Panorama, steel band participation in

Panorama/Carnival, steel band music festivals, and pan layouts.61

Thomas does an admirable job of conveying participants' voices, relying heavily

on local newspaper accounts to support their reports. A limitation of this study is the

researcher's background: Thomas is a percussionist from the United States, and therefore

not a cultural insider, although his percussion expertise provides context for his research.

George Goddard's book, Forty Years in the Steelbands,62 compliments Thomas'

work. One of the strengths of the work lies in Goddard's "insider" perspective. Goddard,

a Trinidadian, documents the history of the steel band movement from a political

perspective. Goddard was involved in the first Trinidad and Tobago national organization

for steelpan, the National Association of Trinidad and Tobago Steelbandsmen (NATTS),

as well as the organization that succeeded it, Pan Trinbago. Goddard was also involved in

the historic Trinidad All Steel Percussion Orchestra (TASPO) trip to England, as well as

the following tour through the United States.

Another strength of Goddard's work lies in the political details he provides.

Goddard describes the efforts of businessmen and politicians to get steelpan players to

avoid the violence with which they were associated. His book is based on personal

recollections of being immersed in the politics of the movement; therefore, his accounts

are potentially biased. Still, much of the information is quite valuable and can be

corroborated by other sources.

61 Ibid., 272-375.

62 George Goddard, Forty Years in the Steelbands (London: Karia Press: 1991).

27

The following texts focus on specific aspects of Trinidadian steel band history,

such as competitions, individual accomplishments, and individual steel bands. These

documents provide corroboration of historical information and details related to the

current study.

Gideon Maxime's publications document different types of steel band

competitions in Trinidad, steel band leaders, and competition pieces and results, and

provide occasional background notes by adjudicators and others. In Pan Through the

Years, 1952-1996,63, Maxime provides information on adult, school, regional, and

national competitions as well as background information on various pan players and steel

bands. 41 Years of Pan: Steelband Music Festival, 1963-1993, Panorama, 1963-1993,

Bomb Competition, 1963-1993, Schools Steelband Competition64 provides similar

information. The two documents significantly overlap in content and would be most

helpful for researchers interested in studying steel band competitions in Trinidad.

Maxime's publications proved useful in the discussions of the history of steel bands in

this document and in establishing a timeline for the Schools Steelband Competition,

which lends historical context to public school steel band research in the United States.

The Trinidad and Tobago Steel Pan: History and Evolution65 by F. I. R. Blake

provides a wealth of historical information on the contributions of individuals and steel

bands to the history of steelpan. Blake provides historical background on the African

6 Maxime, Pan Through the Years.

64 Maxime, Gideon. 41 Years of Pan.

65 Felix I.R. Blake, The Trinidad and Tobago Steel Pan: History and Evolution (Spain: Grafiques 85: 1995).

28

diaspora in Trinidad and the developments that led to the creation of the steelpan. He

discusses the role of the steelpan in Carnival in Trinidad, the implications of World War

II for the development of the steelpan, and the violence associated with the steelpan

movement during its early history. Blake also addresses a period of rapid development in

steelpan and its influence outside of Trinidad. Additionally, he discusses the

instrumentation of a typical steel band.66

Blake spends more than half of this work discussing the contributions of

individuals and steel bands to steelpan history.67 The information, while helpful, is

limited to an overview of individual and group accomplishments, with little other

information on the steel band movement. His work is most useful as a starting point for

further in-depth study and as corroboration for accounts by Goddard68 and Thomas.69

Renegades: The History of the Renegades Steel Orchestra of Trinidad and

Tobago™ by Kim Johnson, is one of few texts documenting the history of a single

Trinidadian steel band. Johnson documents the group's history from its founding in May

1948 through 2002.71 Johnson notes that the Renegades began as a violent group of

bb Ibid., 28-36, 65-70, 75-77/80-82, 83-85,105-128.

67 Ibid., 135-300.

Goddard, Forty Years in the Steelbands.

69 Jeffrey Ross Thomas, "A History of Pan and the Evolution of the Steel Band in Trinidad and Tobago" (Masters Thesis: Wesleyan University: 1985."

7ft

Kim Johnson, Renegades: The History of the Renegades Steel Orchestra of Trinidad and Tobago (Oxford: MacMillan Publishers Limited: 2002).

71 Ibid., 19.

29

societal outcasts and later grew into a disciplined, professional steel band. Johnson

utilizes interviews, first-hand observations, and document analysis to synthesize this

history. He also documents the relationship between the Renegades and Jit Samaroo, the

noted Renegades steel band arranger. Johnson provides details of the group's musical and

organizational adjustments during the early years of Samaroo's tenure,72 and then

describes the prosperous years in which the Renegades regularly won the Trinidadian

Panorama competition.

Johnson describes the transmission of Samaroo's steel band arrangements to the

Renegades in great detail. Each section of the music was transmitted by rote from

Samaroo, the arranger, to the section leaders, who then taught the parts to the rest of the

members of their section.74 Johnson notes that Samaroo conveyed the section features

before bridging various sections of the piece together.75

Johnson concludes his study of the Renegades by noting the increasingly

1ft

important role that women have played in the Renegades and in steel bands in general.

Women had long avoided steel bands, particularly the Renegades, due to their violent

reputation. As their reputations improved, women gradually joined, and women, at the

72 Ibid., 84.

73 Ibid., 117-125.

74 Ibid., 139.

75 Ibid., 134.

76 Ibid., 151-154.

30

time of Johnson's text, comprised about ten percent of the group. Candace Andrews

played a prominent role as the double seconds section leader.77

Additionally, Johnson addresses the importance of touring to the group's

musicality and as a source of income for the members. Touring is described as important

because it helps the group bond and develop their musicality in addition to the income it

provides.78

Other works on steelpan history fail to provide much reliable scholarly material. I

have included these works below because, in some instances, they provide alternative

stories of various "firsts" in steel bands (Slater, Grant) or provide a contrasting

perspective of the steel band (Grant).

John Slater's The Advent of the Steelband and My Life and Times With It79 is a

compendium of the recollections of Slater, a Trinidadian steel pan musician. The majority

of this work is a retelling of Slater's experiences in steel bands in Trinidad as well as a

retelling of common folk tales from the island regarding steelpan "firsts." Thus, all

material derived from this work must be checked for accuracy against other more reliable

works. Slater neither cites sources nor attributes quotes to individuals. To corroborate

information, works such as Myrna Nurse's Unheard Voices: The Rise of Steelband and

Calypso in the Caribbean and North America must be utilized.

" Ibid., 154.

78 Ibid., 145-149.

79 John Slater, The Advent of the Steelband and My Life and Times With It (Self-published: 1995).

31

The Ring of Steel: Pan Sound andSymbof0 by Cy Grant contains content similar

to historical works by Goddard, Thomas, and others; however, Grant provides no

citations to substantiate his claims. Goddard and Thomas corroborate much of the

information in Grant's work. Additionally, Grant presents the history of steelpan with a

spiritual perspective that is different from other texts on steelpan.

These resources were used to establish historical context for the current study.

Since many of the sources draw from the authors' recollections and some do not cite their

sources, I referenced multiple works to corroborate information. The works by Goddard

and Thomas provide reliable information that can be used to verify the trustworthiness of

other sources.

The History of Steel Bands in the United States

G. Allan O'Connor's "A Brief Survey of Steel Drum Programs in North

American Schools"81 is the earliest known published list of public school steel bands in

the United States. When the list was created in 1981, O' Connor identified six university

steel bands and seven public school bands, and then provided brief background

information on each group. While this survey is helpful, there were likely additional steel

bands in existence at the time. For example, the DWSO, which had been formed in 1978,

is not mentioned; also, various sources indicate the existence of steel bands in the New

York public schools in the 1970s, and these are not mentioned by O'Connor.

Cy Grant, The Ring of Steel: Pan Sound and Symbol (London: MacMillan Education, Ltd.: 1999).

81 G. Allan O'Conner, "A Brief Survey of Steel Drum Programs in North American Schools" Percussive Notes (Winter 1984), 58-59.

32

In 1990, one of O'Connor's former steelpan students, Jeanine Remy, wrote

"Establishing a Steel Band Program in the United States," which includes a fairly

comprehensive list of steel bands in the United States at the time, including college,

secondary school, and elementary school ensembles.82 Remy also includes logistical

information for teachers wanting to start a steel band.

Janice Tiffe's "Trinidadian Steel Drum (Pan) Bands in Three Great Lakes States:

A Study of Musical Migration"83 is a multiple case study that explores the migration of

steelpan to the Midwest by examining the following steel bands: Mott Middle College

High School and Community College Steel Band (Michigan), Northern Illinois

University Steel Band, and Oberlin (Ohio) College Steel Band. Tiffe indicates that her

study emphasizes various participants' voices and their descriptions of why they are

drawn to the steelpan and its music. Tiffe interviewed steel band directors, steelpan

players, and steelpan craftsmen to obtain various perspectives on her primary research

question: What is the attraction of the pan in the Midwest? In giving the historical

background of the steelpan, Tiffe notes the contributions of Rudy King, the U.S. Navy

Steel Band, Ellie Mannette, the Narell family, and James Leyden to the migration of

steelpan. She notes that the first instances of steelpan in the Midwest are attributed to

Rudy King, who played steelpan at the Blue Angels club in Chicago, and to the steel

Jeanine Remy, "Establishing a Steel Band Program in the United States" in Percussive Notes (Spring 1990), 16-32.

Janice Tiffe. "Trinidadian Steel Drum (Pan) Bands in Three Great Lakes States: A Study of Musical Migration" (Masters Thesis, Kent State University: 2006).

33

band at Northern Illinois University, founded by G. Allan O'Connor in 1973.84 Soon

after, she reports, students of James Ley den started one of the first collegiate steel bands

at Oberlin College in 1980.

Tiffe explores her research question through surveys and interviews with

participants of the three steel bands and provides historical information about each steel

band as well. Tiffe generates themes based on the participants' responses and indicates

that the uniqueness of the instrument, its adaptability, and the concept of community help

make the steel pan attractive to Midwesterners. She concedes that these findings would

likely not be exclusive to the Midwest, but that the themes she identified are associated

with the growth and development of the pan in the Midwest.85

Myrna Nurse's Unheard Voices: The Rise of Steelbandand Calypso in the

Caribbean and North America provides firsthand accounts of the development and

migration of steelpan from the following steelpan pioneers: Ray Holman, Neville Jules,

Hugh Borde, Albert Jones, Rudy King, Desmond Bravo, Randolph Babb, Shirlane

Hendrickson Thomas, Vincent Hernandez, Jeff Narell, Franz Grissom, James Ley den,

Cliff Alexis, G. Allan O'Connor, Philbert Soloman, Othello Molineaux, Leroy Ali

Williams, Trevor Stubbs, Ruth Cameron, Terrance Cameron, Dawn Batson, Lennard

Moses, Robert Greenidge, and Ellie Mannette. Nurse gathered information via interviews

and corroborated the data with resources such as websites, newspaper articles, and other

Ibid., 6-8,14-29.

Ibid., 73.

Myrna Nurse, Unheard Voices (New York: iUniverse, Inc.: 2007).

34

interviews. This is the only book identified at this time (2009) that includes the voices of

so many prominent steelpan musicians.

As with many of the oral histories provided by steelpan pioneers, conflicting

information is presented in Nurse's text. Researchers using Unheard Voices must deal

with these discrepancies and be wary of the tendency of some steelpan pioneers to "take

sides" in debates over which performers created specific steelpan configurations. Nurse's

book is not categorized by subject; she allots one chapter to each interviewee, and she

allows the interviewees to talk about topics important to them. Therefore, information

about various topics is scattered throughout this work. Nurse does not draw conclusions

from the interviews; she leaves the synthesis of the interviews and information to the

reader. I utilized Nurse's text primarily for information on the migration of the instrument

to the United States as well as the development of the steelpan in Trinidad. Many of the

other topics covered by Nurse's informants fall outside the scope of this study.

Herminio Diaz Cruz's dissertation, "A Descriptive Study of the Music Programs

in Roberto Clemente High School and Selected Feeder Schools as They Relate to

Bilingual-Bicultural Education,"87 is one of few studies that considers the impact of

music on bilingual-bicultural education. This study examines various stakeholders'

attitudes toward the entire music program, including the steel band ensembles, and its

impact on bilingual-bicultural education.88 Diaz Cruz collected data via surveys,

Herminio Diaz Cruz, "A Descriptive Study of the Music Programs in Roberto Clemente High School and Selected Feeder Schools as They Relate to Bilingual-Bicultural Education" (Ph.D, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: 1979).

88 Ibid., 6-8,12.

35

questionnaires, interviews, site visits, and observations.89 First, Diaz Cruz examines

background information of the schools involved in the study: Roberto Clemente High

School, Frederic Chopin Elementary School, and Richard Yates Elementary School.90 He

details the school and community setting, the general education program, the bilingual

program, and the music program at each site. He then examines various stakeholders'

attitudes towards the role of music at the schools, including the views of administrators,

bilingual teachers, music teachers, students, and parents.91 The administrators and

bilingual teachers at Roberto Clemente High School emphasized the importance of

Hispanic cultural connections and the motivation that music courses provide students;

however, the music educators at the site felt that, while these considerations were

important, courses should reflect the multicultural nature of music and that it was

important to study music from various cultures.93 Student and parent surveys provided a

wealth of descriptive data regarding attitudes of these two groups of stakeholders. For

example, results from the student surveys indicate that 63% of students surveyed

preferred the steel band to other performing ensembles. Parent and student responses

generally indicated that they valued music courses within the school curriculum.94

Ibid., 3-8.

Ibid., 31-89,90-94, 95-99.

Ibid., 100-105, 109-113, 114-116, 118-129, 130-133.

Ibid., 100-105,109-113.

Ibid., 114.

Ibid., 118-133.

36

Diaz Cruz notes that the first steel band in the Chicago schools was offered in

1967 at Tuley High School when Dr. Edmund B. Daly, Superintendent of District Six,

became interested in steel bands while visiting Puerto Rico. Daly had the music

consultant for the City of Chicago Board of Education purchase a set of steelpans. Tuley

High School was renamed Roberto Clemente High School in 1974.95 During the 1976-77

school year, Diaz Cruz notes, there were six steel band classes at four different levels

offered for 14 credit each at Roberto Clemente High School.96 Diaz Cruz's research

provides historical context to this study of the DWSO, which was founded in 1978.

The following works by Pete Seeger are primarily steelpan building manuals;

however, they provide additional historical context. The Drums of Kim Loy Wong91 is a

manual for educators or steelpan enthusiasts that describes step-by-step procedures for

building and tuning steelpans. The book is significant, even though the text and some of

the methods are antiquated, because it includes one of the earliest attempts at alternative

notation for steelpans.98 Additionally, the work provides some historical and cultural

context for the steelpan. Seeger does not cite sources within this work.

Ibid., 76.

Ibid., 72, 78.

Peter Seeger, The Drums of Kim Loy Wong (London: Oak Publications: 1961).

Ibid., 39.

37

Seeger's Steel Drums, How to Play Them and Make Them: An Instruction

Manuaf9 covers the same basic information as The Steel Drums of Kim hoy Wong. 10°

Seeger includes instructions for building and tuning steelpans, and, like the earlier work,

much of the information is now dated. It is most notable for an excerpt from the Bayway,

New Jersey newspaper in 1960 that shows the existence of a steel band housed at the

Bayway Community Center. The group consisted of boys aged 14 through 16 and was

taught by Robert Petracco and Kim Loy Wong.101

A Teacher's Guide to the School Steelband,102 by John A. O'Connor, is a

compilation of sources including the two texts by Seeger described above, the U.S. Navy

Steel Band Press Kit, and The Music of Trinidad by the National Geographic Society.

O'Connor primarily includes information on building and tuning steelpans. This work is

also important because of O'Connor's inclusion of information on the Tuley High School

Steel Band, the Roberto Clemente High School Steel Band103 (including an early concert

program),104 and the University of Illinois Steel Band, also known as the Latino Cultural

Peter Seeger, Steel Drums, How to Play Them and Make Them: An Instruction Manual (London: Oak Publications: 1965).

100 Peter Seeger. The Steel Drums of Kim Loy Wong (London: Oak Publications: 1961).

101 Seeger, Steel Drums, How to Play Them and Make Them: An Instruction Manual, 30-31.

102 John A. O'Connor, Teacher's Guide to the School Steelband (Urbana-Champaign: CEPS in Music: 1975).

103 O'Connor, Teacher's Guide to the School Steelband, 5-6.

104 Ibid., 62.

38

House Band.105 O'Connor's compilation is one of the few sources that mentions these

early steel bands. Lastly, the work includes logistical information on running a steel band

ensemble in a school.106

These texts provide historical context regarding the migration of the steelpan to

the United States as well as lists of early active steel bands in the public schools and

universities. While the above sources are helpful in establishing a basis for further

research, many gaps exist in the data record that must be addressed.

Curriculum and Philosophy

For the purposes of this study, David Elliott's praxial philosophy will be used to

examine the DWSO and DWCSO and the practices of the director, Jerry Lopatin. Elliott

notes that music education should occur within the context of a praxial education, an

education through performance. He rejects tenets of aesthetic education, who Elliott

claims strip music of its extra-musical functions during analysis. Elliott does not view

music repertoire as static works of art but as evolving expressions that have contexts

imposed upon them by the listener, composer, performer, and society.107 Additionally, he

values the inclusion of world music108 and notes that successful music educators balance

musical challenges with the musicianship of the ensemble.109

105 Ibid., 7.

106 Ibid., 51-62.

107 Elliott, 124-128.

108 Elliott, 291-293.

109 Elliott, 122.

39

Elliott posits that developed musicianship should be a main goal of music

education. He notes that musicianship consists of five interdependent kinds of

knowledge: procedural (the ability to properly sequence activity), formal (factual),

informal (critical reflection in action), impressionistic (what counts in different contexts),

and supervisory (the ability to monitor and adjust musical thinking in the moment as well

as long-term).11 Further, Elliott challenges the idea of a static musical work noting that

musical works have six dimensions: an interpretive performance and a musical design

that includes standards and traditions, expression, representations through music, and

cultural-ideological information. Elliott's concept of musical work implies that a musical

work has multiple meanings depending on contextual influences.111

Elliott lists four extra-musical functions of music education: self-growth,

i n

enjoyment, self-knowledge, and self-esteem. Elliott's notions of these extra-musical

functions will be used in an analysis of the extra-musical functions of the DWSO and

DWCSO ensemble experiences.113

Lastly, Elliott outlines seven steps to prepare music teaching episodes.

1. Decide the kinds of music making your students will pursue. 2. Decide (a) the musical practices and (b) the musical challenges to be taught

and learned in relation to your decisions in points 1 and 3. 3. Decide the components of the musicianship your student will require to meet

the musical challenges you selected at point 2.

Elliott, 55-66.

Elliott, 199.

Elliott, 109-122.

Elliott, 273.

no

i n

112

113

40

4. Decide your teaching-learning goals in relation to decisions made at 1, 2, and 3 above.

5. Reflect on alternative teaching-learning strategies in relation to your decisions at points 1 and 4.

6. Reflect on alternative sequences you may require to achieve your teaching-learning goals.

7. Decide how to assess and evaluate students' developing musicianship.

These seven points will be used to analyze the pedagogy and leadership of Jerry Lopatin,

the director of the Desert Winds ensembles described in this study.

Several writers have addressed multicultural music education or the inclusion of

world music in the music education curriculum. Terese Volk's Music, Education, and

Multiculturalism114 details the philosophical perspectives, historical context, and

contemporary implications of multicultural music education. Volk summarizes four

views of multicultural education: those of Margaret Gibson, James Banks, Richard Pratte,

and Grant and Sleeter. She then describes David William's and David Elliott's

perspectives toward multicultural music education.

Volk gives historical background on the status of multicultural education and

music education in the United States from 1900 to the 1990s. She mentions events and

trends that impacted music education, including the World Wars, immigration laws, the

launch of Sputnik I, desegregation, jazz education, ethnomusicology, MENC initiatives,

ISME (International Society of Music Educators), the Julliard Repertory Project, the

Tanglewood Symposium, the Bilingual Education Act, and Goals 2000.115

Terese Volk, Music, Education, and Multiculturalism (New York: Oxford University Press: 1998).

115 Ibid., 54-60, 86, 69-70, 114, 71, 108, 104, 101, 78-79, 81-83, 89, 115.

41

Volk then briefly discusses multiculturalism outside of the United States,

devoting several pages to each country. The information Volk provides for a complex

issue such as multiculturalism appears cursory in this section.

Lastly, Volk presents implications of multiculturalism for the music education

profession. She notes that lack of training in world music during music teacher education,

a lack of materials, inauthenticity of materials, and varying teaching methodologies are

among the many concerns.116 Volk proposes various ways to address these issues and

stresses that much work remains to be done.

Teaching Music Globally,UJ by Patricia Shehan Campbell and part of the Global

Music Series for music educators, addresses some of Volk's concerns. The series

provides materials ad activities for various world cultures, presented one culture per

book, and offers activities for music educators that convey the musics of the cultures. In

Teaching Music Globally, Campbell addresses topics such as learning styles, world music

pedagogy, opening the ear to world music, attentive listening, engaged listening, enactive

listening, creation of world music, music as culture, musical integration, and

ethnomusicological issues. Campbell supports her views with a synthesis of literature

throughout the text. She provides numerous resources for the activities she suggests in the

attentive, engaged, and enactive listening chapters.118 In the chapter on music integration

110 Ibid., 159-166,168-186.

117 Patricia Shehan Campbell, Teaching Music Globally (New York: Oxford University Press: 2004).

118 Ibid., 54-191.

42

with the other subjects, she provides interdisciplinary activities for the teachers'

convenience.

Campbell also provides insights on student learning styles, musical transmission

(aural/oral), the role of notation as a memory device, curricular infusions of world music,

teacher attributes, and music as culture.1191 use these insights, as well as insights drawn

from the works in the following section, as a framework to view the steel band

curriculum at Desert Winds Elementary School, as developed and implemented by the

director, Jerry Lopatin.

While the Global Music Series books are invaluable resources, one concern of

note is the lack of corroboration of culture bearers in some of the books. Authors of some

of the books in this series are ethnomusicologists who have spent long periods of time

conducting fieldwork in the cultures they address, and this provides them with valuable

insider information. Still, other books in the series lack the level of consultation from

culture bearers that is needed to balance the perspectives of a Western ethnomusicologist.

Shannon Dudley's Carnival Music in Trinidad, a book in this series, is an example of a

text informed by fieldwork of a Western ethnomusicologist that includes corroboration

from culture bearers.120

In Carnival Music in Trinidad, part of the Global Music Series, Shannon Dudley

addresses Carnival, the cultural and historical background of Trinidad, the evolution of

u y Ibid., 4-14,216-217.

120 Shannon Dudley, Carnival Music in Trinidad. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2005).

43

the calypso including major calypsonians, and calypso venues (tent and road).121 In the

second half of the text, Dudley describes the evolution of the steelpan and steel band,

steel band repertoire, and various genres of Trinidad.122

Dudley traveled to Trinidad several times to research the island's music. He

became involved in steelpan as a member of the steel band at Oberlin College, one of the

earlier college steel bands, in 1980. His work is informed by his research trips,

performances with Trinidadian steel bands, his apprenticeship under Cliff Alexis at

Northern Illinois University, and his collaboration with many Trinidadian musicians.123

Lastly, I have completed one study on the attitudes of college/university steel

band directors in the United States regarding curriculum and pedagogy. This descriptive

study was based on data from an on-line survey that has a return rate of 68.5% (N= 61).

Directors surveyed indicated a strong tendency towards written notation and, while they

did not generally indicate use of rote methodology, they did indicate strong preferences

toward visually demonstrating patterns and aurally demonstrating rhythms. Directors

showed a strong tendency to program calypsos, the traditional genre for steelpan

literature. A strong positive correlation was found between those who taught about

significant steelpan individuals and those who taught historical context of steelpan (.794,

p < .01). Similar strong positive correlations occurred between those who discussed

various genres and those who discussed significant individuals, and between those who

121 Ibid., 1-52.

122 Ibid., 53-104.

123 Ibid., xi.

44

discussed various genres and those who discussed historical context.124 A similar study

surveying public/private steelpan educators in the United States is currently underway.

Curricular Frameworks and Logistical Documents for Steel Band

Francine Morin's work, A Descriptive Study of a Canadian Music Educator's

Experience with the Trinidadian Tradition ofSteelband, describes her experience at the

Institute for Steelband Playing in Manitoba, Canada in 1988 and provides an early

scholarly account of the Trinidadian steel band experience outside of the island culture.

During the institute, participants spent one hundred instructional hours with noted

Trinidadian pannist, Ray Holman. Colin Walley, an ethnomusicologist and

musiceducator, supplied additional instruction.126 Morin's research questions included the

following:

1. How did the steel band evolve as a musical ensemble? 2. How are [steelpans] traditionally constructed and tuned? 3. What are the stylistic relationships between the calypso song form and the calypso

steel band form? 4. How is music taught and arranged in Trinidad?127

Morin was a participant in the institute, so her findings come from a participant-

observer perspective.128 She gathered data through observations of the Manitoba

124 Brandon Haskett, "A Descriptive Survey of Steel Band Instructors at U.S. Universities and Colleges: An Examonation of Their Attitudes Towards Steel Band Pedagogy" unpublished (2008).

125 Francine Morin, A Descriptive Study of a Canadian Music Educator's Experience with the Trinidadian Tradition ofSteelband (ERIC Database, Report: ED401186. 116pp. 1989), 4.

126 Ibid., 4.

127 Ibid., 5-6.

45

panyards, where steelpans were constructed and used, interviews with Trinidadian pan-

makers Jim St. Rose and Albert John, personal experiences of institute rehearsals and

instructional sessions with Ray Holman, as well as photographs and video recordings.129

These data were used to describe steelpan building, the steel band repertoire, and

pedagogical considerations for starting a steel band.

Morin provides historical background on the evolution of steel bands, from

camboulet and bobolee bands130 of the second half of the 19th century to more recent

developments such as the founding of the School Steelband Music Festival in Trinidad in

1981.131 Morin then describes the six stages of constructing and tuning a pan: obtaining

raw materials, sinking, grooving, tempering/annealing, tuning, and finishing and

mounting. This section includes information on note patterns for various pans as well as

measurements of steelpans, mallets, and a description of stands for mounting.132

Next, Morin discusses the calypso, a traditional Trinidadian song form, and the

steel band, noting that calypsos reflect the struggles and thoughts of the culture in which

128 Ibid., 9.

129 Ibid., 8.

1 ° Ibid., 11; Camboulet is a ritualistic drum tradition which was common during sacred gatherings or ceremonies; Bobolee bands consisted of metal instruments such s tins and dustbins. Bobolee bands were a direct precursor to modern steel bands.

131 Ibid., 23.

Ibid., 42-44.

46

i l l t

the calypsos are created. Steel bands, which adapted calypsos for their use, were

strongly associated with the struggles of musicians of the time.134

Last, Morin addresses pedagogical considerations for teaching steel band as

adopted by steel bands of the time. She notes that Trinidadians use rote methodology for

musical transmission, and she explores the sequencing of ensemble playing, playing

techniques, and arranging for steel band.135

This study, one of the first accounts of a Trinidadian steel band environment on

the North American continent, is extremely valuable to the field of music education.

Because this institute was located in Manitoba, Canada, and was somewhat influenced by

a non-Trinidadian ethnomusicologist, Morin's findings need corroboration from other

sources, such as those of Kenyon Williams,136 Jeanine Remy,137 or Kim Johnson.138

Morin later synthesized the concepts she garnered from her research into a curricular

document for steel band in the Manitoba schools, which is described below.

133 Ibid., 46.

134 Ibid., 49.

135 Ibid., 82, 90, 93,100.

136 Kenyon Williams, "An American in Port of Spain: A Pannist's Guide to Playing in Trinidad's Panorama" Percussive Notes (April 2002), 30-35.

137 Jeanine Remy. "A Historical Background of Trinidad and Panorama Competition with an Analysis of Ray Holman's 1989 Panorama Arrangement of'Life's Too Short'" (Masters Thesis, University of Arizona: 1991).

Johnson, Renegades.

47

Morin's Elementary School Steelband: A Curriculum and Instructional Plan for

Canadian Schools139 is based on the previous descriptive study.140 The paper synthesizes

those findings into a curricular document for Canadian public schools and examines the

following research questions;

1. What is the status of steel band programs in North America? 2. How does the Trinidadian model inform music educators about methods of

learning and teaching Canadian teachers? 3. What do teachers need to know about arranging music for steel bands? 4. What should be taught about Trinidadian music to Canadian children? 5. How could the curriculum be organized and sequenced? 6. What logistical concerns would music educators have and how might these be

addressed? 7. How would music educators proceed in setting up an elementary [steel band]

program in Canadian schools?141

First, Morin examines steel band programs in North America to determine the

condition of the educational programs already in place. Morin found little curricular work

regarding steel bands in North America due to the early developmental stage of most

programs.142 Morin continues by listing various outcomes of steel band participation:

1. Steel band contributes to the multi-ethnic music education of students. 2. Unity, participation and togetherness are primary principles underlying

steel band. 3. Steel band offers opportunities for engaging in aesthetic encounters. 4. Making music with [steelpans] is natural and unsophisticated. 5. Steel band is a major socializing agent.143

Morin, Elementary School Steelband.

Morin, A Descriptive Study of a Canadian Music Educator's Experience with the Trinidadian Tradition of Steelband, 4.

141 Morin, Elementary School Steelband, 4-5.

142 Ibid., 6.

143 Ibid., 11-14.

48

Morin suggests that these outcomes are essential to justify inclusion of the steel band in

public schools.144

Next, Morin examines pedagogical methods of Trinidadian steel bands. She

explores rote learning, the debate between the study of one instrument or a rotation

system, the sequencing of ensemble playing, and playing techniques.145 Morin makes

various assertions regarding Trinidadian musical transmission: the focus of instruction

being on making music and skill development, the responsibility is transferred from

teacher to learner, a de-emphasis on teacher talk, and instructional procedures being

intuitive and flexible.146 She then addresses what she considers weaknesses in that

model.147 She concludes this section by addressing arranging skills that will be needed by

a steel band director.

Morin then synthesizes this material and creates curricular modules comprised of

"two fundamental principles" and various "concept chains." The modules are not written

to be grade-level specific, but rather outline core curricular strands, suggested activities,

and materials.149 Lastly, Morin concludes this curricular document by addressing

144 Ibid., 15.

145 Ibid., 16, 22, 25, 28.

146 Ibid., 36-37.

147 Ibid., 38-39.

148 Ibid., 40.

149 Ibid., 49.

logistical concerns for a steel band teacher. Financial resources, local resource personnel,

space, equipment purchases, instrument care, and instructional preparation are

addressed.150

Morin's document, while valuable as a starting point for steel band curricular

work, has some limitations. First, this study is based on observations of a Trinidadian

teacher in Manitoba, Canada. The setting both informs and limits the cultural context of

Morin's observations. Additionally, Morin notes limitations in the Trinidadian

transmission model and posits that sheet music would be helpful for music transmission.

This is a Eurocentric viewpoint that excludes Trinidadians' differing contexts and values

regarding steelpan performance. Teachers should consider whether they are teaching

steelpan using European transmission processes and contexts or including Trinidadian

cultural context and musical transmission practices within the musical learning process.

A Proposal for a Steelband Program Utilizing a Discipline Based Arts Education

Model151 by Linda Hildebrand represents another early attempt to create, implement, and

evaluate a curricular framework for steel band. Hildebrand's descriptive study draws on

her observations of steel band participants at Archwood School in Manitoba, Canada.152

The reactions and reports of students from the steel band ensemble are also utilized in the

proposal for a steel band program based on a Discipline Based Arts Education model.153

u Ibid., 58-59.

1 Hildebrand, A Proposal for a Steelband.

2 Ibid., 2-10.

50

Hildebrand notes that the four components of Discipline Based Arts Education

(DBAE) are art making, art criticism, history of art, and aesthetics of art, and she states

that DBAE programs are evaluated based on curriculum, quality of teaching, and

outcomes, Hildebrand examines the status of the arts through social154 and educational

change.155 She draws connections between arts education and music education while

looking at learning styles, imagination, language, concept learning, problem solving,

values education, and general education. Then, using the DBAE model, Hildebrand

constructs a framework for steel band curricula.

Hildebrand asserts that participation in steel band increases multicultural learning,

provides quick success on an instrument, and stimulates curiosity towards the evolution

of the steelpan instruments. She also compares the musical transmission styles of

Trinidadians to that of Canadians, and argues that Canadian children need notation

because Canadian society is already accustomed to learning visually. Hildebrand's

argument about transmission is flawed; examples of learning by ear can be found in every

culture. The pieces included at the end of Hildebrand's document are written out with

note names.

Hildebrand outlines curricular goals for steel bands within each of the four DBAE

categories: creation of art, history, aesthetics, and criticism.156 She also presents musical

Ibid., 25-29.

Ibid., 37.

Ibid., 114, 125,138,144.

51

goals for the first three years of a steel band, followed by a description of the planning

and logistics that must be considered when starting a school steel band.157

When evaluating the Archwood School program, Hildebrand mentions that she

observed students demonstrating an improved attitude towards music through

performance using steelpans. Public performances were noted as motivating for the

students.158 Students were able to assess themselves and others through evaluations of

their likes and dislikes.159 Lastly, Hildebrand notes that students also gained historical

background on the steel band art form as well as music theory skills.160

A critical concern regarding this work is the compendium of European songs for

steel band that Hildebrand suggests. Steel bands, when playing the traditional steel band

literature, should broaden students' views of culture and music. A mix of "Western"

classical, pop, and Trinidadian classics would be appropriate, and traditional literature for

a variety of performance levels is available. It is likely that Hildebrand had no access to

such materials at the time of this work, 1993.

In The Incorporation of Steel Drum Ensembles into School Music Programs: A

New Pedagogical Approach,161 Francis Guess examines a middle school, a high school,

157 Ibid., 145-153,156-171.

158 Ibid., 180.

159 Ibid., 181.

160 Ibid., 183-184.

161 Francis Guess, "The Incorporation of Steel Drum Ensembles into School Music Programs: a New Pedagogical Approach" (Masters Thesis, Bowling Green State University: 1998).

52

and a college steel band in Ohio and explores the "rationale for the ensembles' existence

and activities." Guess used interviews, field observations, and surveys to collect

data.163

The middle school group was founded based on a school administrator's previous

experience with steelpans.164 The administrator wanted the group "because it shows

cultural diversity and the students learn about music from another culture. It's a great

[public relations] tool. It's a great teaching tool. It's a great motivational instrument."165

The high school group was started when a music teacher who had previous

steelpan experience was hired. The group's director noted that she "emphasize[s] the

integrity and the history of the instruments" in rehearsals and selects arrangements that

include "Panorama tunes, calypsos, compositions by well-known pannists, as well as

popular tunes . . ."167

The college steel band director founded the group because his steelpan experience

helped him realize the "validity of world music and also that [playing steelpan] was

162 Ibid., 35.

163 Ibid., 35-36.

164 Ibid., 39.

165 Ibid., 40.

166 Ibid., 41.

167 Ibid., 42.

53

marketable after graduation in the sense of being able to do gigs."168 Members of the

college group traveled to Trinidad in 1997.169 Guess states that the 1997-98 ensemble

adopted rehearsal techniques commonly found in Trinidad, such as looping a segment of

a piece. The director of the group valued the history of the instrument; in 1998, the group

gave a tamboo bamboo demonstration at a spring concert.170 The university ensemble's

repertoire consisted of Panorama tunes, calypsos, classical arrangements, and some

popular music.171

Guess' student survey results show the majority of the three groups' rosters

consisted of males. Seventy-three percent of middle school members joined for the

pleasure of playing while 67 percent of high school members reported the desire to learn

as their primary reason for joining the group. Seventy-four percent of the collegiate

members participated to obtain an academic credit. Guess comments that this disparity in

responses "reflects] the students' stages of academic development."172 Survey responses

show that the majority of students at all three levels were taught steelpan with mostly

traditional Western pedagogical techniques; however, some high school (11%) and

college (29 %) students learned to play via rote methods as well. While directors of

168 Ibid., 43.

169 Ibid., 43.

170 Ibid., 44.

171 Ibid., 50.

172 Ibid, 45.

173 Ibid, 47.

54

these steel bands acknowledged the cultural implications of their groups, the primary aim

of each group was as an extension of the music curriculum.

Gerry Hacker's Steelpan in Post-Secondary Education114 provides descriptive

statistics, gathered through surveys of steel band directors, regarding the state of college

steel bands in the United States during the 1998-99 academic year. Additionally, Hacker

provides useful historical information on the steelpan, its inclusion in the college music

curriculum, steel band literature, composing and arranging for steel band, the role of

women in steelpan, and sociological influences on steelpan.175

Some of Hacker's results are as follows: 56 percent of the directors strongly

disagreed or disagreed that steelpan "provided a performance venue for students with no

previous musical skills." Forty-four percent agreed or strongly agreed that steel band

provided a performance venue for students of all levels.176 The results imply that there is

a division among college steel band directors between performing ensembles that focus

on a high skill level and ensembles that are geared toward a wider range of student

participation. Both exist, and both may produce good musical results; however, the aim

of the two types of groups may be different.

The descriptive statistics should be interpreted with caution. While the author

provided an accurate picture for ensembles for the 1998-99 academic year, the results

Gerry B. Hacker, "Steelpan in Post-Secondary Education" (Masters Thesis, University of South Florida: 1999).

175 Ibid., 22-28, 39-41, 17-20.

176 Ibid., 68-99.

55

may be misleading. Teaching assistants ran some ensembles surveyed; the directors of

those groups change frequently, and hence the program may change. Faculty members,

who may maintain the scope and focus of the program over a longer period of time, run

some steel bands. The study may be improved by analyzing data separately for two

groupings: teaching-assistant-led groups and faculty-led groups.

Directors responding to Hacker's survey generally agreed that the steelpan is

useful in teaching harmonic overtones, an awareness of part playing, and rhythm and

pitch discrimination.177 Seventy-five percent of those surveyed indicated that steel band

students are commonly taught via music notation at the collegiate level.17 Other data

collected by Hacker included logistics of the ensembles: scholarships, the numbers of

rehearsal hours per week, the development of arrangements, academic program of

participants, and the size of the ensembles.179 While Hacker's survey leaves many

questions unanswered, it nonetheless provides some perspective on the perceived

purposes of college steel bands and the ways that music is transmitted.

Char Lusk's So You Want to Start a Steel Pan Band details many of the logistics

1 Qrt 1 ft 1 1 ftO

of starting and developing a steel band. Pan attributes, patterns, maintenance, and

'"Ibid., 69.

178 Ibid., 70.

179 Ibid., 59-70.

i no

Char Lusk, So You Want to Start a Steel Pan Band (Novato, CA: Sticks and Stands Publishing: 1998), 1-6.

181 Ibid., 7-20.

56

setup183 are discussed. Additionally, Lusk addresses rehearsals and performances,

curriculum, arranging, as well as dealing with "the engine room", the non-pitched

percussion in a steel band.184 Lastly, Lusk provides information on the Davidson Middle

School steel band program that she started during the 1985-86 school year. The primary

limitation of this document is the curriculum section, which is a checklist and not an

actual curriculum document.

Similarly, in his work, Steel Drums, Tom Reynolds provides historical

information on steelpan and related topics,185 pan patterns and maintenance,186

i o n Iff©

resources, and diagrams of various steelpans. Additionally, a composition, Oshkosh

Jump by Ray Holman (arranged by Jeannine Remy) is provided. Reynolds' work omits

important logistical considerations of establishing and maintaining a steel band.

The Steel Band,m by John Bartholomew, is part of a series of books meant to

appeal to eleven to fourteen-year-old students. The book consists of the following units:

182 Ibid., 21-60.

183 Ibid., 45-49.

184 Ibid., 61-106.

185 Tom Reynolds, Steel Drums (Ferndale, Michigan: Thomas Bibik: 1993), 1.1-1.11.

186 Ibid., 2.1-2.8.

187 Ibid., 3.1-3.9.

188 Ibid., Sections 4-6.

189 John Bartholomew, The Steel Band(Oxford: Oxford University Press: 1980).

57

historical background on Trinidad and the Caribbean, history leading to the first

steelpans, the making of pans, arranging for pans, and starting a steel band.190 Each unit

concludes with questions and projects for students to complete. This work is one of the

only textbooks for students of steelpan located to date. The primary weakness of the text

is the lack of Trinidadian songs; the book contains only European-derived songs.

Steelpan Playing with Theory: A Simple, Hands-on, Practical and Theoretical

Approach to Learning Music with Steelpan Instruments}91 by Salah Wilson, provides a

sequential approach to teaching steelpan players to read standard music notation. Wilson

also includes various technical exercises for the steelpan player as well as some

steelpan arrangements.193 This book is notable because it demonstrates that some

Trinidadian steelpan players espouse the value of reading music notation while other

players and steelpan educators continue to maintain that the aural tradition is the most

appropriate.

These studies and documents represent the curricular work on steelpan to date.

While not an exhaustive list of all steelpan curriculum documents, these works provide

context for the curriculum that is implied in the steelpan programs at Desert Winds

190 Ibid., 6-11, 15-19, 28-34, 39-43, 46-47.

191 Salah Wilson, Steelpan Playing with Theory: A Simple, Hands-on, Practical and Theoretical Approach to Learning Music with Steelpan Instruments (Quebec: Salahpan: 1999).

192 Ibid., 125-135, 147-152,253-260.

193 Ibid., 209-252.

58

Elementary School. The main limitation of this literature is the Eurocentric viewpoint of

many of the authors and the materials.

Teacher Expertise

This study includes an examination of the practices of the steel band director at

Desert Winds Elementary School, including his leadership of the adult community groups

that arose from the student ensembles. To facilitate the analysis of teacher practices, I

employed David Berliner's research on teacher expertise as a lens.

In "Expertise: The Wonder of Exemplary Performances,"194 Berliner draws on

Glaser's review of literature on expertise and lists Glaser's eleven propositions on

expertise:

1. Expertise is specific to a domain, developed over hundreds and thousands of hours, and it continues to develop.

2. Development of expertise is not linear. Non-monotonicities and plateaus occur, indicating shifts in understanding and stabilization of automaticity.

3. Expert knowledge is structured better for use in performances than is novice knowledge.

4. Experts represent problems in qualitatively different ways than do novices. Their representations are deeper and richer.

5. Experts recognize meaningful patterns faster than novices. 6. Experts are more flexible, are more opportunistic planners, and can change

representations faster when it is appropriate to do so. Novices are more rigid in their conceptions.

7. Experts impose meaning on ambiguous stimuli. They are much more "top down processors." Novices are misled by ambiguity and are more likely to be "bottom up" processors.

8. Experts may start to solve a problem slower than a novice, but overall they are faster problem solvers.

9. Experts are usually more constrained by the task requirements and the social constraints of the situation than are novices.

David Berliner, "Expertise: The Wonder of Exemplary Performances" in Creating Powerful Thinking in Teachers and Students ed. John Mangieri and Cathy Block (Ft. Worth, Texas: Harcourt Brace College Publications: 1994).

59

10. Experts develop automaticity in their behavior to allow conscious processing of ongoing information.

11. Experts develop self-regulatory processes as they engage in their activities.195

Berliner then draws from Dreyfus and Dreyfus's work on expertise and adapts it for the

field of teaching. He divides teacher development into five stages: novice, advanced

beginner, competent, proficient, and expert. He substantiates these themes by drawing on

and synthesizing the existing research on expertise. Berliner lists the following

descriptors of teaching expertise:

1. Experts excel mainly in their own domain and in particular contexts. 2. Experts often develop automaticity for the repetitive operations that are needed

to accomplish their goals. 3. Experts are more sensitive to the task demands and social situation when

solving problems. 4. Experts are more opportunistic and flexible in their teaching than are novices. 5. Experts represent problems in qualitatively different ways than do novices. 6. Experts have fast and accurate pattern recognition capabilities. Novices

cannot always make sense of what they experience. 7. Experts perceive meaningful patterns in the domain in which they are

experienced. 8. Experts may begin to solve problems slower, but they bring richer and more

personal sources of information to bear on the problem that they are trying to solve.196

Berliner proposes other descriptors that had not, at the time of his article, been

demonstrated through research:

1. Experts are more evaluative than are novices. 2. Experts attend more to the atypical or unique events than to the typical or

ordinary events in the domain in which they have expertise. 3. Experts appear to be more confident about their abilities to succeed at

instructional tasks than are novices.197

195 Ibid., 4.

196 Ibid., 10-30.

197 Ibid., 31-32.

60

Berliner concludes with policy implications of the descriptors and the expertise research

that he synthesized.198 Berliner's work will be used an a lens to examine Lopatin as an

expert in the steelpan field.

Adult Musical Ensembles

This study includes an adult community steel band ensemble, the DWCSO. In the

following section, I explore selected research literature on adult community ensembles.

In A History of the Northshore Concert Band, Wilmette, Illinois, 1956-1986: The

First Thirty Years}99 William Carson documents the history of the Northshore Concert

Band (NCB), and provides insight for other community band organizers, directors, and

participants. Carson examines the group's history through document analysis as well as

extensive interviewing.

Carson divides his study into three decades of the NCB's history. The first decade

(1956-1966) illustrates some of the group's early challenges, such as attendance,

instrumentation and recruitment.200 Membership was partially addressed in October 1961,

when women were allowed to join the group. Attendance issues continued to mar

rehearsals, and an executive board was established in 1962 to address some of the on-

198 Ibid., 32-33.

199 William Carson, "A history of the Northshore Concert Band, Wilmette, Illinois, 1956-1986: The first thirty years" (Ph.D. diss., Arizona State University: 1992).

200 Ibid., 28.

61

going problems of the group.201 Carson notes a "coattail effect" after their Midwest Clinic

performance in 1963: attendance increased and performances improved based on

successes at high profile performances.202

In its second decade, 1966-1976, the NCB showed increased international

prominence and an increase in the group's size.203 The ensemble had opportunities to

work with renowned wind ensemble conductors and to travel within the United States.204

In 1975, the band went on a European tour, which included concerts in France, Germany,

and The Netherlands.205 This decade found the band members working together to

address the financial burdens of their tour.206

Carson notes that in 1977, the beginning of the third decade, the band reached out

to the schools around the Chicago area by holding the first Festival for Winds,

Percussion, Strings, and Piano at Northwestern University.207 That same year, the NCB

published The Community Band: A Manual for Organization and Operation208 Between

1977 and 1981, the ensemble continued to work to erase financial burdens from the

201 Ibid., 47.

202 Ibid., 57.

203 Ibid., 134.

204 Ibid., 133.

205 Ibid., 116-119.

206 Ibid., 133.

207 Ibid., 142.

208 Ibid., 147.

62

European tour in 1975. By 1981, the financial picture had improved, and the group

performed for the twelfth consectutive time at the Midwest Band Clinic. In August 1983,

the NCB began its second international tour through Canada.209 This tour led to financial

problems as well; however, in 1984 the band had recovered enough financially to host the

First Annual Adult Band Conference. 10

In his conclusion, Carson notes strengths and weaknesses of the organization. He

comments on the strong leadership of John Paynter as well as the financial issues that

burdened the organization throughout its early history. Carson states that Paynter

understood the band's personnel and the need for social opportunities, performances, and

travel.211 Lastly, Carson discusses the influence of the NCB upon other community

bands.212 Carson notes that other groups were formed because of the NCB, and many of

these groups use a model similar to that of Paynter and the NCB.

" I l l

"An Attitude Assessment of Amateur Musicians in Adult Community Bands"

is a valuable contribution to the adult music education literature. In this quantitative

study, William Spencer examines the need for adult music education, noting that adults

are retiring earlier and living longer, giving them more leisure time.214 Spencer also

209 Ibid., 209.

210 Ibid., 220.

211 Ibid., 255, 261, 263.

212 Ibid., 271.

213 William Spencer, "An Attitude Assessment of Amateur Musicians in Adult Community Bands" (Ph.D, University of North Texas, 1996).

63

makes the connection between leisure time and well-being, noting, "increased leisure

time, together with increased income, has the potential to lead mankind to pursue a higher

quality of life."215 He suggests that in order to have successful adult music education,

educators must understand how adults learn. Adult motivation and understanding adults'

attitudes towards music making are essential in understanding adult music education.216

Spencer situated his study historically by providing background on community

bands and public education. Spencer notes the prominence of the NCB, led by John

Paynter He then reviews the various surveys regarding community music and cites the

lack of research on adult motivations for musical participation.218 Spencer's purpose was

to "ascertain certain factors which lead adults to participate in community band

activities." 19 He states that understanding the functions of music in the participants' lives

is crucial to realizing this goal.220

Spencer created a 179-item attitude assessment derived from the feedback

received from two pilot studies.221 His subjects were a sampling of members in

214 Ibid., 4.

215 Ibid., 5.

216 Ibid., 13.

217 Ibid., 16.

218 Ibid., 17.

219 Ibid., 22.

220 Ibid., 22.

221 Ibid., 139.

64

ensembles belonging to the Association of Concert Bands, Inc. At the time of his study

there were approximately 200 community bands within this association. 22 Seventy-four

groups were selected to participate based on stratified cluster sampling.223 Directors of

the groups were asked to give the assessment to ensemble members during a rehearsal

break. Respondents (N= 1,725) provided answers using a five-point Likert-type scale

(SA, A, Neu, D, SD).

Data analysis was conducted using the SPSS software program. Spencer notes,

"Primary statistical procedures for the main study included item analysis of individual

attitude statements, frequency distributions of demographic sorted by present geographic

region, principal component analysis, and a one way ANOVA to see if any significant

[difference] exists among certain cluster scores arrived at through factor analysis and

certain demographic characteristics of the sample."224

Spencer's findings include descriptive statistics of various characteristics of the

participants in the study. Spencer also identified six main factors of adult participation in

music: intrinsic motivators, organizational motivators, membership standards,

repertoire/conductor, rehearsals/performances, and quality. The intrinsic motivators

category was subdivided into the following categories: self-growth, musical growth,

community pride, social rewards, and conductor. The organizational motivators category

222 Ibid., 140.

223 Ibid., 141, 145.

224 Ibid., 144.

65

was sub-divided into the following categories: attendance/practice, community support,

and music selection.225 Spencer notes that through the use of ANOVA and t-tests,

"several significant differences were revealed between groups when using factor scores

as dependent variables, and the means of the demographic variables as independent

variables. Most significant differences were found on the variables age, gender, marital

status, occupation, past and present geographic location, and community size."226

In "Self-Expressed Adult Music Education Interests and Music Experiences",

Chelcy Bowles reported the results of a survey sent to 800 audience members of music

events. These 800 potential participants were selected via a simple random sample design

using a random number chart. Of the 800, 275 returned the survey with 183 indicating

they would participate.227

The survey included 55 questions in addition to basic demographic questions; the

questions fell into three categories: music experience, music interest, and general

education course preferences. Survey results showed that the following three choices (in

order of popularity) were the most popular for private study: piano, voice, and guitar. Of

ensembles, choirs were, by far, the most popular ensembles for adult participation. Aural

Analysis and Introductory Music History were the two most popular courses listed by

• * 228

participants.

225 Ibid., 231.

226 Ibid., 231.

Chelcy Bowles, "Self-Expressed Adult Music Education Interests and Music Experiences," Journal of Research in Music Education, 39, no. 3 (autumn 1991): 191.

228 Ibid.

66

Bowles notes that the results of this study have limitations. The return rate for this

study is low at 38%. Additionally, the population sampled was predisposed to musical

participation as it was selected from audiences of musical events. Bowles concludes that

"the results of this investigation . . . indicate that a clientele for adult music education

does exist among music audiences and that these and other adults who experience some

degree of music involvement may feel a need for further music study."229

Coffman and Levy's article, "Senior Adult Band: Music's New Horizons,"

documents the authors' observations of the New Horizons adult community ensemble in

Iowa City, Iowa. Most of the observations detail the accommodations needed for adults,

such as playing one to a stand, talking slower, and members needing special music

reading glasses. Additionally, the authors note that the adults' dedication and work ethic

exceeds that of children.230

Coffman's "Music and Quality of Life in Older Adults" is essentially a literature

review; however, the author notes some of the therapeutic qualities of music

participation. He notes that "an individual's perceived quality of life can be considered a

function of the interaction of four domains: physical well-being, psychological well-

being, environment, and social relationships."231 Coffman posits that the adult musical

z/v Bowles, 203.

230 Don Coffman and Katherine Levy, "Senior Adult Bands: Music's New Horizon," Music Educators 'Journal (November 1997): 17-22.

231 Don Coffman, "Music and Quality of Life in Older Adults, Psychomusicology 18 (2002): 76.

67

ensembles "that incorporate cognitive and affective dimensions and that account for

adulthood life events have the best chance of meeting adult musical needs, thus

influencing their perceived quality of life."232 Coffman summarizes his findings by noting

that social relationships affect one's health and well-being. These relationships have been

found "to predict mortality, morbidity, perceived quality of life, and [the ability to cope]

with life stresses."233

Coffman and Adamek's "The Contributions of Wind Band Participation to

Quality of Life of Senior Adults" is a descriptive study that surveyed 52 members of a

volunteer wind band for seniors in a small Midwestern city. The authors note that,

according to the adult participants, "a sense of personal well-being and accomplishment,

and enriching recreational activities were dominant factors in defining quality of life.'

The authors conclude that the "desire for active music making was the primary motivator

for joining, as was socialization. Participants considered these critical to their quality of

life."235

In Roy Ernst's article, "Music for Life: Music Educators Can Help Meet the

Musical, Social, and Health Needs of Adults by Creating New Communities of Music

Makers," the author notes that many retired adults have "ideal conditions for learning

232 Ibid., 85.

233 Ibid., 81.

234 Don Coffman and Mary Adamek, "The Contributions of Wind Band Participation to Quality of Life of Senior Adults," Music Therapy Perspectives 17, no. 1 (1999): 27.

235 Ibid., 27.

68

music." These adults have time for new interests, financial resources, a void to be

filled that was once filled by work, and are intrinsically motivated. Ernst notes that adults

value the social aspect of group music making and that this can be fulfilled through adult

ensembles. Furthermore, he posits that "the constant intellectual challenge of music

supports good mental abilities"237 and that adult ensembles provide the needed re-entry

point for adults to engage in this intellectual challenge.238

These studies provide context for the study of the adult community ensembles in

this document, the DWCSO ensembles. One of the weaknesses of the literature is the lack

of studies that examine world music ensembles in the community. This study aims to

address this need.

48.

236 Roy Ernst, "Music for Life," Music Educators Journal 88, no. 1 (July 2001):

237 Ibid.

238 Ibid.

Chapter 4: Methodology

The purpose of this study is to investigate the importance and value of the Desert

Winds Steel Orchestra (DWSO) and the Desert Winds Community Steel Orchestra

(DWCSO). To understand these issues, I employed qualitative methods of inquiry.

Working from the ontological position that reality is socially constructed,239 qualitative

researchers seek participants' views of reality in natural settings.240 Eisner indicates that

qualitative inquiry in education "is about trying to understand what teachers and children

do in the settings in which they work."241 This study aims to understand the importance

and value of the DWSO and DWCSO ensembles in their particular school and

community contexts.

In this chapter, I will (1) define the research design of this study; (2) provide a

description of the participants and site for study; (3) define my role as researcher; (4)

describe procedures for data collection and analysis; and (5) describe the procedures

established to ensure trustworthiness.

Research Design

Origins of this Study and Preliminary Research

During the 2006-2007 academic year, I began to document the history of the

DWSO and DWCSO ensembles as a project for a historical research methods course. I

Peter Berger and Thomas Luckman, The Social Construction of Reality: a Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge. (Garden City, New York: Doubleday, 1966).

240 Corrine Glesne, Becoming Qualitative Researchers (New York: Longman Publications, 1999).

241 Eisner, Elliot, The Enlightening Eye: Qualitative Inquiry and Enhancement of Educational Practice. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1998,11.

70

continued preliminary work by identifying members of the various Desert Winds groups

and by archiving materials related to the ensembles. The large amount and high quality of

material available and the questions raised by this unique collection of data convinced me

to pursue the current study. As I continued preliminary research, my perspective shifted

from a strictly historical perspective to a qualitative perspective, in which I seek to study

the importance and value of a steelpan program in an elementary school and the student

and adult groups associated with it. The ASU Institutional Review Board approved this

study as "exempt" in October 2007.

Case Study

I have chosen case study design for this study. Creswell notes that cases have

"clear boundaries." This study is limited by time and place. In this instance, the steel

bands housed at Desert Winds Elementary School from 1978, which marks the beginning

of the school and the first ensemble, through 2008. Stake notes that the purpose of a case

study is "not to represent the world, but to represent the case."244 In this study, the case is

the Desert Winds steel band program, including the DWSO student ensembles and the

DWCSO adult ensembles.

Stake divides the case study design into three categories: intrinsic, instrumental,

and collective. Stake defines an instrumental study as a study undertaken to understand a

John A. Creswell, Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design (London: Sage Publications 1998), 39.

243 Ibid.

244 Robert Stake, "Case Studies," in N.K. Denzin and Y.S. Lincoln (Eds.) Handbook of Qualitative Research (Thousand Oaks, California: Sage, 1994), 246.

71

component phenomenon of a case. According to Stake's definition, this study is an

instrumental case study research design; I examine the importance and value of the

DWSO and DWCSO, which represent the component phenomena.245 Additionally, my

study has some components of Stake's intrinsic model, which he defines as the study of a

particular case for its inherent importance.246 The steelpan program at Desert Winds

Elementary School initially caught my attention because it is one of the earliest public

school steel bands in the western United States.

Setting and Participants

The primary setting for this study is Desert Winds Elementary School in Phoenix,

Arizona. Participants in this study include current and former students, adult group

members, current and former sixth grade teachers at the school, current and former

principals, outside people influenced by the program, members of the steelpan

community, and the director and founder of the DWSO and DWCSO, Jerry Lopatin. In

the following sections, I discuss the background of Desert Winds Elementary School, as

well as the membership of the DWSO and DWCSO.

Desert Winds Elementary School

Desert Winds Elementary School opened in Phoenix, Arizona in 1978 as part of

the Deer Valley Unified School District. The school consists of several different

buildings surrounding a courtyard. The DWSO and DWCSO were initially housed in a

portable classroom at Desert Winds until the programs could be accommodated in a

245 R. Stake, The Art of Case Study Research (Thousand Oaks, California: 1995), 3-4.

72

double-sized classroom that is now part of a building that includes the band room and the

cafetorium, which also serves as the school's performance venue.

The rehearsal classroom is home to K-6 general music classes and the school

choir as well as the DWSO and DWCSO. A large array of steelpans, enough for thirty

performers, fills one half of the carpeted room along with large boxes of music, arranged

alphabetically, which line the fringes of the classroom. An extensive selection of hand

drums, a drum set, a piano, student chairs, and recording equipment fill the other half of

the classroom. The walls are adorned with posters related to the groups, to steel band

history, and to the director—Jerry Lopatin.

Jerry Lopatin

Jerry Lopatin is the primary informant for this study. Lopatin began playing

steelpan at age sixteen in Queens, New York alongside steelpan musicians Andy and Jeff

Narell. Under the tutelage of their father, Murray Narell, Lopatin began teaching steelpan

workshops and summer camps in the community. Lopatin moved to Phoenix, Arizona in

1974 and was hired as a general music teacher by the Murphy School District in Phoenix,

Arizona. Unable to get a steel band going due to logistical reasons and ready for a change

of schools, Lopatin applied for a general music position at the new Desert Winds

Elementary School and was hired by Freddy Craig, the principal, in 1978.247

With Craig's support, Lopatin established a fledgling steel band in 1978 alongside

his general music classes. Lopatin's parents, Charles and Rose Lopatin, facilitated the

purchase of steelpans by offering to drive to the home of steelpan maker Ellie Mannettein

247II 04.11.06

73

Jamaica, New York, and purchase the instruments with cash.248 In 1983, the Desert

Winds Community Steel Orchestra (DWCSOl) was formed at the request of many of the

parents of DWSO members and set the precedent for adult learning alongside student

learning at Desert Winds Elementary School.249 This group disbanded in 1988. A new

adult group (DWCS02) was formed in 1997 and still existed at the time of this study.

Desert Winds Steel Orchestra

Lopatin established the Desert Winds Steel Orchestra (DWSO) when the Desert

Winds Elementary School opened in 1978.250 The initial ensemble consisted of four of

Lopatin's sixth-grade students. The 2007-08 group consisted of twenty-six members.

During the ensemble's 30-year history, the DWSO included both fifth-grade and sixth-

grade members, but time constraints in the school day limited participation to sixth-grade

students in later years.252 Lopatin determines membership in consultation with the sixth-

grade teachers. Homeroom teachers select students according to academic grades and

behavior, and submit names to Lopatin, who then offers invitations to join the group.

The group typically starts in September each year and meets before school for

248 EI 05.07.06

249II 04.11.07

250 EI 05.26.07

251II 11.26.06

252 EI 09.05.07

253II 11.26.06

74

rehearsals.254 In past years, lunch rehearsals were held in addition to these; however,

recent scheduling changes have prevented lunch rehearsals. The size of the group and

the number of performances per year varies. Participants associated with the DWSO for

this study include current and former student members, current and former teachers, the

principal, parents, and other school personnel.

Desert Winds Community Steel Orchestra

Lopatin founded the first Desert Winds Community Steel Orchestra (DWCSOl)

in 1983 at the request of several parents. The group disbanded in 1988 due to decreased

community interest and a decrease in Lopatin's time to run the group. The second Desert

Winds Community Steel Orchestra (DWCS02) formed in 1997 and was still in existence

at the time of this study. Both groups included parents of DWSO members, former

DWSO members, and members from outside of the Desert Winds Elementary School

community.256

The DWCSO group performed actively outside of the school as well as at school

concerts held at Desert Winds Elementary School. The number of members varied

throughout the years. Members of the DWCS02 pay a participation fee for each session

(eight rehearsals) they attend, which helps fund many other musical activities at the

school. The 2007-2008 DWCS02 mets on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7:30

254 EI 09.05.07

255 EI 05.07.06

256 EI 05.07.06

75

p.m.-9 p.m. in the music room. Participants for this study include current and former

members of the DWCSOl and DWCS02.

Data Collection

In this section, I describe methods of qualitative data collection used in this study.

In addition to fieldnotes, Glesne states that the collection of documents, photographs,

videotapes, and other items can assist a qualitative researcher in finding creative ways to

collect data from participants by using the items to elicit responses during interviews.

In this study, artifacts, or information extracted from them, were frequently used to

prompt discussion during participants' interviews. I have used "extensive material from

I C O

multiple sources of information to provide an in-depth picture of the 'case.'"

Fieldwork and Observations

Glesne notes that fieldwork and observations are important because they "allow

the researcher to 'understand the research setting, its participants, and their behavior." 59

For this study, I observed the DWSO on five occasions in 2007-2008, with four

observations occurring in February and March of 2008. Each observation occurred during

a rehearsal, and each rehearsal lasted thirty minutes. Field notes were taken during these

observations and submitted to Lopatin for corrections and feedback. I was unable to

videotape the DWSO rehearsals due to restrictions imposed by the school district.

Glesne, 57-58.

Creswell, Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design, 40.

Glesne, Becoming Qualitative Researchers, 45.

76

Additionally, I observed a DWSO performance in November 2007 and made researcher

memos about the concert.

Lopatin also includes steelpan instruction within the general music classes. I

observed two general music classes in May 2008. Each class lasted for forty-five minutes

and I took field notes for the entirety of each class.

In the fall of 2006,1 began observing the DWCS02 group as part of a preliminary

study. Observation notes were taken on each occasion and submitted to Lopatin for

corrections and feedback. In the spring of 20071 switched researcher roles when I joined

the DWCS02 and became a participant observer. I continued this role until May 2008.1

have participated in two concerts with the DWCS02, one in May 2007 and one in

November 2007.1 made post-rehearsal/post-performance researcher memos to remind

myself of specific events or to direct my thinking to certain events, items of interest, and

questions. I also recorded and transcribed two sessions of the DWCS02 rehearsals during

my time as a participant-observer. Information on completed field notes is included in

Appendix B.

Interviews

Interviews provide an "opportunity to learn about what you cannot see and to

explore alternative explanations of what you do see."260 Interviews played a crucial role

in this study. The school district did not permit formal interviews of current students

because they are under eighteen years old; however, I interviewed individuals who were

former DWSO members and who were in the ensemble between 1978 and 2003.

Glesne, Becoming Qualitative Researchers, 69.

77

Additionally, I interviewed Lopatin and his former principal, Freddy Craig. I also

interviewed current and former teachers at Desert Winds Elementary School and parents

of DWSO members. Information on completed interviews can be found in Appendix C.

DWCS02 members were interviewed based on their expressed interest in

participation in this study and on network sampling. The network sample worked as

follows: each individual contacted was asked to give the names of other members who

might have information to share for the study. I began with a list of current members,

then worked backward to identify past members. Additionally, I used archival materials

to add to this list of past members. Some members were located through internet

searches. DWCSOl members were selected in a similar fashion; however, Lopatin

provided the first participants, a husband and wife who were founding members of the

DWCSOl. He selected them because they had thoroughly documented the DWCSOl and

the early DWSO ensembles. During the study, I attempted to work forward

chronologically with participants interviews as some members of DWCSOl are in their

70s and 80s.

Sample questions were devised based on an initial interview with Lopatin, an

examination of artifacts, and initial observations of the DWCS02. Sample questions can

be found in Appendix D. Each interviewee was given the choice of selecting a

pseudonym or being referenced by their first name. No participants selected a

pseudonym. The in-person interviews were conducted at locations selected by the

participants and recorded in digital files. There were numerous e-mail interviews.

78

Transcription of Interviews

I transcribed all in-person interviews for this study. Transcribing the interviews

helped provide me with insight that I may not have obtained as quickly had I not been the

transcriber; I found that I obtained different insights from the interview when transcribing

than I did during the initial interview conversations. During the transcription process, I

bracketed researcher notes and made note of questions that arose, and then followed up

during second interviews, e-mails, phone calls, or informal conversations as needed.

Artifacts

I collected and documented various artifacts such as concert programs, letters,

videos, recordings, schedules, concert programs, correspondence, scrapbooks, a quilt

with names of all members of the DWSO in one year, and photographs. Items collected

and documented are included in Appendix E. A majority of the artifacts were obtained

from Lopatin. Other participants supplied additional artifacts. I watched and documented

major events in all of the videos. Lopatin provided videos DSWO concerts from various

years. I used all of these items to assist in triangulating the accounts of participants.

I digitally archived the photos and documents that Lopatin and others lent to me

for this study. I gave copies of Lopatin's digitized files back to him to help preserve the

history of the program. A copy of this completed dissertation will be sent to Lopatin to

help preserve the program's history.

79

Other Data Sources

Adult participants and former DWSO members were invited to provide follow-up

information via electronic correspondence. E-mails from participants were saved and

coded where needed.

Current DWSO students (2007-2008 school year) provided anonymous responses

to written prompts during a class/rehearsal session. This method of data collection was

necessary because the school district did not grant permission to interview students.

Data Analysis

As qualitative data are gathered, Creswell recommends the following: a general

review of information, including jotting researcher memos; taking the information back

to the informants as an analysis step as well as a verification step; and coding data into

categories.261 For this study, I organized field notes and interview transcriptions

chronologically in binders with heading codes that represented the type of information

and the date of data collection. Then, within each set of field notes or transcriptions, I

added thematic codes. In the following section, I describe the thematic coding process I

used.

Coding

Glesne defines coding as a "progressive process of sorting and defining those

scraps of collected data (i.e. observation notes, interview transcripts, memos, documents,

and notes from relevant literature) that are applicable to your research purpose."262

261 Creswell, Qualitative Inquiry and Design, 140-141.

Glesne, Becoming Qualitative Researchers, 135.

80

Glesne notes that data should be sorted into major code clumps and then divided further

into subcategories.2631 used the codes listed in Table 4, which were derived from the

literature and the first readings of the data record. Themes emerged based on these codes.

Table 4: Initial Coding Plan

1. HIST a)SB b)JL c)DW

2. CURR a)RM b)MU c)PH d)CH e)HE f)PI g)PE

3. IMPACT a)LR b)SO c)TH d)CA e)AC f)GO

Historical Background Steel Bands (in general) Jerry Lopatin Desert Winds Steel Bands Curriculum Rote Methodology Music Philosophy Change Over Time Hegemony Issues Personality of Instructor Performances/Recordings Impact Learning Social Therapeutic Impact of Children on Adults Impact of Adults on Children Impact of Groups on Others

4. DISCONFIRMING EVIDENCE 5. Codes used to distinguish groups

a)DWSO Student group at Desert Winds Elementary b)DWCSO 1 Adult group that existed from 1983-1989 c)DWCSQ2 Adult group formed in 1997 and that remains active

Themes were derived using this coding system. Both student and adult groups shared

some themes such as socialization; however, adults utilized the group for therapy

differently than students, who used it to increase self-esteem.

263 Ibid.

81

Role of the Researcher

Researcher Background and Site Selection

Prior to 2007-08,1 was the instrumental music teacher at Kenilworth School (K-

8) in the Phoenix Elementary School District. While at Kenilworth, I taught fourth grade

through eighth grade band, strings, jazz combo, recorders, and steel band. Additionally, I

was the Coordinator of Instrumental Music for the district. During the 2007-2008 school

year I was a teaching assistant at Arizona State University (ASU) in Tempe, Arizona. I

am currently an Assistant Professor of Music Education at North Georgia College and

State University in Dahlonega, Georgia. My primary instrument is percussion, and I

received a Masters in Music Performance from ASU in 2003.1 have performed in

classical, jazz, and world music ensembles. At ASU I was a member of the Sun Devils

Steel Band during the 2001-2002 school year and the 2007-2008 school year.

Desert Winds Elementary School is located approximately thirty miles from my

former residence in Gilbert, Arizona and about twenty miles from ASU. I had a particular

interest in this group because the DWSO was one of the earliest public school steel bands

in the United States that is still active, and it has been consistently active with one leader

for 30 years. A recommendation from an ASU percussionist led me to the story.

I conducted my field observations of the DWSO student ensembles strictly as an

observer. I also observed two DWSO school concerts while performing with the

DWCS02, which was playing in the same concerts. Throughout this study, I continued as

an observer of the DWSO rehearsals and performances.

82

My initial field observations and interviews of the DWCS02 during fall 2006

were conducted strictly as an observer. At the encouragement of the DWCS02 members,

I joined their group in April 2007 and assumed a participant-observer role, allowing me

to obtain data from an "insider" perspective. Glesne defines the role, noting that

participant-observers in the early stages of research should "try to observe everything that

is happening: make notes and jot down thoughts without narrow, specific regard for

[their] research problem."264 According to Creswell, it is critical that the researcher's

preconceptions are bracketed as much as possible.265 Within this role, I cautioned myself

against using my previous experience as an instrumental music teacher and steel band

director to make judgments about the participants or the director. For example, I took

care to keep an open mind about Lopatin's pedagogical processes, which are different

than mine.

Trustworthiness

Trustworthiness is important throughout the research and writing processes

because it ensures that the findings are believable. Glesne notes that prolonged

engagement, triangulation, peer review, negative case analysis, clarification of research

bias, member checking, thick description, and an external audit are techniques needed to

ensure trustworthiness. I carried out these processes throughout this study.266

Glesne, Becoming Qualitative Researchers, 1999, 47.

Creswell, Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design, 202.

Glesne, 32.

83

Prolonged Engagement

Glesne notes that prolonged engagement is important "so that you are able to

develop trust, learn the culture, and check out your hunches."267 Participants provide

different data depending on their perceptions of the researcher and the rapport established

between the researcher and the participants. During the early stages of the study,

participants may react differently toward the researcher because they may assume that the

researcher is judging them. I experienced this during my initial interviews with Lopatin;

initially he seemed apprehensive but, in time, he opened up and became quite active in

helping gather data for this study. Additionally, once I began participating with the

DWCS02,1 felt an improved rapport with the participants. My experience verified the

usefulness of prolonged engagement.

I was actively engaged with the Desert Winds programs and in some dimension of

data collection for two years. Apart from the interviews with members and former

members of the adult and student groups, I spent approximately one hour per week

during the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 school years observing and participating with the

DWCS02.1 also observed the DWSO group in rehearsals and concerts. During my time

with the DWCS02 I participated in rehearsals, helped load the truck for a performance,

performed at Desert Winds Elementary, and played in concerts in the community. I

corresponded with Lopatin and DWCS02 members primarily in person until I moved to

Dahlonega, Georgia in July 2008; however, I continue to correspond with these same

individuals via e-mail.

Glesne, Becoming Qualitative Researchers, 1999, 32.

84

Peer Review

Peer review allows for input from individuals situated outside of the study and

helps detect biases or assumptions within this study and its findings. Throughout this

study I solicited help from various faculty members, colleagues, and peers in reviewing

data collection and analysis procedures. Faculty members reviewed various documents

derived from my research with the DWSO, DWCSOl, and DWCS02. Additionally,

peers in the historical and qualitative research courses at ASU reviewed data collection

and analysis procedures during preliminary study, and I used their feedback to revise

potential interview questions and make other appropriate adjustments to the study.

Member Checks

Guba and Lincoln note that member check is the "most critical technique for

establishing credibility."268 Stake notes that participants should "play a major role

directing as well as acting in case study [research]."269 Each participant interviewed was

sent a copy of the interview transcript to review for accuracy. Glesne states that this

procedure is important because participants may "(1) verify that you have reflected their

perspectives; (2) inform you of sections that, if published, could be problematic for either

personal or political reasons; and (3) help you develop new ideas and interpretations."270

Member checking was an on-going process throughout this study. Throughout

Guba Egon G. and Yvonna S.Lincoln, Naturalistic Inquiry. (Beverly Hills, California: Sage Publications, 1985), 314.

Stake, The Art of Case Study Research, 115.

Glesne, Becoming Qualitative Researchers, 1999, 152.

85

this study, I asked participants to check my work and point out any inaccuracies or

misinterpretations. I had several minor corrections and one concern sent to me, and I

immediately made changes to those transcripts. Additionally, I asked, during member

checks, that participants feel free to add comments or new material to the study. Several

participants added insights via e-mail messages, and one participant asked that a

comment be struck from the record; I adjusted the data record accordingly.

Collecting Corroborating Evidence

Erickson notes that it is imperative that a researcher corroborates findings by

using a wide range of sources such as observations, a wide variety of participants for

interviews, and various documents and artifacts.271 Corroborating evidence reduces the

risk of "chance association or systemic bias" when arriving at themes or perspectives.272

Similarly, throughout a study, it is the researcher's responsibility to confirm or discount

stories provided by participants using multiple sources.

During this study, I interviewed Lopatin, his former principal, DWCSOl

members, DWCS02 members, former DWSO members, current and former sixth grade

teachers at Desert Winds, and one contact outside of the school community using a core

set of interview questions. I also gathered anonymous written responses from the current

members (2007-2008 school year) of the DWSO. Participants shared a wide variety of

Erickson F. "Qualitative Methods in Research Teaching." In M. Whittorck (ed.), Handbook of Research on Teaching. (3rd ed., pp. 119-161). New York: Garland Publishing, Inc., 1986.

Maxwell Joseph A., Qualitative Research Design: an Interactive Approach. (Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, 2005).

86

recollections and stories about their time in the group. These stories are corroborated

through the array of artifacts listed in Appendix E and through field observations. As

themes became apparent I was able to check and cross-check data using multiple sources.

Providing Disconfirming Evidence

While searching for themes during data analysis, it is critical to look for

disconfirming evidence. Creswell notes that an examination of disconfirming evidence is

important because it facilitates revision of hypotheses.273 Individuals construct their own

realities from their experiences with the world around them; therefore, different

perspectives on each issue studied are important and valued. Additionally, disconfirming

evidence adds credibility to the study.

The data collected consist of various perspectives on the importance and value of

the DWSO, DWCSOl, and DWCS02 groups. During interviews, it became apparent that

members had varying perceptions of their groups. Different participants emphasized

different aspects of their experience, even though they were in the same group during the

same time period. While most members interviewed had similar perceptions, I continued

to be open to varying perspectives throughout data collection, data analysis, and the

preparation of this document. Several potential participants, who may have had

disconfirming evidence, declined to be interview for this study.

Thick Description

Creswell notes that the use of thick description "enables readers to transfer

information to other settings and to determine whether the findings can be transferred

273 Creswell, 202.

87

'because of shared characteristics.'"274 Denzin and Lincoln define thick description as

"description that goes beyond the mere or bare reporting of an act (thin description) but

describes and probes the intentions, motives, meanings, contexts, situations, and

circumstances of action."275 Throughout this study, I have constructed my findings

around the rich, thick descriptions provided by the participants. I have interpreted these

findings by grouping them thematically within the study; therefore, the following report

strives to weave a narrative of the Desert Winds participants' stories while providing

room for a summative analysis at the end of this report.

The following chapters are based on an analysis of the data record. Chapter 5

addresses Jerry Lopatin's background, the steel band curriculum he developed, as well as

his pedagogy. Chapter 6 addresses the DWSO student groups and provides historical

information as well as participants' narratives, which were ultimately used to identify

themes. Chapter 7 contains historical information and participants' perspectives on the

DWCSOl and DWCS02 adult community groups. In Chapter 8,1 provide a summary of

the findings, discussion, and implications for the field.

2/4 Ibid., 203.

275 Denzin, Norman K. and Dr. Yvonne Lincoln. The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research. (Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications, 2005), 39.

Chapter 5: Jerry Lopatin

Lopatin's Background and Education

Jerry Lopatin was born in 1951 in Queens, New York to Charles and Rose

Lopatin. He had two brothers, Ted and Steve, who were both involved musically with

Jerry during his childhood and youth. His earliest musical experiences involved pop-

style piano lessons. Lopatin notes that most of his musical ability comes from learning by

ear and, while he reads music, it is not his preferred way to learn music.

Lopatin's youth in Queens, New York in the 1960s occurred during a time of

extensive immigration and cultural mixing. His early experiences with steelpan are

intertwined with Andy, Jeff, and Murray Narell's foundational work with steelpan in the

United States. This story, therefore, is incomplete without a description of the early work

of the Narell family.

Brothers Andy and Jeff Narell first became involved with steelpan through their

father's work with Rupert Sterling, an Antiguan pannist, in the early 1960's. Murray

Narell was a social worker in New York, and he employed Sterling to teach steelpan to

street gangs "in the notorious Lower East Side of Manhattan." His sons, Andy and Jeff,

were soon playing along.276

The Narells absorbed various arrangements and calypsos as well as other genres,

and they began performing with some neighborhood friends as The Steel Bandits. From

the mid 1960s to the early 1970s, the group appeared on national television shows such as

the Ed Sullivan Show, in major concert venues such as the Lincoln Center, recorded the

276 Narell, Jeff. 2007. Jeff Narell. San Francisco, CA. On-line. Available from Internet, http://www.jeffnarell.com/earlydays.html, accessed 21 February 2009.

89

LP The Steel Bandits Play, and were invited as guests to Port of Spain for Trinidad's

National Music Festival.277 They also had corporate sponsorship from Grace Lines Cruise

Ships and played on a pier in New York regularly.278

In 1967, Murray Narell arranged for Ellie Mannette, a famous Trinidadian

steelpan builder and tuner, to come to the United States to spread the art form. According

to Jeff Narell, The Steel Bandits benefited primarily from the master's presence and his

state-of-the-art instruments. As Andy Narell recalled, "My dad rented a workplace for

Ellie to build pans in Whitestone-Queens where we lived. Ellie pounded out pans in the

day and The Steel Bandits practiced by night."280

Eventually, Murray Narell and The Steel Bandits decided to expand by adding a

second group, meant to be a training ensemble. The Lopatins later joined this group,

starting a period of training for Jerry Lopatin. Andy Narell recounts how Lopatin became

involved with him and the steelpan in the late 1960s:

When I was a kid we had a band called The Steel Bandits. We started when I was eight years old. From the time I was about 10 we started playing a lot of gigs —I guess about 100 per year. Around 1966, my brother, Jeff, and some of the other guys started going to Queens College, where they met Jerry's brother, Steve [Lopatin]. They became friends and Steve played guitar with us for a little while . . . . Anyway, Jerry and his other brother, Ted, got interested in the pan. They came by, learned how to play, and formed kind of a second unit. My dad,

277 Narell, Jeff. 2007. Jeff Narell. San Francisco, CA. On-line. Available from Internet, http://www.jeffnarell.com/earlydays.html, accessed 21 February 2009.

278 EI 01.16.08

279 Narell, Jeff. 2007. Jeff Narell. San Francisco, CA. On-line. Available from Internet, http://www.jeffnarell.com/earlydays.html, accessed 21 February 2009.

EI 01.16.08

90

who was managing our band, got them gigs too. I played with them occasionally.28

Jeff Narell recounts the time period similarly:

I met Jerry's older brother Steve at Queens College and he played with an updated version of our band for a short while until he succumbed to cancer. [It was] devastating—especially for the Lopatins but for all of us. Jerry and his younger brother, Teddy, were in our training group, [The Steel Sound]. . . We taught them to play and my dad got them pans and some gigs until they could get themselves going. 82

Playing in The Steel Sound allowed Lopatin to apply his aural skills in a situation where

experienced steelpan mentors (Andy and Jeff Narell) could guide his development. Ted

Lopatin, Jerry's younger brother, also recalls the early evolution of the group:

Someone decided that The Steel Bandits would mentor another steel band. It seemed like the initial members of this band-in-progress were friends of Jeff Narell's from college. The initial instrumentation was 2 people learning baritone drums and 2 or 3 people learning seconds. First Jerry, and then I, joined through our brother Steve, who knew Jeff from college. When I first started attending rehearsals, Jerry and I were both learning seconds. At the earliest rehearsals, there were usually several members of The Steel Bandits present, each of whom would be coaching the person learning his instrument. I think Andy and Jeff were there pretty much every week.283

I'm not sure how long it took, but after some amount of time—maybe a few months—a few people dropped out. We were joined by Neil, our bass steel drum player, and I moved from seconds to lead. Neil was a year younger than me, i.e., not a college friend of Jeff s , . . . Also, I think mentoring by The Steel Bandits slowly became limited to Andy and Jeff, with Victor [another band member] being present on occasion. I don't remember there ever being any standard written music. The band just wrote the chords down in books and learned the melodies by rote and . . . didn't write anything down.284

1 EI 06.02.08

2 EI 01.16.08

3 EI 03.26.08

EI 03.26.08

91

As Ted Lopatin notes, the group was taught by rote and not with sheet music.

Jerry Lopatin's rote teaching methods likely can be traced back to his early success

learning steelpan music through aural-oral transmission. Ted Lopatin elaborated on the

learning process of the group:

I'm pretty sure we started with simple island songs - "Jamaica Farewell," "Yellowbird," "Mary Anne." We also learned some popular songs (e.g. "Georgy Girl," "A Taste of Honey," "The Shadow of Your Smile"), which I recall as being much trickier because of the more frequent chord changes. We also learned Bach's Little G Minor Fugue and Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachmusik by rote. I seem to remember the band learning the Bach (by rote) as requiring a lot of effort on Andy's part. I'm sure Jeff also did a lot of the teaching but I seem to have a mental picture of Andy going from drum to drum and coaxing the parts out of us. I don't know that we ever played the Bach at a job, but we definitely played the Mozart some number of times. I think that as we got a little better, Jerry sort of morphed into the band's de facto leader and we were pretty much able to learn new songs on our own and add them to our repertoire.285

Jerry Lopatin recalls how important this time was to his musical development:

In 1967,1 was fortunate to be introduced into a circle of people who would have a dramatic impact on my life. I had a great love of music and had already spent many years studying the piano. At the time, I was 16 years old growing up in Queens, New York. It was in that year when my older brother, Steve, had the opportunity to meet Jeff Narell while attending Queens College of the City University of New York.. . . The Steel Bandits were already in great demand when my brother, Steve, was invited to become a member of the band as an electric guitarist.

It was 1967, Ellie's first year in New York, that the combined Narell and Mannette influence would begin its impact on my life. The Steel Bandits became so popular that Murray decided to create a second professional steel band. Jeff offered a number of his college friends the opportunity to participate in this experimental "training band." To my amazement, my brother Steve returned home from a rehearsal and informed me that my younger brother, Ted, and I were both invited to become a part of this newly emerging steel band.

EI 03.26.08

92

I was awed by the virtuosity of 14-year-old Andy Narell—watching his sticks bounce. I was constantly seeing and hearing Ellie Mannette creating new instruments. I was living in a panist's utopia, but was too young to understand it at the time. At the age of 16,1 had no idea the impact these people were having on me, and more importantly, the impact they eventually would have on the pan community throughout the United States.286

The first regular job for the Lopatins' The Steel Sound was playing for departing

Grace Line cruises on a pier in New York. The group consisted of Ted Lopatin on lead,

Jerry Lopatin on seconds, Dave Warshaw on baritones, and the drummer, Steve

Peltzman. Andy and Jeff Narell came to the performances but didn't play with the group.

At parties, Lynn, a singer and the wife of Dave Warshaw, joined them, and occasionally,

Dave sang as well. Jerry Lopatin occasionally played with the Steel Bandits, but Andy

and Jeff Narell rarely, if ever, played with the Lopatins' group.287

In the late 1960s, Murray Narell provided Lopatin with various opportunities to

apply his steel band knowledge through teaching steelpan workshops in the New York

area. Narell also facilitated Lopatin's employment with the Catholic Youth Organization

(CYO), where he taught summer steelpan workshops. Lopatin taught workshops for the

CYO for "two or three seasons," likely between 1968 and 1970, with approximately ten

students participating each summer. Lopatin taught the students the music completely by

memory, just as the Narells had taught him.288 Jerry Lopatin recalls how Murray Narell's

mentorship during the 1960s laid the foundation for his career in teaching:

Lopatin, Jerry. 1995. From Queens to Phoenix: A Pan Journey. Pan-Lime, February 1995.

287 EI 03.26.08

288 EI 02.16.09

93

Murray wasn't really what you would call a teacher, although everyone in life is a teacher. But Murray was a very strong-willed person, very critical, with what seemed to be a cold side to him, but in reality, he was not. When I was a teenager, I used to fight with him all the time when we would travel to band jobs. He was almost always with our band (the Steel Sound-the [training] band to the Steel Bandits in which Andy and Jeff played). Even though we argued about just about every topic that would come up, he still had faith enough in me to recommend me to run steel drum workshops, and to even run the steel drum program for the Catholic Youth Organization's summer camp program. I owe a great deal to him, and for what he has done for me. We (my family) never had to buy steelpans; we would use The Steel Bandits "extra" set of drums for our rehearsing, performance, and even to take home so that we could practice. That was a tremendous leap of faith on Murray's part considering that we were only a bunch of kids. I learned that there is a great deal more to a person than the hard exterior that they might only allow others to see.289

Eventually, with the help and direction of Murray Narell, I began to teach steel drum classes at workshops and summer camps. The success was amazing, with audiences spellbound at what children were able to perform in such short amounts of time [through rote learning] and limited rehearsal time. I knew that when I got my first teaching job, I was going to have to incorporate steel pans into my music teaching setting. I had no idea how I would do such a thing, but I knew the power of these instruments had to be directed towards children. After all, I saw how it affected and motivated me; I knew it would do the same for school-aged kids.290

These experiences reinforced Lopatin's idea that rote methodology could be used to

achieve quick success on steelpans, and, through this success, increase children's self-

esteem. Without Murray Narell's assistance and encouragement, Lopatin would not have

had these early affirming experiences. Additionally, Narell helped Lopatin through the

transition from steelpan performer to steelpan educator.

EI 04.22.07

EI 03.27.07

94

Ellie Mannette also influenced the members of The Steel Bandits and The Steel

Sound. Andy Narell concurred with Lopatin about Ellie Mannette's influence on the

young panists at the time:

Ellie didn't spend much time with us playing. When he first came to New York he showed us some of the rhythmic strumming they were doing in Trinidad (the guitars and double seconds). As a pan player, I'm basically self-taught, though I've studied a lot about music, and continue to do so. Ellie has had a profound influence on everybody who loves the sound of his instruments, and has followed the development of his sound. In that sense, it would be almost impossible to overstate his influence. His work, concept, and the sound of his instruments are inseparable from the music I play.291

Ted Lopatin, however, remembers Marinette's influence as being minimal during this

time period:

The [Steel Sound] rehearsals were held on the weekend in the space that Ellie must have used during the week to make the drums. Occasionally, Ellie was also present—not for teaching us, but for his own work. One thing that I think I remember (but could be mistaken) is that Ellie was oblivious to the sounds of our rehearsing. I think I remember him tuning drums while we rehearsed.

In the Fall 1969 semester Jerry Lopatin entered Queens College of the City

University in New York (CUNY) as an architectural engineering major. After some

difficulties with the coursework he decided to switch his major to music. His pop-style

piano training and aural skills gave him a different perspective of music theory, where he

thrived; however, he was behind reading traditional music notation. Lopatin spent this

time "soaking up everything . . . like a sponge." While everything in college was

classically oriented, the aural skills he developed from playing pop music by ear helped

1 EI 06.02.08

2 EI 03.26.08

95

him with musical analysis. While in college, Lopatin took classical piano lessons,

composed a musical work that was performed by the school's orchestra, and earned the

Choral Society award for Most Promising Music Educator at the college. He graduated

inMayofl974.293

Lopatin continued to play with Steel Sound until he and his wife, an elementary

teacher, moved to the Phoenix, Arizona area in 1974 to pursue their careers in teaching.

Lopatin applied and was hired for a music position in the Murphy School District.

Thinking that he would use steelpans as part of the music curriculum at the school,

Lopatin placed an order for steelpans with Ellie Mannette, pan innovator and builder. He

never received those steelpans:

When I was in Murphy School District, I tried to start a steelpan program. We had the funding and sent a PO to Ellie Mannette with a promise that the drums would be delivered that year. P.S. . . . we never saw the drums. I had stands built which were waiting for the arrival of our instruments. I was a new teacher and under the impression that simply because I sent out a PO, instruments would automatically be sent to me. Boy, when it comes to steel drums . . . was I wrong. I was there for four years and the drums never showed.

Lopatin became "burnt out" during his time in the Murphy School District. He

was beginning to question his career choice when, in 1978, Lopatin had his first interview

with Freddy Craig, the first principal of the new Desert Winds Elementary School in the

Deer Valley school district:

I was hired and at the end of my first year [at Desert Winds], I started to talk to Freddy about my aspirations of starting a steel drum program. He thought I was talking about kettle drums (timpani). He had no idea what they were until I brought my 3 instruments to school for the kids to try. The children were so successful at playing tunes on these bizarre instruments (remember . . . late 1970s)

EI 02.16.09

96

that Freddy arranged a performance for our school board. Whoever saw our children playing became delighted with the instruments.

Craig funded the purchase of a few instruments. The PTO also purchased

additional instruments, and Lopatin also decided to purchase some instruments for the

program with his own income. This support, while crucial, didn't address the issue of

how to obtain the instruments once the funding was in place. Lopatin comments:

We still had the problem of [how to get the drums]. My parents, Rose and Charles Lopatin, solved that problem. Ellie and my parents both lived in New York City at the time. My parents simply drove to Ellie's house and offered him cash for drums. To paraphrase a great line from a great movie, it was an offer he couldn't refuse. So basically, we started buying drums from my parents who were, in turn, purchasing drums from Ellie for cash. Drums started arriving at our school and our band was up and running.

Due to the support from Craig, the PTO, and Lopatin's parents, the steel band

program grew from three steelpan instruments in 1978 to the twenty-nine steelpan

instruments that are housed in the Desert Winds music room at the time of this study. The

late 1970s marked the start of a long, prosperous relationship between Lopatin and

Freddy Craig as well as the birth of the Desert Winds Steel Orchestra.

97

Fig. 1. Jerry Lopatin and Freddy Craig at Desert Winds Elementary School

Lopatin's Curriculum and Pedagogy

. . . the big picture is all about the essence of music. Not how do we get kids to make music by traditional means, but how can we create valid music ensembles worthy of moving an audience, creating a musical message or idea that excites the students because they hear authentic positive reactions from an audience rather than obligatory parental applause. To know that you have the power through music to emotionally connect with people is an awesome and moving internal motivator. Even though students cannot identify what it is that they enjoy about it, the fact is that it is addictive to know that you can inspire an audience with a musical performance. That is the power of music as a language, as a connection between cultures. It is just that which is more important than teaching students "every good boy does fine." - Jerry Lopatin294

EI 04.11.07

98

Lopatin's early experiences with the Narell family directly impacted his teaching

style and beliefs. His early teaching experiences, prior to teaching in public schools, were

under Murray Narell's mentorship. When he became a public school teacher in 1974,

Lopatin knew he would incorporate steelpan in the music curriculum. Unfortunately, it

took several years, a change of schools, and a new principal—Freddy Craig—for his vision

to come to fruition.

Lopatin's approach was certainly unusual in 1978 when he was hired at Desert

Winds. He added steelpan to the music program, believed in rote methodology in music

education, and wanted to reach out to students to spread the art form with which he had

grown up and which was atypical for the time. Craig elaborated on Lopatin's curricular

decisions:

I allowed him to do [steel drums], but he was teaching the curriculum. [The] number one thing is to teach the curriculum and [to] be creative in teaching it. And, Jerry was very creative in teaching the curriculum. Not only was that innovative, but I had so many other innovative things at Desert Winds School that existed at no other place but Desert Winds.295

Innovation was a staple at Desert Winds between 1978 and 2000. The school housed a

nursery for the teachers' children as well as some younger siblings of students at Desert

Winds. Spanish classes were offered, and Craig allowed teachers to loop up to the next

grade level with their students. Craig recalls Lopatin approaching him about the school

district's music curriculum document:

. . . the most innovative thing we did was the steel band. Jerry came to me and talked to me about it, and I had seen [steelpans] being played on TV, but I had never seen them in person.... from what he told me and how he explained to

II 07.24.07

99

me how it could teach the music curriculum and everything, and I said fine. I know Jerry wasn't a big proponent of the regular music books. I know when I was in school, I didn't like music at all. The teacher sat there and played piano and we'd sing from the music book. So, the first thing he asked me, when I hired him was if he had to use the music book. I said, "No you don't, but you need to teach the curriculum." . . . He did it with popular songs that kids all heard on the radio and things like that. You ask any kid since day one, when Jerry started working for me in [19J78, their favorite subject, they'd tell you [it was] music.296

While Lopatin had a passion for using the steelpans in an elementary school

setting, he had to figure out a way to convey the music to elementary students. Lopatin

and students he had taught during steelpan workshops in New York had had quick

success learning steelpan using rote methods. Based on this experience, Lopatin decided

to use aural-oral transmission to convey steelpan music to the students at Desert Winds,

later adding modified score charts as memory devices. Lopatin reflected on the aural-oral

transmission process:

All that was necessary was developing a way convey to children what they would have to do at an instrument in a musical way by rote, rather than becoming bogged down with traditional reading skills... . I always played and performed by ear, rarely relying upon reading skills. I have made my profession one of teaching music due to my love of music and my skills at making music. I don't see why it should be any different for young children to start the same way. They should discover their love of making music, performing music and sharing music with others. Decisions about learning to read and write music can come later, after their interest has been piqued. I like being the motivator that will lead them to make a decision to continue, on their own, with their connection to

• 297

music.

Lopatin uses rote teaching methods and modified lead and chord charts to convey

music to the students his general music classes, the DWSO, and the DWCSO. For

II 07.24.07

EI 03.27.07

100

example, Lopatin frequently clicks drumsticks together to demonstrate a rhythm to

children or adult players, who then perform it back to him. He also demonstrates melody

and harmony parts on the steelpans, showing the students how their hands move when

they play a specific melody or pattern. During my observations of Lopatin, I frequently

saw him use these methods to ensure quick success. Lopatin elaborated on his teaching

sequence for learning an arrangement:298

1. I discuss the music alphabet (A-G) and quickly have students find the notes as I quickly call them out in the order of a scale.

2. I discuss how all the pans (except bass) have "outer rim" notes (lower range) and "inside" notes (higher in range). To help students quickly find the note in the correct range, students can be directed to the appropriate ring of notes on their drum.

3. Reinforcing the basic model of how music is often arranged with a melody, a harmony and a fundamental bass part: a discussion takes place identifying the lead section as being responsible for performing the melody (notes will be played on the outer and inner portion of the drum); the seconds and guitars are responsible for playing the harmonies (always playing a combination of two notes at the same time usually on the outer rim notes); and the bass instruments perform single line bass parts (being instructed on the technique of always playing notes in octaves unless otherwise instructed).

4. After those basic instructions are gone over, the teaching of a piece of music begins, usually with the leads learning their first few phrases with the aid of a rote score lead sheet. Letter names of the passage will be called out as I sing the melody as the rhythm is clapped. Notes are identified as inner or outer for ease of finding the correct range for each note played.

5. Chord combinations are shown to the seconds and guitars for the opening measures. Repetitive rhythmic patterns are drilled.

6. Single note bass parts are drilled for rhythmic accuracy. 7. After all sections of the band have completed a portion of the tune being

learned, I'll ask the bass and the harmony parts to join together, clapping the rhythm for the bass section and singing and calling out the rhythm and chord changes for the harmony instruments. Leads would be the final group of instruments to be added to the arrangement. This process would continue until the entire piece has been learned.

EI 02.20.09

101

The steelpan charts Lopatin creates are used as memory devices, not as the

primary means of transmitting the music. Lopatin arranges music for steel band, and then

creates a lead sheet and a chord chart. Lopatin conveyed his method of arranging:

When I began teaching and had to create arrangements that children would be able to decipher, I went the [chord] route, but realized that I had to add a bass line to the chord chart, as well as somehow inform those playing melody what their part should be. For over 10 years I would hand write out arrangements, always coming up with new ideas for how to simply relate a musical idea in a non-traditional format.299

Throughout the years, Lopatin has arranged charts in a variety of genres including

calypso, soca, reggae, samba, bossanova, classical, and pop. Lopatin believes his charts

eliminate the complexities of notation that can get in the way of progress.300 An inventory

of his music library at the time of this study is included in Appendix G.

The symbols Lopatin uses in his charts are described in Table 5. These symbols

significantly shorten the amount of information students view. In addition to the symbols

below, Lopatin provides the students an informational chord box near the top of the

charts, which indicates voicing for the chords for seconds and baritones.

Table 5. Lopatin's lead/chord chart symbols.

Symbol

(DDDDG)

Meaning

Play notes inside parentheses on given pitches in the rhythm 1 2& &4

EI 04.22.07

Lopatin, Jerry. The Steel Band by Rote. (Akron, Ohio: Panyard, Inc.), 1994.

102

r(4)

(bracket) DB

5

X

/

H

4

3

2

Roll on the pitch under the r; roll the amount of beats enclosed in parentheses

Quick note bracket; two quick eighth or sixteenth notes 12&&4

Stick click to mark a rest

Beat marks

Hits (usually a unison group hit)

1 2 3 4

1 (2)& 4

1 - 3 - (two half notes)

The following examples demonstrate these symbols in context; these examples are used

with permission from Lopatin and are taken from his method book for steelpan.301

Permission obtained from Lopatin by author

Fig. 2. A lead sheet from Lopatin's method book.

COCONUTS Music and Arrangement by Jerry Lopatin

LEAD SHEET

Intro „ „ _ , , _ „ „ r(2)

,EC C BA,, Ft D C BA, ,GD B AG, E

.EC C BA, ,FiDC BA..G X GGG X,

Section 1

III.DB G m c? — ^ r-, r(2)

CA Ft ED G,

r-, „ r - , r-^ r ( 2 ) |

,DB B AG, ,AGE, ,FtDC BA G,:|

Section 2

I!, DP C D , ,X B A, , DP B D, ,X A G

, DP C D , |X B A, , DP B D , |X A G,'.

Copyright (£) 1994, Jerry Lopatin Scottsdate, Arizona All Rights Reserved

-78-

Fig. 3. A chord sheet from Lopatin's method book.

COCONUTS Music and Arrangement by Jerry Lopatin

Sec Ban

. - 5 — . r- 5 - , / /

Seconds-Baritones.

"G" chord "D" chord "C" chord O B F | A E G G D D A C G

Intro

I . e . (BASS) C C

1 c c c

Section 1

I: G G D

G D

Section 2

I: D 0 A

D

• /

D

D

C

i : X

D / D

D D

D A

c , G

H H

DD D D

X H H

DD X D D

G

H

G G

D

D

G

G I G

X H H .

GG| X G G

i

D | A

D , 1 A

G 1 D

c

H

G G i

G

G

X

X

X

G

X

G D

G, D

H H

GG G G

H H

GG X G G

Copyright © 1994, jerry Lopatin Scoitsdale, Arizona AH Rights Reserved -79-

In Figure 2, notice that the lead sheet has the pitches letter names written out. The

dark brackets underneath the letters indicate melodic groupings while lighter brackets

above indicate a quick 8th or 16th combination. The indicator "r(2)" means to roll for two

beats while the marking "X" indicates a stick click to fill in a rest. The repeat signs and

structural labels such as "intro", "section 1", and "section 2" are borrowed from

traditional notation. The lead sheets by themselves do not provide complete information

for the piece. Rhythmic indications from the charts are clarified through Lopatin's rote

teaching of the rhythms. Lastly, due to the extended range of lead steelpans, the range of

the played notes must be clarified through the director via repeated hearings of the

melody.302

In Figure 3, note the "chord box" near the top of the page. This information

provides the double seconds and baritone (double guitar) players with voicing

information. For example, on a G chord the double seconds player plays D and B in the

strum pattern indicated in the top right hand corner. In this case the rhythm is indicated

by a "5" with a surrounding bracket. This means the strum rhythm is "1 2& &4". The

middle harmony parts are indicated by large chord name labels while the bass steelpan

parts are indicated underneath. The chart in Figure 3 uses other similar indicators similar

to Figure 2, such as "X", structural labels, and traditional repeat signs.

Lopatin, 7-23.

Lopatin, 7-23.

In 1994, Lopatin organized his charts and philosophies regarding rote teaching

into a method book for steel band, The Steel Band by Rote.304 The book includes

numerous charts, consistent with the charts in Figures 3 and 4, appropriate for varying

levels of steel bands, from beginners to advanced players.305 Additionally, Lopatin

provides information for steel band directors such as marking the pitch names on the

steelpan, advanced techniques to challenge students, form and variations, arranging, and

logistical tips for developing a steel band program.306 This method book, while written in

1994, still accurately represents his philosophies about steelpan playing and transmission

of the music. Additionally, Lopatin occasionally invited guest artists to perform with

and/or clinic the group. Throughout the years Ellie Mannette, Tom Miller, Harry

Belafonte, The Evangeltones, among others have worked with the Desert Winds

ensembles.

Lopatin also uses similar methods to introduce steelpans into the general music

classes. Each grade level gets a chance to play the steelpans in the second half of the

school year. Lopatin uses the steelpans with children as young as first grade. Students

learn to play some basic songs. Lopatin maintains the experience exposes students to

Caribbean instruments and music while early success can contribute to the development

of self-esteem.

Lopatin, The Steel Band by Rote.

Lopatin, 2.

Lopatin, 25-48.

107

Lopatin notes that when starting younger students in general music classes, he

frequently teaches pieces without charts before introducing the charts so that students

experience musical progress right away. He does not want the charts to get in the way of

making music. Lopatin explains his method for starting younger students:

When working with students in the general music classroom on steel drums, I will usually start by just having them memorize their parts. Once they start learning their parts, I might hand out a rote score should they feel that it will help them to perform what they have learned. The method of teaching is still the same; the only thing that is different is whether or not to incorporate one more visual step in the process, which can create a barrier between the student and the instrument (and that is the sheet of music).307

Additionally, Lopatin notes that over time he began to teach his general music

students common steel band rhythms on hand drums or other percussion instruments. He

believes that frontloading musical information helps classes go smoothly when students

are introduced to the steel drums.

Lopatin assesses the students throughout using informal means such as aural

assessment within the context of a rehearsal. Students are not formally assessed on their

steelpan performance. The DWSO is considered an extra-curricular group and, therefore,

grades are not calculated for the class. Within the general music classes, Lopatin

perceives the steelpan unit as a reward that he teaches towards the end of the year;

therefore, he does not formally assess in this situation either.

EI 08.05.07

In summary, Lopatin developed a curriculum and methodology that he believed

would support students' learning. He provides a wealth of opportunity for the students in

general music and steel band. Tracie Stephens, an early DWSO member, noted,

[Lopatin] truly loved music . . . I think it's interesting now that I'm older, that we actually liked going to music class. Not just the steel drum thing but he taught basic music classes. I learned so much most kids probably never do. He taught choir too, and he let us sing songs that were popular at the time so we really enjoyed it. He was funny and really easy-going.308

In the following chapter I examine the history of the DWSO student group through

participants' narratives.

EI 10.10.07

Chapter 6: The Desert Winds Steel Orchestra

The steel band program at Desert Winds Elementary School began in 1978 while

Desert Winds was under construction and the students were housed at Constitution

Elementary School. The students and faculty moved into the new school in 1980. The

Desert Winds Elementary School steelpan program started with Lopatin's three personal

instruments. The initial ensemble consisted of four members, all sixth graders, plus

Lopatin who performed almost exclusively on campus. The group consisted of a lead

pan player, a double seconds player, a double guitar player, a drum set player, and

Lopatin on a Farfisa organ, an early electronic keyboard instrument. The steelpans were

created for Lopatin by Ellie Mannette in 1969.

Lopatin "had brought [his steelpans] to school to see what type of reaction they

would create."309 After the initial five-piece group piqued student interest, several groups

of sixth graders were formed and each group was responsible for a certain group of

songs. Lopatin, whose recollection of this time period is vague, recalled that he arranged

"Colonel Bogey March" from the movie "Bridge on the River Kwai," among other

pieces, for the groups during the 1978-1979 school year. He notes that he likely taught

strictly by rote and not with the aid of the lead/chord charts he later developed. Lopatin is

unsure where or even if performances were held in the first year of the program.310

Lia (Garcia) House, a DWSO student member in 1979-1980 and a faculty

member at Desert Winds Elementary School at the time of this study, recalls Lopatin as

EI 02.17.09

EI 02.17.09

110

being "very energetic, fun, and expressive." She remembers "really enjoying [steelpan],

so much so that I joined the alumni group that he started (in 1982)."311

The school began purchasing instruments from Ellie Mannette (via Lopatin's

parents) around 1980. A presentation of the steel drum program was made to the Parent-

Teacher Organization (PTO) which helped finance Mannette's trip to the school to make

a five-bass for the school in 1981 312

Fig. 4. An invoice from Ellie Mannette, prepared by Lopatin, to Desert Winds

Elementary for his visit in 1981.

Elite M^nnc'tto - Skef brums

//o//tet M Y. //Y23

fetLL FoK SCRVIC^S

Sus rare ¥*> Ffix. P/ane Are -h> NX Scf of Basses Suspenses per Jay in Phx. £xpcnses en rooh. -h> Phx.

Mo+eJ tec per Jay Fee Jr>r ^on/rty JrvMS.

*zo

4/S

TQTA*m ,

R7

HO Z8S 300 /ZO

BS 7S

O

005

311 EI 04.30.08

312 II 07.24.07

I l l

Fig. 5. Thank you note to the Desert Winds PTO for supporting Mannette's trip.

Dear Mrs. Mdlo and-members of fhe RTO.,

I Would like ~fo -thank you -for -the support you gave mc and fhe music program c\t our school hy funding Mr. Manneffc's -trip -for the week ofDec. 7! In addition fo making our school a foeaofifu/ Sounding Set or hasseS, he also funed each and every drain, "thus giving our steel orchestras even more "ring" -rhan -they had had previously.

sUuc -to our uniaue music program and Mr. M«nnetfe s Vi^if, we received coverage, an 7W Phoenix "television nefWorks ana a write up in "the Phoenix Gazette

Also, because. Mr. Mannette was so impressed tvitn •the magnitude or cur program aT 2>eserf H/inds , he offered fo donate, a sef of ce//os C<3 steel ofr-u/ns) -h> our school and -to refum fo ovr school, free of charge, on his own fime "to func our drums some -time th the -fufure.

Once again I fhank you-for your financial assistance and your moral supparf in making this uniavc cultural venture a positive one for cur school as well as -Per the continuing po blic awareness of the steel drum as a valid musical instrument. P:ond/y)

Jerry Aopafh

112

From 1978 until 1981 the group expanded its repertoire, number of instruments,

and participants. By 1981 the group, which consisted of twenty-one students playing

steelpan, could be considered a large steel band for the first time. Lopatin recalls that

group:

I believe that the pivotal moment of the student steel drum program was during our 1981-1982 year. This was the first year that we had what I considered a "large" steel band. I believe that we had about 21 students playing steel drums that year in our sixth grade steel band. What I discovered that [year] was the ability of the students to play almost any music I gave them, regardless of the difficulty. They didn't care or analyze how hard the arrangements were, they simply were so dedicated that whatever I gave them, they learned it. That year I discovered that children can play well above their level (and a teacher's level) of expectation. The music didn't have to be arranged "down" for them. On the other hand, I pushed them all the time only to realize to my amazement that they were able to handle and perform just about anything. They couldn't read the music that they learned, but they could PLAY the music, and that's really what it is all about.313

The 1981-1982 group performed for Mannette while he was at Desert Winds to

build steelpans and gave concerts at school venues such as Carl Hayden High School,

Monte Vista High School, Judson School, Desert Sky Junior High School, Cave Creek

Elementary School District, the Deer Valley School Board, Village Vista Elementary

School, and the Deer Valley Unified School District Band Festival in addition to

performances at Desert Winds Elementary School. Additionally, the ensemble performed

at various community venues such as Park Central Mall, the Metrocenter, the Arizona

state Capitol building in Phoenix, and Legend City, an amusement park in the Phoenix

area that was later demolished.314 The ensemble also gained statewide attention through

EI 03.27.07

PL 01

113

its appearance on the television show "Kidsworld Arizona." This performance

schedule is a marked increase from the first few years of the program. Performing outside

of the school laid the foundation for more opportunities for the group in subsequent

years. This change is also critical because it allowed the group to become self-sustaining

financially and allowed the students to have authentic performance opportunities in the

community.

Mannette was highly influential in the development of the DWSO in its formative

years, not only as a steelpan builder and tuner, but also in the move toward making the

group a self-sustaining entity. Mannette encouraged Lopatin to make a recording of the

students and Lopatin did so in 1981, recording with his group in a local studio. The

recording included "Miss Tourist," "Mary Ann," "Quando, Quando," and "Mary's Boy

Child." Eventually, with money made through records sales, Lopatin purchased recording

equipment for the music classroom at Desert Winds Elementary School.

In 1982-1983, the DWSO expanded its presence in the community. While the

1981-1982 group performed extensively in other public schools, the 1982-1983 group

expanded its audience with performances for the Phoenix Zoo Auxiliary, the International

Fair, and the local RV Club as well as performances in local public schools.

The group's most notable performance was for Harry Belafonte in June 1983. The

meeting was arranged by Lopatin when he found out that Belafonte would be performing

at the Sundome in Sun City West. He called the Sundome's offices to try to reach

Belafonte, and the day before the concert Lopatin received a call conforming that

Video 20

114

Belafonte would stop by the local NBC affiliate's studio to meet the DWSO. After

hearing the students perform, Belafonte invited the DWSO students as his guests for his

performance at the Sundome.316

Fig. 6. Harry Belafonte with the DWSO in June 1983.

EI 02.18.09

115

Over the next two years, the DWSO continued to perform in the community as

well as in concerts at Desert Winds Elementary. The ensemble garnered national media

attention through its performance on Kidsworld National, a popular television show at the

time.317 Laurie Coberly, a member of the 1983-1984 DWSO, recalled that steelpan was

all she could think about. She noted that "we used to go and play at shopping malls and

things like that on the weekend, and I just loved doing that and drawing a crowd and

watching them be amazed at what we were doing."318 She also remembered Lopatin

fondly, noting that:

He's so full of life. He makes learning fun, even as an adult. (Coberly was later in the DWCS02 adult group). . . His love of music and his passion for the pans is amazing, and the way that he can hear what we're doing while we're banging away on the drums and listening for what we are doing wrong.. . . His rote method and his very descriptive way of teaching us something so elaborate [helped us] learn it so simply.

During this school year the group performed "Musician," "Spanish Eyes," "Sweetheart

from Venezuela," "Limbo Rock," "Zombie Jamboree," "More Pan," and "Tequila."

As the size of the ensemble grew in the early 1980s, Lopatin had to address the

students' increasing interest in the DWSO. Since the number of instruments available

was limited due to cost and space, Lopatin formulated a method of choosing students for

the ensemble. Students were selected for the DWSO based on the sixth-grade teachers'

recommendations, consultation with the fifth-grade teachers, and Lopatin's own

experience with the students in general music classes. Frequently students were

Video 20

PI 08.12.07

116

disappointed when they were not selected; however, as Lopatin noted, logistics and time

dictated that he could only accept so many students for the DWSO ensemble. All students

had an opportunity to play steelpan during the general music classes.

Joining the DWSO was also a family affair; Tracie Stephens joined after her

sister, Heather was involved with the DWSO in the 1981-82 school year and her parents

joined the DWCSOl in 1983. Tracie Stephens, a member of the 1985-1986 DWSO,

recalls her time in the group:

I remember figuring out at this time that I loved being a performer. I went on to do theatre for several years [and] majored in theatre in college. It also encouraged some amount of discipline. You had to maintain a certain grade point average to be invited to play in the [steel] orchestra. It was a reward and one that was favorably desired. Kids that weren't in steel drums wanted to be. My parents joined [the] adult group so I was constantly around it.

Stephens notes that she was drawn to the group because her older sister, Heather, was a

DWSO member in 1981-1982 and because of the field trips. She notes her delight in

"learning songs and hearing them come out of something I was playing." She described

Lopatin as having "such an enthusiasm I don't think I've ever seen in anyone else," and

recalled the various means he used to help students learn to play:

He really made learning easy. He drew with magic marker the name of the notes [on each drum] and that is how he taught you to hit the right note. I remember that because he would call out the notes as we were practicing and sort of sing them to us the way the song went. It stuck in my mind, obviously. We practiced a lot but it was never intimidating, it was never a job. He always made it fun and I think that is what makes kids want to do something.

Little documentation of the DWSO exists between 1986 and 1990; however, one

EI 10.10.07

EI 10.10.07

117

former DWSO member from this time period, Thorn Martin, provided his perspectives.

Martin is currently a member of Apocalypso, a professional steel band in Tucson,

Arizona. Previously, he was a member of the University of Arizona Steel Band. Martin

also does volunteer work with the steel bands in the Catalina Foothills School District in

Tucson, Arizona. Martin recalled "a number [of performances], both at the school and out

in the community [during his time with the DWSO]. . . "321 It is likely that the DWSO

performed with the DWCSOl on several concerts between 1986 and 1990 including

performances at Sanita Elementary School, Desert Quest Retirement Community,

Scottsdale Civic Plaza, the Arizona School Administrators Conference, as well as others.

Martin also recalled that Lopatin's lead and chord charts, groupings of note names to

denote rhythms, and his simplified rhythmic notation helped the group to learn the

322

music.

Martin also noted the impact of the experiences he participated in while a DWSO

member: "I think my favorite memories are from recording sessions we had at the end of

each year. They were long and a lot of work, but I knew it would be worth it because

we'd have something tangible to remember the experience by."323 Appendix G contains a

list of all DWSO recordings. Martin elaborated on the impact that the DWSO had on his

life:

321 EI 08.27.07

322 EI 08.27.07

323 EI 08.27.07

118

Of all the extracurricular activities I did at the time (and there were a lot of them), steel band was my absolute favorite. I just couldn't get enough of pan. I remember, when in 8th grade, finding out that the only other steel band in the state at the time was at U of A. At that point, I decided that this was where I wanted to go to college so that I could play steel drums again. (Granted, that ultimately wasn't why I chose U of A at the end of high school, but I'm glad it worked out that way.)324

Martin recalled "a number [of performances], both at the school and out in the

community . . . "325

Michael Yednak, a professional saxophonist at the time of this study, was also a

member of this 1989-1990 DWSO group. Yednak notes how proud he was to be in the

group because, at the time, it was an honor to be selected to participate in the DWSO. "It

was a wonderful way to get started on listening to world or foreign music," he recalls,

"It's probably a major reason why I listen to jazz and classical music now."326

Yednak also recalled a specific moment of accomplishment with the DWSO:

My group played "Tequila" in front of the rest of the student body and staff, and it gave me a feeling of accomplishment and an idea of how performances make a musician feel.327

He also felt that the group had a "strong impact" on his musical life and notes his respect

for Lopatin as a "great teacher." Yednak commented on Lopatin's rote teaching methods

and connections between the DWSO and other aspects of his musical life:

I would have liked to have been forced to learn to read staff music so I could have transferred more information to other programs I worked in musically.

324 EI 08.27.07

325 EI 08.27.07

326 EI 09.04.07

327 EI 09.04.07

119

However, I understood his method and completely understand why he teaches the way he does.328

During the 1990-1991 school year the DWSO performed at a few large events

such as the Accountability Summit and the Arizona Steel Drum Panorama, a statewide

event that involves steel bands from all over Arizona. During the 1991-1992 school year

this trend continued as the DWSO took a trip to San Diego for the American Association

of School Administrators (AASA) Conference, which had about 5000 attendees in the

audience. At this conference the twenty-seven DWSO members performed Lopatin's

arrangements of "Brown-Eyed Girl," "Angelina," "Louie, Louie," "Minuet in G Major"

by J.S. Bach, "Merengue," "La Acadena," and "Tequila".329 Other pieces performed that

year include "Pan Night and Day" and "Quando, Quando" The group also performed at

Sun City West and Heard Museum during this school year.330

328 EI 09.04.07

329 Video 18

330 Video 14

120

Fig. 7. The DWSO at the AASA conference during the 1990-1991 school year.

During the 1992-1993 school year, the DWSO continued to play at large

education conferences such as the National Integration Conference. Additionally, the

ensemble performed in other schools in the Phoenix area such as Washington Elementary

School and North Ranch Elementary, as well as performances at Desert Winds

Elementary School. Members performed Loaptin's arrangements of the following pieces:

"Margaritaville," "Louie, Louie," "Love is the Reason," "My Band," "Tequila," and

"Miami Beach Rhumba."331

The following school year (1993-1994), the DWSO performed at the 2nd Annual

Conference on Curriculum Integration. Additionally, they performed for the A+

Celebration, which is a celebration for top schools in Arizona, and in concerts at other

331 Video 48

121

local schools. The group continued to perform at local community venues as well,

including the Capitol building and a Hyatt hotel. Lopatin also presented a steel drum

clinic for educators in the Phoenix area who were interested in starting steel bands. Pieces

performed this included "Sway," "Musette in G Major" by J.S. Bach, "Louie, Louie,"

"Pan Rising," "Saturday Night," "Tequila."332

Genie Klein was a member of the 1993-1994 DWSO and recalls her sense of

pride at being in what was perceived as a select group:

Honestly, I just remember that my entire group of friends made the band, so I was super excited! It was a fun experience . . . and I was very proud of myself for being in the band. Only certain kids were picked for being in the band. You had to have good grades and your teachers had to unanimously agree that you should get to play in the band. So I was very proud that I was chosen. . . I wanted to be in the band because I knew only the best students were chosen and I wanted to be considered one of the best.333

The data record and Lopatin's recollections from Fall 1994 through Spring 1998

are vague. Performances at the school and community continued; however, specifics of

the performance venues are unavailable. The 1994-1995 DWSO, which had thirty-six

members, performed on "Good Morning Arizona,"334 playing "Tequila," "Oye Como

Va," and "Louie, Louie."335 The 1995-1996 ensemble performed repertoire including

"Sunny Ray," "Raiders of the Lost Ark," "La Bamba," "Zombie Jamboree," "Tequila,"

332 Video 32

333 EI 05.26.08

334 Video 5

335 Video 1; Video 2

122

and "Bacchanal Lady." Additionally, the 1985-1986 group played at the Percussive

Arts Society National Conference. In the 1996-1997 school year, the DWSO was visited

by Ellie Mannette, who was at Desert Winds to tune the steelpans, and Tom Miller, an

American pannist who was in Phoenix to work with a church group. The ensemble was

rehearsed by Miller who taught the ensemble "Sarah" by rote.337 Students from this group

commented, "I can't believe we're seeing Ellie Mannette today, I'm so psyched."

Mannette noted "This is the most wonderful [group]!" and "These kids are incredible!"

Little data exists in the record for the 1997-1998 school year except for the 1997-

1998 Heavy Metal recording. During the 1998-1999 school year, the primary community

performances of the group included the Fiesta Bowl Parade, where the ensemble

provided pre-parade entertainment, and a performance at Bank One Ballpark, the home of

the Arizona Diamondbacks professional baseball team, for the team's inaugural season.

Elsie Chostner, a former DWSO member, remembers "having fun watching other [Fiesta

Bowl] pre-parade entertainment and getting to play. I got to have so much fun with my

two best friends."339 She recalls a newspaper article, which included her picture, which

was written about the group. Chostner notes that she "really loved being in the group. It

was a lot of fun and I enjoyed it a lot. I'm glad that I had the chance to try something that

336 Video 6; Video 9

337 Video 15

338 Video 15

339 EI 11.04.08

not many other students got to [try]. Only about 30 students got into the group so I felt

special. It is one of the things in my life that I know I will never forget."340

Colin Stevens, another DWSO member, agrees with Chostner, stating, "The fact

that members were hand selected, meaning that you have one chance to be in this band

your whole elementary school career [made the group special]."341 Additionally,

Chostner remembers the thrill of "getting to record a CD right in our music room at

school. We got to play all of the songs we learned that year including one that was

written [by Lopatin] just for our steel band."342 When asked to reflect on Lopatin's

teaching, Chostner noted:

[Lopatin] was a great educator. He was good at teaching no matter if it was chorus, the steel band, or just [general] music class. He knew exactly how to talk to us to make sure we understood. He was always calm and helped us out whenever we needed it. It was always easy to walk up to him to speak if we need[ed] to. He always took his time with us and knew how to make us feel comfortable and not become too frustrated."343

Stevens remembers Lopatin as:

Awesome [and] full of energy, [a] funny guy, and you could tell he was passionate about what he did. The music was easy to read, and he helped us commit the rhythms and tones in our head, versus just plain reading. Music is always better when it's not just read off paper.344

340 EI 11.04.08

341 EI 11.06.08

342 EI 11.04.08

343 EI 11.04.08

344 EI 11.06.08

124

During the 2000-2001 school year the DWSO performed at AZPAN, held at

Northern Arizona University, in a mass steel band. Around the 2000-2001 school year,

the DWSO became limited in their ability to perform concerts off campus due to an

increased emphasis on standardized testing, the inability to transport the steelpans via

bus, and the retirement of Freddy Craig. The school year also marked the last recording

produced by the Desert Winds ensembles with tracks recorded by the students, Journey to

Paradise. Lopatin also attributes these changes to the pressures of standardized testing,

the cost of travel, and enforcement of regulations that did not allow the steelpans to be

transported on the school bus (thus making a U-Haul rental an added cost of travel).

This time period also marks a significant change in roles of the DWSO and the

DWCS02, an adult community group described in Chapter 7. Prior to this time, the

DWSO was the main traveling group, with the DWCS02 opening for them. When travel

fro the DWSO became limited, the role of the DWCS02 changed from an opening act for

the DWSO to the main traveling group. Few records of DWSO concerts exist from the

2000-2001 school year forward; however, Lopatin notes that the DWSO still did concerts

at Desert Winds Elementary School.

The 2007-2008 DWSO

During the 2007-2008 school year, the DWSO consisted of twenty-four members.

Their repertoire consisted of "Under the Boardwalk," "Margaritavilla," "Dolores," "La

Belle Cite," "Pantastic," "Pan in Harmony," and "Tequila." The ensemble held two

performances at Desert Winds Elementary School—one on December 6, 2007 and another

on April 24, 2008.

125

The ensemble rehearsed three times a week before school in the general music

classroom, which is a double room with sufficient space to allow the steelpans to be set

up at all times. During my observations of DWSO rehearsals, Lopatin began by having

students rehearse their parts independently as members straggled into the room. As the

full ensemble rehearsal began, Lopatin directed the group from the drum set, which he

played, by shouting out section numbers, pitch and chord names, and making rhythmic

corrections aurally. When needed, Lopatin circulated within the group, visually and

aurally demonstrating melodies and rhythms. He frequently worked one section at a time

and built up a piece from its parts. While students used Lopatin's lead/chord charts as a

memory tool, musical transmission was primarily through aural-oral processes.345

I submitted four questions to the 2007-2008 DWSO members to answer

anonymously. The students' written responses generally fell into the following

categories: a sense of accomplishment, working as a group/socializing, tradition and/or

exclusivity, and reflections on Lopatin.

A Sense of Accomplishment

According to the 2007-2008 students, the DWSO enabled them to obtain musical

success very quickly, which built their sense of accomplishment and self-esteem. Lopatin

selected rote methodology partially for these reasons; he had observed how success on

steelpan affected at-risk students in New York. The 2007-2008 students noted that "when

we would finally 'get' a song," the sense of accomplishment became one of their favorite

FN 02.13.08

126

memories. One student stated that the ensemble "was fun and a time to learn something

new. It was so much fun that if I could do it again, I would."346

Students also indicated that overcoming challenges was rewarding to them. One

student noted that he/she "[learned] to perform in front of people" while another recalled

improvement on a difficult piece of music, stating, "One of the songs we played was very

fast paced, so I practiced hard and began to learn the song. At the concert, we were able

to play it without making many mistakes." Another student noted, "I couldn't get one of

the songs and I just kept practicing and practicing. Then, I got it."347

The success and self-esteem developed in the DWSO is one of Lopatin's main

goals, and student comments appeared to reflect this goal. Lopatin aims to "hook"

students into music through early success and then develop them as musicians and people

from that point forward.348

The 2007-2008 students' comments about success, accomplishment, and self-

esteem are similar to past DWSO participants' perspectives. Diane Gilsdorf, a 1983-1984

DWSO member, noted:

I do feel very drawn to music. I don't know if it was easier for me. I played a lead drum pan. I just never found it to be hard. Maybe it's nice that there were so many of them lined up in a row that if you did make a little mistake you couldn't tell. So, maybe I wasn't as good as I thought I was. You know there was a lot of confidence in that. [Performing with the DWSO was] a huge confidence booster. At such a young age being a part of something so big. Even if it wasn't

346 SR

347 SR

348 S R

127

big to the outside world, it was such a part of everybody's life in that group. Because it did take a lot of time away and a lot of dedication.349

Michael Yednak a former DWSO member commented on his accomplishments in the

ensemble:

My group played "Tequila" in front of the rest of the student body and staff and it gave me a feeling of accomplishment and an idea of how performances make a

t- i 350

musician feel.

These two former students' sentiments summarize current and former DWSO members'

feelings about success and self-esteem derived from the ensemble.

Working as a Group/Socializing

The 2007-2008 DWSO students enjoyed the social aspect and teamwork of music

making within the ensemble. Socialization and teamwork are important aspects of the

DWSO and are encouraged, to an extent, by Lopatin, who aims for cohesiveness in his

ensembles. "The steel band program was important to me because we learned how to

play in a group and make music," one student stated. Another student also addressed the

teamwork of the DWSO noting, "[I] loved being by my friends and learning new songs."

The experience of learning something new in a context that included peers was

summarized by another DWSO member, "My favorite memory was that I got to learn a

new thing and I got to be around my friends."

349II 02.01.08

350 EI 09.04.07

351 S R

128

The 2007-2008 students' comments about working as a group and socialization

are similar to past DWSO participants' perspectives. Tracie Stephens, a 1985-1986

DWSO member, stressed that socialization was important to her ensemble experience:

My memories are extremely fond. We took a lot of trips and got quite a bit of attention on our tours to various places. People had never seen anything like what we were playing, and we were kids. The response was truly impressionable. My good friends were part of the orchestra also so it was a lot of fun to get out of school and go on field trips with each other.352

The past DWSO members mostly expressed this category similarly to Stephens, through

socialization.

Tradition and/or Exclusivity

The 2007-2008 DWSO members indicated that a sense of exclusivity regarding

the ensemble existed. Members also recognized the high expectations that previous

groups had established for them. One member noted that the opportunity to be in the

ensemble "is important because not everyone got a chance to get it." Another DWSO

member summarized the expectations that were created by previous DWSO ensembles,

writing, "I knew if we didn't do a good job. Although we're in the sixth grade, the crowd

expects a lot from us because of all of the other sixth graders' performances."353

Tradition is important to the success of the DWSO. Several families throughout

the history of the DWSO ensemble have had multiple children in the program and parents

of alums continue to participate in the adult community steel band. For example, Barbara

EI 10.10.07

353 SR

Yednak and Julie Moody, both participants in this study, are members of the DWCS02

because of their childrens' success under Lopatin.

Reflections on Lopatin

Comments from 2007-2008 DWSO students indicated the importance of

Lopatin's teaching and curriculum to the DWSO members' success. One member noted,

"I thought that Mr. Lopatin was a very smart person [because] he teaches a lot of people

instruments that they have never touched before. Also, he teaches kids to read music. He

came up with his own easy way to read sheet music. He even [arranges] his own songs!"

Students noted that Lopatin's interactions with students were important to their

success. One member noted, "Mr. Lopatin was great. He worked with anyone who

needed help with a song. He taught us everything we needed to know. Steel drums were

probably the best [experience] of my life so far." A 2007-2008 DWSO member noted

how important the ensemble is to the students:354

It gave me a reason to get up early in the morning and have something to look forward to.

354 SR

Chapter 7: The Desert Winds Community

Steel Orchestras

The First Desert Winds Community

Steel Orchestra (1983-1988)

In 1983, five years after the successful beginning of the student Desert Winds

Steel Orchestra, a group of DWSO parents began to ask Lopatin about the possibility of

starting an adult group. They were already at all the student events, helping move

equipment and listening to their children, and they became interested in performing

themselves. Based on the adults' interest, Lopatin founded the first Desert Winds

Community Steel Orchestra, DWCSOl in 1983; the group lasted until 1988. The

ensemble, at one point, allowed high school students to join; however, the adults needed

the ensemble as a time away for children and the social dynamic did not lend itself to an

adult/student mix. Six members of this group were interviewed, including Bob and Diane

Stephens, Tim and Monica Ramsey, Jim Tomes, and Jane Legore.

Diane Stephens, a founding member of the DWCSOl, elaborates on the start of

the group:

Jerry thought if there was enough interest with enough adults to make it worthwhile, he would start an adult group, and, there was. There were quite a few of us parents [of DWSO members] whose kids had gone on to join. Plus, he put the word out in the community for interest from other people. There was [interest]. I think we had eighteen [or] twenty people.355

Lopatin recalled the founding of the group, stating,

I believe it was during the school year 1983-84. We had just completed our first "big" year (82-83) with our children's steel band having more performances than

355II 09.23.07

131

any band would have in all of our future years. The parents of the children in that first large steel band were very actively involved with all of the events the children had taken part in. It was at the request of quite a few of these parents that led me to visit the idea of starting the first adult community group. Our numbers were small but we did have quite a few parents join whose children were in the 6th grade band the previous year.356

The inaugural DWCSO group consisted of eighteen to twenty people and primarily

performed as the opening group for the student DWSO ensemble. The group was

comprised mostly of DWSO students' parents; however, community members such as

Tim and Monica Ramsey also joined the group. Monica Ramsey recalls:

It was very exciting. Very exciting. The music and the instruments . . . everything was so unique. I had seen the [DWSO] in a mall. It was Metrocenter. That's when I had stopped to watch them and I heard Jerry say that he was going to be starting an adult group. So that was really exciting for me. I called the school up and they gave me the information. I went to the first meeting and when I came home I was so excited that I said [to Tim], "Oh, you have to join. You're joining. That's all there is to it. You'll love it."358

Diane Stephens noted that the DWCSO 1 met twice a week in the evenings for

rehearsals and that most of the performances were joint concerts with the DWSO, the

student group at Desert Winds Elementary School, except when the DWSO performed

during the school day.

Similarly to the DWSO, Lopatin taught the DWCSO 1 using aural-oral

transmission and the same type of modified chord charts used by the student group. The

EI 02.23.09

II 09.23.07

II 10.03.07

132

DWCS01 members believed that Lopatin had a successful, unique way off conveying the

steel band music. Tim Ramsey notes:

I think it was just fascinating that he taught people by rote. He didn't teach you how to read music [in the traditional sense]. I guess [by ear/rote is] the way they do it in Trinidad more than here. It kind of almost goes against the school curriculum, but with adults and even children they can get performing very quickly just by hearing.359

These methods may have been particularly effective for an ensemble of adult

members with various musical backgrounds. When asked about the DWCSOl and

DWCS02 members' prior experiences with music, Lopatin had the following response:

They all have a tremendous love of music, but I don't think any of the members of the community band have what I would call a "high level" of previous musical background. There are a few who have played instruments in band classes through their teenage years. A few have music reading skills but not close to any improvisational skills. Some have had a propensity to want to play the instruments (other than steel drums), but I don't think that you can say that the members of our community band are of a caliber of musicians whereby they would have the ability to be individual performers in the field of music. Together, as a group, they are quite remarkable. They surprise me very often with the caliber of their performance ability, as well as their enthusiasm.

As far as becoming members, I would say that something in their past would have had a lot to do with them making the decision to even think about joining our group. I am pretty sure many have tried playing instruments at one point in time or another, or have had family members influence them to possibly participate in a music performance program. But, I also think that the steel drum is an amazing magnet, which draws people towards wanting to experiment with playing music on an instrument so different than the traditional instruments that we have grown up with. I think their joining this group had more to do with the instrument than with the links to their musical past (if any).360

II 10.03.07

EI 04.22.07

Diane Stephens particularly enjoyed her ability to entertain people, through

music, without a prior musical background. Stephens notes:

Well, it was great that we all got to experience the same thing. It was very rewarding to go out and perform and be able to learn to play something not having a musical background. I did play a musical instrument in high school, so I know how to read music, but you don't have to. My husband played the basses, the same ones that [our daughter] Heather played, and he didn't know how to read music. You didn't have to know how to read music. That was the rewarding part. You can create a sound, create music, entertain people, and have them enjoy it tremendously and you're a part of it.361

Monica Ramsey stated:

It was quite challenging because it's an instrument that you've never seen before. Trying to learn everything, every group, every section has different parts to play. It was just beautiful when it came together. It was just exciting.362

Participation in the DWCSO led to further musical opportunities for Tim and

Monica Ramsey. Ellie Mannette moved into their Scottsdale, Arizona residence around

1985 to build steelpans, and they joined Lopatin's professional steel band around that

same time. Ramsey recalls that at this time:

Monica and I started playing with Jerry in his other band [Jerry's professional group]. We played quite a bit with him. Then I got my own pan. When Ellie moved in [Monica] got some pans . . . She and I started getting calls from other bands to go out and play~$25 a night and all you can eat. You learn a lot by going and playing those.363

We actually made a living playing steel drums for a long time. [DWCSOl] is definitely the root. The first time I saw Jerry, his kid group played at our kids' elementary school. She had seen him a couple weeks before, but then I had seen

II 09.23.07

II 10.03.07

II 10.03.07

134

him at the musical at the high school when he announced that he was going to have an adult band.364

Ramsey noted that Lopatin

. . . was a genius with adults or children and within a couple of days [would] have them performing. It's really special. I don't know if he had other classes where he taught music or not. I'm sure he could. That was really special. Once you have confidence, you can go on to explore other things. That can be a stepping-stone for children.... I think he teaches with a passion. You almost feel . . . it's induced. You have to learn it because he's so passionate about it. I'd hate to disappoint h im. . . . He never said anything negative to people when they were having a tough time. He was [always encouraging]. Everybody loved it.365

From February to May of 1986, the DWCSOl performed for various community

events and venues around Arizona such as the Arizona School Administrators

Conference, Desert Quest Retirement Community, the Beatitudes, the Scottsdale Civic

Plaza, the Sunflower RV Resort, and the Metrocenter.366 The ensemble also played

concerts at Desert Winds Elementary School twice a year. A complete list of

performances is available in Appendix H.

The DWCSOl didn't always move along perfectly smoothly. In 1988, there was a

disagreement about music selection, and some members desired more performances than

were booked for the year. In general, however, former DWCSOl members described

their experiences as overwhelmingly positive.367 Ultimately, the DWCSOl disbanded in

364 II 10.03.07

365II 10.03.07

366II 09.23.07

367II 10.03.07

135

1988 for a variety of reasons including waning participation (the group had dwindled to

around four or five active members) and reduced time for Lopatin to run the ensemble.

The Second Desert Winds

Community Steel Orchestra (1997-Present)

In 1997, Lopatin decided to restart the community group. Lopatin recalls the

impetus for his decision:

The pivotal moment for our current adult group came before the group even got started. I was teaching summer school steel drum classes. In the class there were two boys who were friends. The mom of one of the boys ended up sitting in the classroom, sometimes just outside the door waiting for the class to end. Rather than having her wait doing nothing outside, I invited her to play one of the drums with the class. She ended up on bass and even played at our final concert with the class. Because she enjoyed it so thoroughly, I was influenced to make the decision to start up another adult class in the evenings. She ended up joining the class and remained a member on and off for about 9 years.368

While the DWCSOl was mostly comprised of DWSO members' parents, the DWCS02

was comprised primarily of community members. This section is based on interviews

with the following DWCS02 participants: Laurie Coberly (former DWSO member),

Rick Frechette, Julie Moody (parent of past DWSO member), Pat Ulloa, Wendela

Wolters, and Barbara Yednak (parent of past DWSO member).

Frechette recalled Lopatin recruiting for the DWCS02:

. . . He advertised on KTAR [a radio station]. Well, advertised . . . he was in the studio at KTAR radio in the morning. I was at the credit union, dropping money off or buying money from the machine, and here's Jerry on the radio, didn't know who he was, with the morning personality. He said, "I'm starting a community steel drum band open to anybody in the valley." He said, "Anybody that can hear me, contact me at the school and I'll give you more information. This is how easy it is to play." Jerry had two leads. He taught the radio host how to play a couple of

EI 03.27.07

simple chords and then he had him alternate between the two chords and Jerry played a little melody. Jerry said, "That's how easy it is." I was hooked. I always wanted to play. I had seen steel drums on an NBC white paper or some news program on Sunday when I was nine or ten years old. Here was a solitary pan player on a beach pounding out these wonderful songs. I thought, wow, what a cool instrument. What is that? Nobody knew.

Frechette's recollection not only demonstrates Lopatin's recruitment for the DWCS02

within the community, but also provides an example of a DWCS02 member joining due

to curiosity about the steelpan. Julie Moody, another DWCS02 member recalls when and

why she joined the ensemble:

The first time I saw any steel drums was probably [the] 1992-1993 [school year]. My children went to Desert Winds and so I was there for one of Jerry's concerts with the sixth graders. [I had never] heard steel drums before and I was completely enchanted, just completely. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I wanted my son to buy one of their tapes. I want more. I want more. I just became somewhat of a fan of the sixth grade bands. When I learned, at the end of '97 that [Lopatin] had started a community band, I joined immediately.... I think I started after the first of the year in [19]98. It just struck me . . . going from being very content and being absorbed with my kids and family . . . That's what led me there and within a couple of lessons, I thought, I'm doing this forever.370

Around April 1998, the DWCS02 received its first booking, a local RV show in

Wickenburg, Arizona. Frechette recalls this performance:

Our first solo gig was this RV convention up in Wickenburg. We had nine songs. We finished with . . . no we didn't finish with it intentionally . . . someplace in that nine songs we played "Tequila." There was a conga line that started so we kept playing "Tequila" as this conga line went through. Jerry finally ended it and we played one more song. The people wanted an encore. We had nothing. We had played all nine songs that we knew. I remember it was "Save the Last Dance", "Rumba de Burros", a great song that we don't play much anymore . . . I can't remember the other ones, but they were all fairly simple songs. They wanted an encore and Jerry said, "Thank you very much. We hadn't anticipated this and we

II 08.29.07

II 09.06.07

played everything we know. Somebody said, "We don't care. Play that song we all danced to." So we played "Tequila" again for our encore. They had hired us for forty-five minutes. I left here at about four in the afternoon, I got up to the school, we loaded all the instruments, drove out to Wickenburg, set up, performed, broke down, trucked everything back to the school, got it all set up, and I came back and got back at one in the morning for a forty-five minute gig. I was so wired I couldn't sleep all night. It was great.371

Frechette also recalled that the ensemble backed up the DWSO student group at the

Greater Phoenix travel show at the Civic Center in downtown Phoenix, Arizona in

1998.372

In the 2000-2001 season the DWCS02 performed for the Arizona State

University Graduate Reception and at Desert Sky Pavilion opening for Jimmy Buffett.373

They followed those engagements with performances at AZPAN with Andy Narell at

Northern Arizona University, the Community Center at Sun City West, Freestone Park,

and the Freedom Plaza Retirement Community during the 2001-2002 season.374 Frechette

recalled that the mass steel band concert at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff,

Arizona was one of the group's favorite events. Their first mass steel band concert, with

Andy Narell as the guest artist, had made a particularly strong impact:

. . . Jerry was elated because Andy Narell was going to be there. He's [been] friends with Andy Narell for the past forty, forty-five years. Andy got Jerry's brother involved in pan [and] Jerry's brother got Jerry involved... Jerry took his old "Esso" pan just mainly to show Andy "look what I've got." Andy decided . . . that he would use it for that night.

II 08.29.07

II 08.29.07

II 08.27.07

II 08.27.07

138

Lopatin went up to him and said, "I know you're busy and you're playing with these other people, but if you would consider playing with us," We learned "Down de Road" [an Andy Narell composition]... .When it came our turn to perform that night, we played two songs and Andy Narell came out and he started playing. He had told us he would play for a minute at the most then turn around and nod to Jerry, he would give the downbeat, and then we would start. Ten minutes later from the time Andy started "Down de Road," he did a ten minute solo, he turned around, gave the nod, and we finished the song. Everyone stood there slack-jawed.

In Fall 2002, the DWCS02 opened for Jimmy Buffett again (1 October 2002) and

performed at Chapparal Suites (20 September 2002), the Phoenix Zoo (04 October 2002),

Sun City (17 November 2002), and Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist Church (17

November 2002). The group followed those performances with a myriad of performances

in Spring 2003 including the Sedona, Arizona Hilton (31 January 2003), AZPAN at

University of Arizona (28 March 2003), the Hyatt Crisis Center (26 April 2003),

Beardsley Park (04 May 2003), and Luke Air Force Base (22 May 2003).376

Barbara Yednak, a DWCS02 members, recalls performing at the Sedona Hilton:

We play at least once a year in Sedona for the Hope Foundation.... It's usually at the Hilton out there. . . . It's all educators [from all over the country]. They have a big dinner and everything and we're the entertainment.... There really a good group to play for. They all just let loose.377

During the 2003-2004 season, the ensemble played at the P.F. Chang Rock N'

Roll Marathon (January 2004) and at Beardsley Park (02 March 2004). In 2005 the group

opened for Jimmy Buffett again. Performing with or in the presence of noted musicians

II 08.29.07

II 08.27.07

II 08.08.07

139

made lasting impressions. Julie Moody recalled the spectacle of a Jimmy Buffett concert

that the DWCS02 opened, explaining, "We really loved it. There was one year where

they held a costume and dance competition in front of us [at the Jimmy Buffett concert].

That was unbelievable. The energy and the enthusiasm."378 Frechette recalled what

happened when the ensemble opened for a 2005 Jimmy Buffett concert:

The second to last time, so, 2005 . . . we were playing, they had opened the gates, and people were coming in. Where the side stage is they have some small private party areas set up so you can rent space and host a private party before the big Buffett event. They're all around. People come through the gates and they wander around past us and go into their private parties. Our music is overpowering, so the private parties don't even book any music, they just listen to us, but they serve their own booze and food and stuff for the private party.

People come up and dance down on the little plot in front of us. You glance up and look at the crowd once and a while. I glanced up and, leaning again the tree across this little open space, was a black guy with a different ID tag on. He wasn't a security guard or an employee of the Pavilion or anything like that. I glanced down and played. I glanced up and he looked at me and then looked away. He was watching the rest of the band. He didn't want to make eye contact. It was Robbie Greenidge [the steelpan player for Jimmy Buffett].

Robbie came, finally after three years, and listened to us. Gregg Olsen [a DWCS02 member] was there. He saw Robbie Greenidge around the same time as I did and realized who it was. Gregg left his instrument, just quit playing, got off the stage, went down and around, yelling to Linda for the camera. Robbie was trying to be so inconspicuous, just leaning again the tree and listening to us. So, Gregg walked up to him and put his arm around Robbie Greenidge and took camera and went "snap." [Gregg said], "Thanks, pal!" Robbie just turned around and beat it back to the Buffett sanctuary in back of the stage. We played the next year, without Gregg, and Robbie never came out.379

In Spring 2007 my role as researcher changed from observer to a participant

observer. I rehearsed with the DWCS02 through the end of May 2007 when they took a

II 09.06.07

II 08.29.07

140

summer break: I did not perform in their May 2007 performance at Beardsley Park in Sun

City West, Arizona; however, I observed the concert from the audience. The crowd was

quite large; approximately fifteen hundred, mostly senior citizen audience members

packed the large outdoor area. The set list included songs that would appeal to the

audience, such as Jimmy Buffett songs and pieces composed by the Beatles. Many

audience members sang along with the pieces as they were performed. At intermission,

audience members gathered around the steelpans, and DWCS02 members showed

interested spectators how the instruments are played. During this time, Lopatin sold

recordings of the group at an adjacent table. After the intermission, the ensemble finished

with equally familiar repertoire, and the concert was deemed a success by the DWCS02

members.

After the summer break, in September 2007,1 began fully participating with the

group. I performed with the ensemble at a local resort and at their winter and spring

concerts, which were held at Desert Winds. The repertoire for the 2007-2008 ensemble,

which was an extensive book of selections, can be found in Appendix J.

During this time I experienced the advantages of Lopatin's notation system.

Several new members joined the ensemble during the year, and the notation system

helped them remember the parts that Lopatin taught them through aural-oral

transmission. Lopatin directed from the drum set; however, he frequently got out from

behind the drum set and circulated, correcting errors through visual and aural

demonstration and repetition. I concluded my participation with the DWCSO in May

2008.

141

Socializing

Many members of the current DWCS02 group value socialization. Rick

Frechette, steelpan player, notes that the timing of socializing within the group has

changed over the years. Frechette comments:

. . . social hour is before practice. A few minutes after nine when he cuts rehearsal, everybody blasts off. Out the door. It used to be, we started right at seven-thirty and we played until nine o'clock. He cut off at nine o'clock and then it was social hour. We all sat around and talked.380

Another member, Wendela Wouters, notes that not everyone is equally social. While all

of the members generally accept the social function of the group, not all participate in it

in similar ways. She notes, "There's a couple of us that don't quite feel like we fit in, so

we just kind of . . . we socialize, bu t . . . you can't have everybody doing what everybody

else does because then we'd all be the same."381

Even though members of the group generally get along, they have disagreements

just like any family might. Julie Moody, while recounting some minor disagreement

within the group, notes that "the current group is a tight, friendly, cohesive group, but

you can't have a group of people without there being some complaints or disagreements,

even on a small scale. You can't have a group without that."382 In the following section, I

address how therapeutic aspects of the adult ensembles have motivated various members

of the DWCS02.

380 II 08.29.07

381II 08.30.07

382 II 09.06.07

142

DWCS02 members may have held similar perspectives towards socialization as

DWCSOl members; however, the data record does not support or refute this in the

interviews that I conducted.

Music's Affect on Well-Being

During interviews, current members articulated how the ensemble affected their

well-being, while addressing a global idea: music assists them in dealing with situations

outside of the ensemble setting. Enhancement of self-esteem, inner peace, physical and

mental activity, and a widened world-view are ways in which members realize the affects

of the ensemble in their daily lives.

The majority of the members came to the DWCS02 with no prior steel pan

experience, and many were unsure of their ability to play steel pan. Wendela Wouters, a

steelpan player, notes the affect of the group on her self-esteem:

[This opportunity gives me the] ability to play something that I didn't think I could play. Even though the letters are window-clinged to my drum, I can play an instrument that I thought was too hard for me. When you first look at i t . . . it's beautiful music. Sometimes, from some of the members, you think you have to be able to read music. Even if I'm the oddball one over on my end over there, I still play along.383

Some members use the DWCS02 to relieve stress from their personal and/or professional

lives. Barbara Yednak, a lead steelpan player, notes:

Everybody in that class, pretty much, they're there because of things that have happened in their life. They use the drums as an inner peace type of thing. It's their way of dealing with their outside stresses. There are people in that class . . . Okay, I've gone through a divorce. There are people that have lost their jobs. One of them lost his wife. Just all kinds of little things . . . they all have their problems

II 08.30.07

143

but they come to the drums to leave it all behind and just be able to, in that couple of hours, be themselves and not think about what's going on in their life.384

There are several different perspectives on how the group benefits their lives. Pat Ulloa, a

lead pan player and retiree, notes how the group keeps her physically and mentally

active:

To me, it was exciting. I'm at the stage of my life where I'm retired seven, eight, nine years ago. I know a lot of people around my age, which will be 71, who have nothing to do. They're just bored and all they do is hang around and they don't do anything. This to me has brought me excitement. Tuesday and Thursday nights, the world stops, and I'm at rehearsals. During the week I run through things that I need to go over. Getting ready for performances is fun because I usually do the skirts on the front of the stands and those types of things. [The group is] mental therapy. Just learning something new and remembering it and doing my part is exciting to me. I think overall it's had a great impact because it's given me the thing I've always wanted to do, and here I'm doing it now that I'm this age, and I'm having fun.385

Another participant, Julie Moody recalls how the group got her involved with others after

having children and having her world somewhat narrowed:

I don't know why, but after my kids were born I was just so content to be home and content to be with them. My world had kind of shrunk. I really wasn't that interested in going out and doing things and being adventuresome or anything. I was so content to be home, and I started playing, as soon as I learned, that got me in the program. Within four weeks of playing, they had a performance down at the Civic Center. I just never drove downtown [in Phoenix] and it's like . . . I want to play so bad; I'm going to drive myself downtown. I don't care if I . . . it takes all morning to figure out where it is. I want to play. I just realized how life-changing it is to discover something that becomes a passion. Something that you just really, really want to do. I loved every minute and still do. I would still play every day if I could.386

II 08.08.07

II 08.27.07

II 09.06.07

DWCS01 members had similar perspectives on the value of the ensemble. Jim

Tomes, a DWCSOl member, notes the therapeutic value of the ensemble,

[The] steel drum band probably delayed the onset of my disease while I was participating because . . . Huntington's Disease [causes] part of the brain [to die] off, it's a good thing to promote brain growth and coordination which are the two items that Parkinson's effects you. Most people with my disease would be sitting heard talking to you [and having problems], and I'm not. Maybe I can attribute some of that to Jerry. [The ensemble] delayed it for me.387

Curriculum and Methodology

The curriculum and methodology utilized by Jerry Lopatin, the director, has

motivated members of the DWCS02 to continue their participation within the group.

He programs a wide variety of pieces in various genres to provide appeal for both the

performers and the audience. Barbara Yednak, a steelpan palyer, notes how the

curriculum and methodology used in the DWCSO fosters success on the steel pan:

The rote program is a very good program for one. The way Jerry teaches is a very good program. I've actually taken some of these elderly women and men and stood behind them and held the sticks in their hand and showed them little things like "Margaritaville," the melody, the beginning. I showed them how easy it is to move around the drums. I think it just so unique that people can't believe music is coming out of something like that steel drum. It's unbelievable until they're up there with the stick in their hand and trying to play. They see it's not that big of a deal. Anybody can do it. I've only been playing seven years. When I first started playing, we had a concert in three months and I was able to play eighteen songs. That sticks in my head. I played eighteen songs. How could somebody that's never played an instrument before, I've never played an instrument before, and to be able to play a concert in three months, eighteen songs . . .3S8

Pat notes that it's not only the curriculum and the methodology that help facilitate

progress; it is the facilitator, Lopatin, himself:

1101.25.08

II 08.08.07

145

He makes you feel as though you can do it. That whole positive approach is just fantastic. He slows it down to a pace that . . . a phrase at a time. If you need it you go over it, and if you can't get it, catch the end and go on. You'll get it eventually and people do get it eventually. It's that whole positive, you can do it, without badgering you to go over it and over it. He'll say, "Let's get off that and go on to something else." Then we'll move on from it. Then we go back to it later on when we're fresh. I think that whole teaching approach: being positive, making it sound as though you can do it, and simplifying it so you don't have to read music to do it.389

DWCSOl members had similar perspectives to the DWCS02 members. Diane

Stephens, a DWCSOl member, noted:

You could learn a song the first night. When we came out of rehearsal we knew a song. If you were to tell someone that, they wouldn't believe it until you actually did it. I remember the first night of playing. I played the lead. We learned "Quando, Quando." The letters on the sheet music that he wrote out corresponded to the numbers on the drum. He would beat out the beat and tell you how to hit it. It was easy and fast. The kids picked it up quickly and so did the adults.390

In the final chapter, I summarize the findings, discuss their implications, and give

recommendations to the steel band and music education fields.

389II 08.27.07

390II 09.23.07

Chapter 8: Discussions, Reflections,

and Recommendations

This study investigates the importance and value of steelpan programs in schools

and communities. Specifically, I examined the Desert Winds Steel Orchestra (DWSO), an

elementary school group, and the Desert Winds Community Steel Orchestra (DWCSO),

an adult community ensemble linked to the elementary program. The following questions

guided this study:

1. What is the impact of steelpan instruction at Desert Winds Elementary School

(including the DWCSO)?

2. What is the curricular and pedagogical philosophy of the primary instructor

and how is that manifested within the steelpan programs?

3. How do participants view their own learning and participation within the

DWCSO and DWSO, and what do they perceive the impact of their

experiences to be? What do they value about the program?

In this chapter I reflect on the importance and value of the steel bands at Desert

Winds steel bands for the participants. I also discuss the program's strengths and

weaknesses, and consider the future of the Desert Winds program. At the conclusion of

the chapter, I provide recommendations for steel bands and music education derived from

finding in this study.

This work includes many voices; these voices provide multiple perspectives and

have their own authority. I have chosen to categorize and comment upon them from my

own perspective. As such, I view myself as a writer as opposed to an author. Barone

notes that the term "author" implies authority: the quest for certainty through reason and

147

science. He views the role of writer as a weaver of participants' stories with the writer's

analysis and interpretation. Barone leaves room for analysis and interpretation by the

reader as well. I have elected his approach as a writer for this study.391

Lopatin and Leadership

It is impossible to consider the impact of the Desert Winds steel band programs

without consideration of the impact of Lopatin and his approach. Lopatin was and still is,

at the time of this study, the driving force within the program. When not at the drum set

during rehearsals, he actively moves throughout the ensemble, interacting with the

players in both student and adult groups, never seeming to reach satisfaction. His level of

focus toward musical goals is almost laser-like. Lopatin's ability to reflect and act in

rehearsals aligns various characteristics of teacher expertise as described by Berliner.392

Berliner posits that "experts are more opportunistic and flexible in their teaching."393

Lopatin ability to reflect in action for the improvement of the ensemble represents

Elliott's ideal for music educators. Elliott notes:

Becoming an excellent music teacher depends heavily on learning to reflect in and on one's efforts to bring the musicianship of one's students into matching relationship with appropriate musical challenges.394

Barone, Tom. Touching Eternity: The Enduring Outcomes of Teaching. (New York: Teachers College Press), 1997,160-161.

392 Berliner, 10-30.

393 Ibid..

394 Elliott, David. "Index: The Praxial Philosophy of Music Education." Available on the Internet at http://www.davidelliottmusic.eom/musicmat/musiced.htm#top. Accessed on 17 April 2009.

148

Berliner states that experts "have fast and accurate pattern recognition

capabilities"395 and, while initially taking longer to start problem solving, "[experts] bring

richer and more personal sources of information to bear on the problem that they are

trying to solve."396 Further, Berliner further notes that experts perceive meaningful

patterns in their own domains. Lopatin diagnoses issues effectively during rehearsals,

then uses different strategies to help students achieve success. Lopatin can quickly

recognize the varied abilities of child and adult students and cater his pedagogy to their

needs. For example, Lopatin may model a part for a visual learner while simply singing

the part to an aural learner. Lopatin also displays the automaticity that Berliner describes

as an expert trait; he runs rehearsals and problem solves with automaticity while

maintaining the flexibility needed to relate to individuals within his ensembles. Thus,

•2Q7

Lopatin's teaching traits coincide with Berliner's model for teacher expertise. From a

different perspective, Lopatin demonstrates what Elliott terms supervisory knowledge, a

form of metacognition and reflecting in action. Lopatin successfully monitors and adjusts

throughout rehearsals and oversees members' musical development by making

appropriate pedagogical choices while assisting them in rehearsals.398

395 Berliner, 10-30.

396 Berliner, 10-30.

397 Berliner, 10-30.

398 Elliott, Music Matters, 66.

Lopatm has extensive steelpan expertise and developed his teaching methods

through instruction from noted New York steelpan family Andy, Jeff, and Murray Narell,

who based their ideas on traditional Trinidadian pedagogy. Although he has not traveled

to Trinidad himself, Lopatin learned steelpan in a context rich with Trinidadian

immigrants and influences, and he has worked with Trinidadian pan maker Ellie

Mannette for more than three decades. Lopatin brings these experiences to life for his

students through his own teaching practices. Berliner notes that expertise is domain and

context specific. Lopatin's extensive experience in steel band settings and the aural-oral

transmission mode allow him to excel.399 Further, Elliott states, "[an expert] artist's level

of thinking-in-action is so rich that he or she not only solves all problems of musical

execution in a composition, [the expert] deliberately searches for and finds increasingly

subtle opportunities for (or problems of) artistic expression."400 Lopatin is an artist-in­

action when teaching steelpan.

Participants noted that the curriculum and methodology used by Lopatin during

DWSO and DWCSO rehearsals motivated their continued participation. Lopatin uses

aural-oral transmission and his own modified chord charts, a combination that both child

and adult participants described as helpful. Lopatin's approach allows adult members, in

particular, who might otherwise be excluded for lack of previous musical training or

ability to read music, to join, participate, and gain musical experience. Lopatin's use of

3 David Berliner, "Expertise: The Wonder of Exemplary Performances" in Creating Powerful Thinking in Teachers and Students ed. John Mangieri and Cathy Block (Ft. Worth, Texas: Harcourt Brace College Publications: 1994), 10-30.

400 Elliott, 71.

150

an aural-oral transmission model and modified chord chart system aligns well with

Elliott's concept of a reflective musical practicum, an approximation of real music-

practice situations/music cultures.401 Lopatin's musical and pedagogical expertise, in

combination, enable the learners to have a high-quality musical experience; the groups

sound good, and the quality of the music making enables participants to derive the values

they do.

Lopatin has an inclusive view of steelpans and aims to provide an opportunity to

play the instruments to as many people as possible. The DWCSO ensembles were

inclusive in that they were open to anyone, including adult beginners who found success

quickly doe to the music transmission style. Although the DWSO was exclusive in that

size of the ensembles was limited to number of instruments available and students were

selected based on behavior, grades, Lopatin's previous experiences with them, the

DWSO provided students with an alternative musical ensemble, in addition to choir and

concert band, at Desert Winds Elementary School. In particular, the DWSO provided an

instrumental ensemble experience for students who may not have been able to afford

band instruments or who were not interested in band, though that information was not

available for this study. Lopatin also aimed to make the steelpan experience inclusive in

that all students at Desert Winds Elementary School had the opportunity to play steelpans

during general music classes. Music educators and ensemble directors of both student and

401 Elliott, David. "David J. Elliott." Available on the Internet at http://www.davidelliottmusic.eom/musicmat/musiced.htm#top. Accessed on 17 April 2009.

151

adult groups should critically examine their practices to determine whether they are

inclusive or exclusive in nature.

Elliott delineates seven steps that directors should take to set up a reflective music

practicum.40 Elliott lists the first four steps as music selection, determining musical

practices and challenges in these selections, deciding which components of musicianship

that will be required to perform the musical selections, and creating learning goals.

Lopatin selects music from a varied repertoire, representative of Trinidadian steel bands'

repertoire. The learning process through aural-oral transmission and modified lead and

chord charts approximates the Trinidadian tradition. Additionally, Lopatin provides the

Desert Winds steelpan ensembles with long and short-term goals through frequent

performances, though the DWSO ensembles performances were limited after 2000 due to

changes in school policies.

Elliott's remaining steps for a reflective music practicum involve reflection on

alternative teaching-learning strategies, reflection on alternative teaching sequences, and

decisions on assessment and evaluation.403 The data record does not indicate conscious

reflection on Lopatin's behalf; however, this may be an indication of automaticity, a sign

of expertise in Berliner's model. Lopatin assesses his DWSO and DWCSO members

informally, offering constructive feedback and aural/visual modeling of parts.

Elliott, 273.

152

Logistical and Pedagogical Aspects of the

Desert Winds Steel Band Program

The Desert Winds Elementary School steel band is fairly unique, locally. Few

other elementary schools offer steelpan instruction, and no other elementary schools in

the school district do so. While the students encounter the steelpan in their general music

classes at Desert Winds, participation in the DWSO is limited to select sixth-grade

students and lasts only one year. No junior high or high school in the school district has a

steel band ensemble; therefore, sixth-grade DWSO members lack opportunities to

continue performing on steelpans until they are eighteen, when they can join the

DWCS02. Additionally, most students cannot purchase steelpans, which are quite

expensive, and there are no instrument cases for taking school instruments home, which

further limits the student's abilities to continue playing. Several adult DWCS02 members

have, throughout the years, purchased steelpans; therefore, their access to steelpans is not

as limited as that of DWSO student members. Additionally, DWCSO members can

continue to perform in the DWCSO for as long as they like. Several DWCS02 members

attribute their success with non-traditional notational literacy as well as their developing

performance skills in part to their prolonged exposure to the instrument and their ability

to purchase their own instruments.

Lopatin's emphasis on performance experiences has been one of the cornerstones

of the program; however, around the 2000-2001 school year, the school district decided

that steelpans could no longer be transported on the school buses, thereby increasing the

overhead for the DWSO (truck rental for moving instruments) and making it impractical

for the student ensemble to perform outside of the school frequently. The DWCS02 adult

ensemble, which uses a trailer to move the steelpans, became the primary performance

ensemble in the community. This lack of support from the district for the student

performances ultimately changed the impact of the DWSO. Student participation since

the 2000-2001 school year has dropped, and Lopatin indicates that the performance level

of the student group has dropped as well. Conversely, the adult group's performance

level, according to Lopatin, has increased due to increased performance opportunities.

Performance is a logical goal of any musical ensemble, and differences in performance

opportunities appeared to make a difference in impact in this study.

Much of the literature about steel bands documents the use of aural-oral

transmission models in learning steelpan in Trinidad.404 Lopatin's strategy follows this

tradition. Jorgensen notes, however, that most music educators "[opt] for an eclectic

methodological perspective,"405 emphasizing that most educators do not take extreme

pedagogical positions, but rather fall somewhere on a pedagogical continuum and move

on this continuum according to the context. While Lopatin has a strong commitment to

steelpan, his combination of aural-oral transmission process with modified lead/chord

charts, exemplifies an eclectic approach. Further, Lopatin's eclectic approach coincides

with Morin's suggestion that a memory device that reinforces aural-oral transmission is

Francine Morin, A Descriptive Study of a Canadian Music Educator's Experience with the Trinidadian Tradition ofSteelband (ERIC Database, Report: ED401186. 116pp. 1989), 4; Hildebrand, A Proposal for a Steelband.; Kim Johnson, Renegades: The History of the Renegades Steel Orchestra of Trinidad and Tobago (Oxford: MacMillan Publishers Limited: 2002).

405 Jorgensen, 12.

154

practical for Western-trained musicians, who are used to notation, and, therefore, rely on

written memory devices.406

Still, Lopatin values the playing experience, and the self-esteem it brings, over

traditional notation literacy. Lopatin's philosophy and pedagogy seem to correlate with

the notions of "rote before note" and "feels like, sounds like, looks like."407 Lopatin

believes the desire to learn music notation develops naturally from a passion for music

and successful playing experiences. During this study, I observed several adult DWCSO

members asking Lopatin to explain musical notation; conversely, some DWSO and

DWCSO members noted during interviews that they have not pursued traditional music

notation literacy. Two former DWSO members have become professional musicians and

read traditional music notation; one of them, however, commented specifically that he

wished he had learned notation sooner.

Aural-oral transmission is a critical pedagogical strategy for music education.

This strategy allows students to focus on new aural material and physical playing without

the potential interference of visual symbols. Lopatin's use of aural-oral transmission

allows both DWSO and DWCSO members easy access to the music, early playing

success, and, therefore, increased self-esteem and heightened interest in the instrument

and ensemble. School music teachers should consider using aural-oral transmission when

working with inexperienced ensembles or teaching new concepts. Too frequently, in

instrumental ensembles, notation interferes with students' ability to take in new

Morin, A Descriptive Study.

407 James Froseth, "Feels Like, Sounds Like, Looks Like," workshop presented for MUE 566 "Instrumental Literature in the Schools" on 23 June 2008.

155

information effectively when aural-oral methods could enable students to grasp concepts

or skills, followed by a move toward traditional notation.

Additionally, aural-oral transmission facilitates adult beginners' entry or re-entry

opportunities in music education. Adults who might typically avoid ensembles that

require traditional notation reading skills may embrace opportunities to learn music

through aural-oral transmission. The adults in Lopatin's community ensembles, the

DWCSOl and DWCS02, achieved success and high-level performances through aural-

oral transmission, and their performances and successes provided reasons for new adults

to join the ensembles. Directors of adult ensembles should consider the implications of

aural-oral pedagogical strategies for their ensembles. For example, while the literature for

concert band has traditionally been conveyed via written notation, rote techniques might

supplement reading strategies and expedite success in some instances.

Apart from notation, Elliott notes that formal musical knowledge, which consists

of musical facts and terms, is one part of musicianship. In this study, participants learned

formal musical knowledge in the context of practicing/performing pieces. Participants

learned non-traditional notation that included formal music terms such as "coda",

"chord", and "introduction" among others. Terminology that was not found in the

repertoire was not presented.408

According to Elliott, students may gain a deeper musical understanding through

various processes that include composition, arranging, and improvisation.409 These

particular processes are absent in Lopatin's model of steel band instruction in the DWSO

408 Elliott, 55-66.

156

and the DWCSO, though improvisation is a typical practice of steel bands in Trinidad

and Lopatin has a background in improvisation.

The Extra-Musical Functions of the Steel Band Ensembles

Elliott, in his discussion of a praxial philosophy of music education, notes that

music has at least four important values, including self-growth, self-knowledge, self-

esteem, and the emotional experience of musical enjoyment.410 These values in adult

music making are supported by studies by Coffman and Adamek who found that

"relationships, a sense of personal well-being and accomplishment, and enriching

educational activities are dominant factors in defining quality of life for seniors."411

Hylton's study on students' meanings related to their high school choral experience notes

that "for some students a meaningful aspect of their high school choral singing is

expressed in terms of the integrative dimension that emphasizes their relationship with

other members of the group and resultant feelings of belonging."412 Campbell, Connell,

and Beegle state some adolescent students in their study "wrote enthusiastically that

music class provided them with a means of meeting new people and making new friends

410 Elliott, 259-267.

411 Don Coffman and Mary Adamek, "The Contributions of Wind Band Participation to Quality of Life of Senior Adults," Music Therapy Perspectives 17, no. 1 (1999), 30-31.

412 Hylton, John, "Dimensionality in High School Student Participants' Perceptions of the Meaning of Choral Singing Experience," Journal of Research in Music Education 29, no. 4 (1981), 287-303.

157

that they might otherwise not encounter."413 Additionally, Coffman and Adamek note

that interaction with others, as well as active music making, are primary motivators for

seniors to join an ensemble.414 Participants in this study noted two extra-musical effects

of the steel band ensembles: social interaction and perceived well-being.

Ernst415 ties musical participation to well-being for adult musicians, and notes that

this participation can be linked to improved health. In this study, adult participants noted

the effects of ensemble participation on their well-being. For example, Barbara Yednak, a

DWCS02 member, noted that the ensemble helped various members cope with life-

changing issues.416 The DWCSOl and DWCS02 offered continued physical and mental

activity for adults while offering those adults still in the workforce a diversion and release

from their daily stresses. Continued mental and physical activity may become

increasingly important for adult learning experiences in the future as life expectancy and

median age continue to increase in American society.417

Elliott notes that "to the extent that we enable our students to achieve

[musicianship and listenership], music education will also contribute to the development

413 Patricia Shehan Campbell, Claire Connell, and Amy Beegle, "Adolescents' Expressed Meanings of Music in and out of School," Journal of Research in Music Education 55, no. 3 (Fall 2007), 230.

414 Coffman and Adamek, 31.

415 Ernst, "Music for Life", 31.

416 II 08.08.07

http ://www. census, gov

158

of students' self-esteem and self-identity."418 Participants in this study noted connections

between success on the instrument and increased self-esteem. Former DWSO student

member Diane (Tomes) Gilsdorf noted that "there was a lot of confidence in [performing

in the DWSO]," and, "[It was] a huge confidence booster [to be] part of something so

big."419 One current DWSO student wrote, "[Steel band] brought fun into my life and

[allowed me] to learn something new. It was so much fun that if I could do it again, I

would."420

Participants in this study noted that playing in the DWSO or DWCSO ensembles

helped them deal with circumstances of their everyday lives. For example, a sixth-grader

reported that participation in DWSO helped her adapt to a new school (Desert Winds).

One adult noted that participation helped her keep her mind sharp while many of her

peers lacked sufficient activity, and another believed adult indicated that participation in

the DWCSO likely delayed onset of more debilitating effects of Parkinson's disease. Still

another adult participant noted that "[members] use the drums as an inner peace type of

thing.. . . They all have their problems but they come to the drums to leave it all behind

and just be able to be themselves and not think about what's going on in their life."421

Elliott states:

418 Elliott, 259-267.

419II 02.01.08

420 SR

421II 08.08.07

159

musicing and listening extend the range of people's expressive and impressive powers by providing us with opportunities to formulate musical expressions of emotions, musical representations of people, places and things and musical expressions of cultural-ideological meaning.4 2

The impact of music on well-being is not limited to steel bands. Each person

encounters or experiences these effects of music in an individualized way. Music

educators could consider the multiple meanings and effects ensemble experience may

have for individuals. For example, individuals may interpret music differently based on

their experiences. Engaging ensemble members in discussing musical expression options

and allowing them opportunities to determine musical expression for the group may be an

important pedagogical strategy, especially for adult ensembles.

The social aspects of adult music making are frequently cited in the literature.

Coffman and Levy,423 Coffman and Adamek,424 and Ernst425 report that socialization

within adult music groups is highly valued by the members of these groups. Lopatin is

sensitive to the demands of his rehearsals and recognizes the social needs of his groups,

including the need for social time at rehearsals. He is flexible within his rehearsal

Elliott, David. "Index: The Praxial Philosophy of Music Education." Available on the Internet at http://www.davidelliottmusic.eom/musicmat/musiced.htm#top. Accessed on 17 April 2009.

423 Don Coffman and Katherine Levy, "Senior Adult Bands: Music's New Horizon," Music Educators' Journal (November 1997): 17-22.

424 Don Coffman and Mary Adamek, "The Contributions of Wind Band Participation to Quality of Life of Senior Adults," Music Therapy Perspectives 17, no. 1 (1999), 27-31.

Roy Ernst, "Music for Life," Music Educators Journal 88, no. 1 (July 2001), 47-51.

160

framework and deviates from his plans to take advantage of group interests, particularly

with the DWCS02 adult group. Members of both the DWSO student and DWCSO adult

groups stated that socialization was important to them. The DWCS02 members noted

that the beginning portion of class consisted primarily of socialization. DWSO student

members noted the importance of being in the group with their friends and getting to

travel to performances with their friends.

Directors of adult and student ensembles should be aware that ensemble members

value the social dimension of ensemble participation. By establishing specific times or

events that accommodate socialization, directors allow members to fulfill their social

needs while achieving group focus when needed. Additionally, directors may find that it

is easier for members to perform together if they know each other socially, thereby

creating greater group unity.

High-Quality Musical Experiences

While the extra-musical values of participation were important to the steel band

participants in this study, the data indicate that high quality music making experiences

make these extra-musical affects possible. Without high-quality music making

experiences the groups would likely be ineffective. Elliott's work on praxial music

education supports a model of music education in which performing is central to the

curriculum noting that musicianship and listenership are learned in relation to the music

that students are learning to make.426 Elliott defines procedural knowledge as one kind of

Elliott, Music Matters.

musical knowing. As a multi-dimensional synthesis of musical knowledge conveyed

through practice, a musical performance is a demonstration of procedural knowledge.

Jorgensen agrees that knowing in action is crucial, stating:

Musicians need to possess procedural knowledge in order to go on to do music; since the technical and critical skills acquired by experts are used primarily to make music in the phenomenal world rather than to theorize about it, the challenge for neophytes is to acquire this practical knowledge and be able to

• • i • • 427

use it in making music.

In the student and adult ensembles described in this study, members learn about

steelpans by playing steelpans. In addition to playing in rehearsals and classes,

participants gain procedural knowledge through the performing and recording

opportunities that are among the cornerstones of Lopatin's curriculum. Throughout the

history of the DWCSOl and DWCS02 the ensembles have opened for Jimmy Buffett

and performed in numerous events and contexts, including the AZPAN mass steel band

events among others. Performing and recording sessions allow participants, both adults

and students, to engage in a practical musical experience similar to those of professional

musicians. Simultaneously, these experiences also support the development of self-

esteem when members feel their performances and recordings are successful.

The DWSO, until 2000, and the DWCSO ensembles have frequently given

concerts of varied repertoire in the community for audiences comprised mostly of

community members. Community performances allowed the DWSO and DWCSO

members to learn how an ensemble performs in public, to experience music selection for

different venues, to traveling as an ensemble, and to experience varying concert venues

Jorgensen, 86.

162

and dynamics. Participants in this study noted that they were strongly motivated by these

performances. Rick Frechette, a DWCS02 member, recalled the excitement he felt after

his first performance with the group:

They had hired us for forty-five minutes. I left here at about four in the afternoon, I got up to the school, we loaded all the instruments, drove out to Wickenburg, set up, performed, broke down, trucked everything back to the school, got it all set up, and I came back and got back at one in the morning for a forty-five minute gig. I was so wired I couldn't sleep all night. It was great. We had our own thing and they were dancing and they wanted an encore. It was good.428

Tracie Stephens, a student member of the 1985-86 DWSO, recalled her enthusiasm for

performances:

People had never seen anything like what we were playing, and we were kids. I loved getting out of school to go somewhere and perform. I liked learning songs and hearing them come out of something I was playing. I played the lead steel drum, and it made me feel important to really carry the melody and make it sound right.429

This passion for performance coincides with Elliott's praxial model of music

education. Performances involve five types of musical knowledge: procedural (the

sequencing of activity), formal (factual), informal (inferred knowledge), impressionistic

(affective), and supervisory (metacognitive) 430 While participants demonstrated

procedural and formal knowledge in rehearsals and performances it could be argued that

they also demonstrate informal and impressionistic knowledge based on their own

descriptions of their learning and their successes. Supervisory knowledge, in these

428II 08.29.07

429 EI 10.10.07

Elliott, 53.

163

ensembles, is limited to an extent; for example, Lopatin makes the musical decisions and

regulates rehearsals, leaving little room for members to use their own supervisory

knowledge.

School ensembles should perform frequently in the community. As noted, these

types of experiences allow students to perform in venues outside of school for an

audience not comprised primarily of their parents. Performances in the community

provide motivation for musical development and, when successful, allow for positive

reinforcement for the performers. Further, these performances allow performers to

connect with and, in the case of the DWCSO, recruit from the community.

Music educators should take note that successful performances can be highly

motivating for students and adults. Performances should be scheduled on a regular basis

so students consistently have a goal to work toward. Lastly, music educators might

consider programming high quality arrangements of literature that are representative of

various cultures, which will allow the participants to feel they are playing "real" music

instead of stereotyped arrangements of world music. In the following section, I discuss

Lopatin's musical selection and its importance.

"Authentic" Music Selection

The music our group plays is appealing because it's a mix of pop, which people recognize from the 60s and late 50s. Because people recognize those songs, they'll sit and listen to a calypso or a soca that they don't know. They hear it once, then a second when we repeat, and then a third time before we end it. By the third time, they like the song. Then they remember that the next time we play. They remember Harry Belafonte. They remember him singing all the calypso songs. I think the mix of music that we play is what attracts people to us. —Rick Frechette431

1II 08.29.07

164

Frechette's comment is representative of many participants' feelings about music

selection for the Desert Winds steel band ensembles. The appreciation for the variety of

music selected was evident in this study; participants did not note a special affinity

towards one genre of steelpan music. Michael Yednak, a former DWSO member and

current professional saxophonist, stated, "[The music] was simple yet exciting. [It was]

perfect for our young minds to grasp and enjoy playing. I can't think of a better way to

have begun my musical endeavors."432 As noted in Appendix F, Lopatin selects music

from a wide variety of genres, which is typical in Trinidad as well. Calypsos and socas,

which are traditional Trinidadian forms, are well represented, in addition to pop songs,

and music representing jazz, Latin, and classical genres. This repertoire selection departs

from the music selection models suggested by Morin and Hildebrand, which consisted

primarily of classical music.433 Lopatin's repertoire selection is also consistent with

Elliott's assertion that music education experiences should include exposure to world

music.434 Contemporary musicians will encounter music outside of their comfort zones as

they live and create music in a globalized society.

Music educators should vary their groups' repertoire while balancing the needs

for authentic experience and audience appeal. A blend of the genres can achieve that

^ EI 09.04.07

433 Francine Morin, A Descriptive Study of a Canadian Music Educator's Experience with the Trinidadian Tradition ofSteelband (ERIC Database, Report: ED401186. 116pp. 1989), 4; Hildebrand, A Proposal for a Steelband.

Elliott, 291-293.

165

balance. In this study, Lopatin's ability to intersperse the familiar with the unknown

aimed toward a balanced yet authentic repertoire that the participants enjoyed and that

generated appreciative audiences.

The Influence of Children

Adult ensembles provide adults an entry or re-entry point for music education and

music making. In this study, several of the DWCSOl and DWCS02 members noted that

they were influenced to join the steel band ensemble after seeing the student group

perform successfully. As Julie Moody, a DWCS02 member, noted:

My children went to Desert Winds and so I was there for one of Jerry's concerts with the sixth-graders. Never had heard steel drums before and I was completely enchanted, just completely. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. When I learned, at the end of [19]97 that he had started a community band, I joined immediately when I found out that the opportunity existed. It became something that I had to do. That's what led me there and within a couple of lessons, I thought, I'm doing this forever.435

Some of the adults in the DWCSO ensembles were parents of DWSO student members,

and others simply saw the students perform in the community. While children's influence

on adult learning emerged as a theme in this study, it is rarely addressed in the research

literature.

The coupling of adult groups with related student ensembles has significant

implications for ensemble directors. Directors could consider adding adult groups to

compliment their student offerings. If each group is taught successfully, each group can

be a motivating factor for the other. In other words, not only will adult participation

influence student participation, but students may also influence adult participation.

II 09.06.07

The influence of children on adults does have some limitations. For example,

while adults can pick up steelpan quite quickly by rote, they have a harder time having

quick success at band instruments that have more technical and logistical limitations for

early success. Therefore, while children can influence adults to join an ensemble, the

adults' early success is dependent upon the technical skill needed for the instrument.

Additionally, one former DWSO student, Tracie Stephens, noted that she joined

the ensemble because her parents (DWCSOl) and sister, Heather, were involved before

her. This is the only instance in the data record that shows the influence of adults on

children.

Recommendations for Future Research

Very little research exists to illuminate the early history of steelpan and steel

bands in the United States and Canada. The Desert Winds Elementary School steel band

program, including the student and adult ensembles, is one of many of historical

importance. Groups such as the Tuley High School Steel Band (later the Roberto

Clemente High School Steel Band), Ellie Marinette's early groups in the New York City

Public Schools, the Northern Illinois University Steel Band, as well as others listed in

Tables 1 and 2 in Chapter 2 should be studied. Additionally, the Narell family's influence

on the development of steel bands in the United States should be documented.

Specifically, Murray Narell's success in starting community steel bands for at-risk

students in New York merits further investigation. Cliff Alexis' early school groups in

Minnesota, Kim Loy Wong's youth steel band, and the steel band that toured with

Liberace should all be studied. Local steelpan festivals, such as those in New York, as

167

well as mass steel bands sponsored through state chapters of Percussive Arts Society

should be examined.

Throughout the short history of steel bands in the United States, ensemble leaders

have converted their teaching methods into instruction materials. As these materials

become more available, different pedagogical approaches and the effectiveness of various

methods could be studied. Currently, Lopatin and Tom Reynolds offer steel band method

books,436 with Don Cox and Thorn Martin planning a joint effort on a steel band method

book, which is unpublished at the time of this study. These method books should be

studied for the effectiveness of the methodology, the type of repertoire they

include/exclude, and the outcomes that result from the methods.

Surveys of steel band activities in the United States and abroad are needed. I have

undertaken two surveys toward this end: one of public school steel band directors in the

n o

United States and one of college/university steel band directors in the United States.

Both surveys investigate various pedagogical aspects of steel bands in the United States.

Reynolds book, Steel Drum Manual, is available through his company Tropical Hammer (http://www.tropicalhammer.com/florida/shop/); Lopatin's book can be purchased on http://www.amazon.com and http://www.pantheonsteel.com.

437 Don Cox and Thorn Martin are steel band educators in southern Arizona. Martin is a former DWSO member and Don Cox is a member of the steel band, Apocalypso.

438 Brandon Haskett, "A Survey of American College and University Steel Band Directors on their Attitudes Towards Steel Pan Curriculum and Pedagogy," 2008, unpublished; Brandon Haskett, "A Survey of American Public/Private School Steel Band Directors on their Attitudes Towards Steel Pan Curriculum and Pedagogy," 2008, unpublished.

168

Survey studies are needed over time to track changes in the steel band field. Additionally,

surveys are needed to assess steel band activity in countries outside of the United States.

Further empirical research is needed to examine the secondary effects of musical

ensemble participation. A study that examines whether individuals' self-esteem increases

with ensemble success is needed. Other potential studies that are needed include the

following: the effects of recording on student success in ensembles, the effects of

performances in the community on participants, and the physical/mental benefits of

performing in ensemble.

Lastly, studies should be undertaken that examine the steel band director's role in

the success of a steel band. These studies should determine how the director developed

his expertise and musicianship and how these attributes are manifested in the director's

steelpan pedagogy.

WORKS CITED

Adamek, Mary S., and Don D. Coffman. "Perceived Social Support of New Horizons Band Participants." Contributions to Music Education 28, no. 1 (2001): 27-40.

Barone, Tom. Touching Eternity: The Enduring Outcomes of Teaching. New York: Teachers College Press, 2001.

Bartholomew, John. The Steel Band. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1980.

Berger, Peter L., and Thomas Luckmann. The Social Construction of Reality: a Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge. Garden City, New York: Doubleday, 1966.

Berliner, David. "Expertise: The Wonder of Exemplary Performances" in Creating Powerful Thinking in Teachers and Students ed. John Mangieri and Cathy Block. Ft. Worth, Texas: Harcourt Brace College Publications, 1994.

Blake, Felix I. R. The Trinidad and Tobago Steel Pan: History and Evolution. Spain: Grafiques, 1995.

Bowles, Chelcy L. "Self-Expressed Adult Music Education Interests and Music Experiences." Journal of Research in Music Education 39, no. 3 (Fall 1991): 191-205.

Campbell, Patricia S. Teaching Music Globally: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.

Campbell, Patricia S., Claire Connell, and Amy Beegle, 2007. "Adolescents' Expressed Meanings of Music in and out of School," Journal of Research in Music Education 55, no. 3: 220-236.

Carson, William S. "A History of the Northshore Concert Band, Wilmette, Illinois, 1956-1986: The First Thirty Years." Ph.D. diss., Arizona State University, 1992.

Coffman, Don D., and Mark S. Adamek. 1999. "The Contributions of Wind Band Participation to Quality of Life of Senior Adults." Music Therapy Perspectives 17, no. 1:27-31.

Coffman, Don D., and Katherine M. Levy. 1997. "Senior Adult Bands: Music's New Horizon." Music Educators Journal 84, no. 3 (Nov 1997): 17-22.

Creswell, John W. Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Traditions. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications, 1998.

Denzin, Norman K., and Dr. Yvonna Lincoln. The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications, 2005.

Diaz Cruz, Herminio. "A Descriptive Study of the Music Program in Roberto Clemente High School and Selected Feeder Schools as They Relate to Bilingual-Bicultural Education." Ph. D. diss.. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1979.

Dudley, Shannon. Carnival Music in Trinidad: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.

Eisner, Elliot. The Enlightening Eye: Qualitative Inquiry and Enhancement of Educational Practice. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1998.

Elliott, David J. Music Matters. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.

Erickson, F. "Qualitative Methods in Research Teaching." In M. Whittorck (ed.), Handbook of Research on Teaching. (3rd ed., pp. 119-161). New York: Garland Publishing, Inc., 1986.

Ernst, Roy. "Music for Life." Music Educators Journal 88, no. 1 (July 2001): 47-51.

Froseth, James O. "Feels Like, Sounds Like, Looks Like." Workshop for MUE 566 "Instrumental Literature in the Schools" on 23 June 2008.

George, Kaethe. "Ellie Mannette: Training Tomorrow's Steel Band Tuners." Percussive Notes (October 1994): 31-34.

Glesne, Corrine. Becoming Qualitative Researchers. New York: Longman, 1999.

Goddard, George. Forty Years in the Steelbands, 1939-1979. United Kingdom: Karia, 1991.

Grant, Cy. Ring of Steel. London: Macmillan Caribbean, 1999.

Guba, Egon G. and Yvonna S. Lincoln. Naturalistic Inquiry. Beverly Hills, California: Sage Publications, 1985.

Guess, Francis. "The Incorporation of Steel Drum Ensembles into School Music Programs: a New Pedagogical Approach," Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University, 1998.

Haskett, Brandon L. "A Descriptive Survey Study of Steel Band Instructors at U.S. Universities and College: An Examination of Their Attitudes Towards Steel Band Pedagogy," unpublished, 2008.

171

Hildebrand, Linda. A Proposal for a Steelband Program Utilizing a Discipline-Based Art Education Model. Ottawa: Bibliotheque Nationale du Canada, 1993.

Hylton, John. "Dimensionality in High School Student Participants' Perceptions of the Meaning of Choral Singing Experience," Journal of Research in Music Education 29, no. 4 (1981), 287-303.

Johnson, Kim, Helene Bellour, Milla Riggio, and Jeffrey Chock. Renegades: The History of Renegades Steel Orchestra of Trinidad and Tobago. Oxford: Macmillan Education, 2002.

Jorgensen, Estelle R. Transforming Music Education. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2003.

Lopatin, Jerry. The Steel Band by Rote. Akron, Ohio: Panyard, Inc., 1994.

Lopatin, Jerry. "From Queens to Phoenix: A Pan Journey." Pan-Lime, February 1995.

Lusk, Char. So You Want to Start a Steel Pan Band: How to Start Maintain, and Grow with a Steel Pan Program. Novato, California: Sticks and Stands Publishing, 1998.

Mannette, Ellie. Interview by Jerry Lopatin, January 1981. Personal Collection of Jerry Lopatin, Phoenix, Arizona.

Manuel, Peter. Caribbean Currents. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2006. Maxime, Gideon. Pan Through the Years, 1952-1996. Trinidad: by the author, 1997.

Maxime, Gideon. 41 Years of Pan : Steelband Music Festival, 1963-1993, Panorama, 1963-1993, Bomb Competition, 1963-1993, Schools Steelband Competition, 1976-1993. Trinidad: by the author, 1994.

Maxwell, Joseph A. Qualitative Research Design: an Interactive Approach. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, 2005.

Morin, Francine L. "A Descriptive Study of a Canadian Elementary Music Educator's Experience with the Trinidadian Tradition of Steelband." unpublished, 1989.

Morin, Francine L. "Elementary School Steelband: A Curriculum and Instructional Plan for Canadian Schools." unpublished, 1989.

Narell, Jeff. Interview by author, 15 January 2008. Personal Collection of Brandon Haskett, Gilbert, Arizona.

172

Nurse, A. M. Unheard Voices: The Rise ofSteelband and Calypso in the Caribbean and North America. New York: iUniverse, 2007.

O'Connor G. Allan. "A Brief Survey of Steel Drum Programs in North American Schools." Percussive Notes, (Winter 1981), 58-59.

O'Connor John. A Teacher's Guide to Steel Band Music in Our Schools. Urbana, Illinois: Continuing Education in Music, University of Illinois, 1975.

Remy, Jeanine. "Establishing a Steel Band Program in the United States." Percussive Notes, (Spring 1990), 16-33.

Reynolds, Tom and Thomas Bibik. Steel Drums. Ferndale, Michigan: Thomas Bibik, 1993.

Seeger, Peter. The Steel Drums of Kim Loy Wong. New York: Oak Publications, 1961.

Seeger, Peter. Steel Drums: How to Make Them and Play Them. New York: Oak Publications, 1964.

Slater, John. The Advent of the Steelband and My Life and Times with it. Trinidad: by the author, 1995.

Spencer, William D. "An Attitude Assessment of Amateur Musicians in Adult Community Bands." Ph.D. diss., University of North Texas, 1996.

Stake, Robert. The Art of Case Study Research. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, 1995.

Stuempfle, Stephen. The Steelband Movement: The Forging of a National Art in Trinidad and Tobago. Barbados: Press University of the West Indies, 1995.

Stuempfle, Stephen. "The Steelband Movement in Trinidad and Tobago: Music, Politics and National Identity in a New World Society." Ph.D. diss., 1990.

Tanner, Chris, and MENC, the National Association for Music Education (U.S.). The Steel Band Game Plan: Strategies for Starting, Building, and Maintaining Your Pan Program. Lanham Maryland.: Rowman & Littlefield Education, 2007.

Thomas, Jeffrey R. "A History of Pan and the Evolution of the Steelband in Trinidad." Ph.D. diss., Wesleyan University, 1985.

Tiffe, Janine L. "Trinidadian Steel Drum (Pan) Bands in Three Great Lakes States: A Study of Musical Migration." Master's Thesis, Kent State University, 2006.

Volk, Terese M. Music, Education, and Multiculturalism: Foundations and Principles. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.

Williams, Kenyon. "An American in Port of Spain: A Pannist's Guide to Playing in Trinidad's Panorama." Percussive Notes (February 2004), 30-35.

Wilson, Salah and A. I. Clement. Steelpan Playing with Theory: A Simple, Hands-On, Practical and Theoretical Approach to Learning Music with Steelpan Instruments. Quebec, Canada: Salahpan, 1999.

Wiltwyck steel band. 1959. CD.

WEBSITES http://www.pantrinbago.com/steelpan http://www.trinbagopan/com/steelpan http://www.rccachicago.Org/photogallery/v/historical_photos/

historicalsteeldrum/ http ://www.j effnarell. com/early day s.html http://www.davidelliottmusic.eom/musicmat/musiced.htm#top http://www.census.gov http://www.tropicalhammer.com/florida/shop/ http://www.pantheonsteel.com

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Adams, Norman Darway, and Austin O. Agho. Stories in Steel: The True Account of the Invention of the Steelpan and the Emergence of the Steelpan Movement. Jullian Graphics Communication, 2005.

Aho, William R. Steelband Music in Trinidad and Tobago: The Creation of a People's Music. 1 videodisc (ca. 31 min.), 1984.

Allen, Ray. "J'Ouvert in Brooklyn Carnival: Revitalizing Steel Pan and Ole Mas Traditions." Western Folklore 58, no. 3-4 (Summer-Fall 1999): 255-277.

Anderson, William M. and Patricia Shehan Campbell. Multicultural Perspectives in Music Education. Reston, Virginia: Music Educators National Conference, 1996.

Anderson-Nickel, J. D. "Teacher Expertise Among Elementary General Music Teachers." Ph.D. diss., Arizona State University, 1997.

Averill, Gage. "Caribbean Voyage: The 1962 Field Recordings." Ethnomusicology 47, no. 2 (Spring-Summer 2003): 272-278.

Berliner, David C. "Describing the Behavior and Documenting the Accomplishments of Expert Teachers." Bulletin of Science Technology and Society 24, no. 3 (June 2004): 200-212.

Berliner, David C. The Development of Expertise in Pedagogy. New Orleans, Louisiana: American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, 1988.

Berliner, David C. "In Pursuit of the Expert Pedagogue." Educational Researcher 15 (August/September 1986): 5-13.

Blanksteen, J. "Chappaqua Hears the Music of Drums." New York Times (1857-current file) 1977. May 8.

Campbell, Patricia S. Cultural Diversity in Music Education: Directions and Challenges for the 21st Century. Queensland: Australian Academic Press, 2005.

Campbell, Patricia S. Music in Cultural Context: Eight Views on World Music Education. Reston, Virginia: Music Educators National Conference, 1996.

Campbell, Patricia S. Lessons from the World: A Cross-Cultural Guide to Music Teaching and Learning. New York: Schirmer Books, 1991.

175

Campbell, Patricia S., Susan R. Wolf, Michael L. Mark, and Paddy B. Bowman. Currents: Setting an Agenda for Music Education in Community Culture. College Park: University of Maryland, 1996.

Campbell, Patricia Shehan. Ellen McCullough-Brabson. and Judith Cook Tucker. Roots & Branches: A Legacy of Multicultural Music for Children. Danbury, Connecticut: World Music Press, 1994.

Cullen, Joe. "Resources for the Steel Drum Teacher." Canadian Music Educator 44, no. 1 (Fall 2002): 30.

Dudley, Shannon. "Creativity and Control in Trinidad Carnival Competitions." The World of Music: Journal of the Department of Ethnomusicology, Otto-Friedrich University of Bamberg 45 (2003): 11-33.

Dudley, Shannon. "Dropping the Bomb: Steelband Performance and Meaning in 1960s Trinidad." Ethnomusicology 46, no. 1 (Winter 2002): 135-164.

Dudley, Shannon. "Ray Holman and the Changing Role of the Steelband, 1965-72." Latin American Music Review 22 (2001): 183-198.

Dudley, Shannon. "The Steelband "Own Tune": Nationalism, Festivity, and Musical Strategies in Trinidad's Panorama Competition." Black Music Research Journal 22, no. 1 (Spring 2002): 13-36.

Dudley, Shannon. "Tradition and Modernity in Trinidadian Steelband Performance." In Musical Migrations. I: Transnationalism and Cultural Hybridity in Latin America. United States, 2003.

Elder, Jacob D. From Congo drum to Steelband: A Socio-Historical Account of the Emergence and the Evolution of the Trinidad Steel Orchestra. St. Augustine, Trinidad: University of the West Indies, 1969.

Elder, Jacob D. Social Development of the Traditional Calypso of Trinidad and Tobago (from Congo Drum to Steel Band); New York City: Global Beat of the Boroughs. University of the West Indies, 1968.

George, Kaethe. "Interview with Ellie Marinette." Percussive Notes (Spring 1990): 34-38.

George, Kaethe M. "Creating Steel Band's Newest Voice." Percussive Notes 35 (June 1997): 12-13.

Gibson, Gary. "Techniques in Advanced and Experimental Arranging and Composing for Steel Bands." Percussive Notes 24 no. 4 (Winter 1986): 45-49.

176

Gonzalez, Sylvia. Steelband Saga: A Story of the Steelband, the First 25 Years. Trinidad and Tobago: Ministry of Education and Culture Publications, 1978.

Green, Doris. Steel Bands of New York. Brooklyn, New York: "Where We At" Black Women Artists, 1985.

Green, Garth L. and Philip W. Scher. Trinidad Carnival: The Cultural Politics of a Transnational Festival. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2007.

Greene, Maxine. Landscapes of Learning. New York: Teachers College Press, 1978.

Greene, Maxine. Releasing the Imagination: Essays on Education, the Arts, and Social Change. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1995.

Hargreaves, David J., and Adrian C. North. The Social Psychology of Music. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997.

hooks, bell. Teaching Community: A Pedagogy of Hope. New York: Routledge, 2003.

Johnston, Thomas F. "Caribbean Music in Western Canada." Viltis. (1978).

Jones, Anthony M. Steelband: A History : The Winston "Spree"Simon Story. Port of Spain, Trinidad: Educo Press, 1975.

LeGendre, Dennis. Steelband in Perspective. Trinidad, Trinidad & Tobago: Government Printery, 1973.

Liverpool, Hollis. "Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago: The Evolution of the Steeldrum Tradition." In Voices of the African Diaspora, 7(2) (Spring 1991), 22-25.

Love, Jacob W., Harvard University, Dept. of Music, Harvard University, Dept. of Anthropology, and Senior honors theses. Our Boys: A Study of Steelband in Tobago, W. I. Cambridge: Mass, 1967.

Mannette, Ellie and Kaethe George. Introductory Booklet for Starting Steel Band Programs. Phoenix, Arizona.: Mannette Touch, 1991.

Maxime, Gideon, Albino-de Coteau, and Merle Faustin. History of Steelband Panorama of Trinidad and Tobago, 1963-1990. Trinidad: Horsham's Printing, 1990.

Maxime, Gideon. Steelband Showcase. Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago: by the author, 2002.

Maxime, Gideon. Firsts in Panorama. Trinidad and Tobago: by the author, 2001.

177

Miller, Tom. "Steel Drum 101: A Guide to the First Year." Percussive Notes 24 no. 4 (Winter 1986): 50-53.

Neil, Ancil, and A.C. Rudolph. Voices From the Hills: Despers & Laventille: The Steelband and its Effects on Poverty, Stigma & Violence in a Community: A Classic Study of the Social, Political, and Economic Changes in a Community. New York: A.A. Neil, 1987.

Noel, Terry. Steelband: From Bamboo to Pan. London: Commonwealth Institute, 1990.

Ormerod, Jan D. De Pan. Antwerpen; Rotterdam: De Vries-Brouwers, 1989.

Patton, Gregory J. Multiculturalism and Music Education: A Summary of History, Philosophy, Teacher Training Materials, and Ethnomusicology, 1999.

Porter, Barbara. Pan Round: A Steel Drum Curriculum for Elementary Schools, Pansplus, 2000.

Reimer, Bennett, and MENC, the National Association for Music Education (U.S.). World Musics and Music Education: Facing the Issues. Reston, Virginia: MENC, the National Association for Music Education, 2002.

Remy, Jeannine I. "An Interview with G. Allan O'Connor." Percussive Notes 32 (1994): 29-32, 34-38.

Remy, Jeannine I. "The Steel Drum in Trinidad and Tobago: An Overview." Percussive Notes 30 (1992): 70-74.

Remy, Jeannine I. A Historical Background of Trinidad and Panorama Competitions with an Analysis of Ray Holman's 1989 Panorama Arrangement of "Life's Too Short, "Master's thesis, University of Arizona, 1991.

Rohwer, Debbie. "A Case Study of Adult Beginning Instrumental Practice." Contributions to Music Education 32, no. 1 (2005): 45-58.

Rohwer, Debbie. "Teaching the Adult Beginning Instrumentalist: Ideas from Practitioners." International Journal of Music Education 23, no. 1 (April 2005): 37-47.

Rouff, Antony E. Authentic Facts on the Origin of the Steelband. Trinidad: Bowen's Printery, 1972.

178

Ryan, Selwyn D., Roy Mc Cree, and Godfrey St. Bernard. Behind the Bridge. St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago: I.S.E.R., University of the West Indies, 1997.

Ryan, Erin. "Pan on the Verge of the 21st Century: Issues in the Evolution of the Trinidadian Steelband." Master's thesis, Wesleyan University, 1994.

Sharma, Elizabeth. Steelband Kit Book Perivale, Middlesex: Tiger Books, 1989.

Simmonds, W. A., and British West Indian Airways. "Pan" the Story of the Steelband. New York: British West Indian Airways, 1959.

Slater, Les, and Ray Allen. "Steel Pan Grows in Brooklyn: Trinidadian Music and Cultural Identity." In Island Sounds in the Global City: Caribbean Popular Music and Identity in New York. United States: New York Folklore Society, 1998.

Snider, Larry. "Steel Bands." Percussive Notes 24 no. 4 (Winter 1986): 33.

Spencer, Sally-Anne. A Study of a Steel Band: The ILEA Schools Steel Orchestra, 1986.

Thomas, Jeffrey R. Forty Years of Steel: An Annotated Discography of Steel Band and Pan Recordings, 1951-1991. Santa Barbara, California: Greenwood, 1992.

Thomas, Kenrick P. Panriga: Tacarigua's Contribution to the Evolution of the Steelband Phenomenon in Trinidad and Tobago. United States: Original World Press, 1999.

APPENDIX A:

UNIVERSITY AND PUBLIC SCHOOL STEEL BANDS

(AS OF THE 2007-2008 SCHOOL YEAR)

180

Institution Auburn University University of Alabama Colony High School Pantheon Steel Band

University of Alaska at Fairbanks Desert Winds Elementary School Arizona State University University of Arizona Northern Arizona University Corona Del Sol High School Basha High School Canyon View Elementary School Catalina Foothills High School Tucson High School Sedona High School Empire High School Desert Sky Middle School University of Arkansas Tulare High School St. Francis High School California State University California State University Northridge Davidson Middle School Fullerton College Mission Hill Junior High School Mount Eden High School

Chabot College "Panhandlers" Mt. Eden High School Humboldt State

City Auburn Birmingham Palmer Fairbanks

Fairbanks

Phoenix

Tempe Tucson Flagstaff

Tempe

Chandler Tucson

Tucson

Tucson Sedona Tucson Tucson

Fayetteville Tulare San Jose Long Beach

Northridge

San Rafael Fullerton Santa Cruz

Hayward

San Mateo

Hayward Eureka

State Alabama Alabama Alaska Alaska

Alaska

Arizona

Arizona Arizona Arizona

Arizona

Arizona Arizona

Arizona

Arizona Arizona Arizona Arizona

Arkansas California California California

California

California California California

California

California

California California

Director* Doug Rosener Larry Mathis Jamin Burton Christopher D. Lubken Christopher D. Lubken Jerry Lopatin

Elizabeth DeLamater Gary Cook Steve Hemphill

Scott Werner

Luke Abrahamson Don Cox

Dr. Tina Walton

Khris Dodge William Dederer Russel Potter Anka Mischell

Jeremy Pratchard Ray Ferenci Danna Mitchell Dr. Michael Carney

Gigi "Gee" Rabe

Dana Trillo Ray McNamara Ray Lindsey

Jennifer Wiley Kevin Cato Jim Munzenrider

Chris Hablewitz Eugene Novotney

181

University Palomar College Colorado State University Brighton Heritage Academy University of Denver Adams State College Loveland High School Danbury Middle School Hartt School/University of Hartford Wesleyan University Rogers Park Middle School West Haven High School Southern Delaware School for the Arts University of Delaware

Sterling Park Elementary Panther Run Elementary Walker Memorial Junior Academy St. Petersburg Community College University of Florida

Spacecoast High School Crooms Academy Florida State University Eustis Middle School Leon High School Buchholz High School Bethune-Cookman College Florida Memorial University University of Central Florida Southwest Florida Steelband Miami Middle School Mosley High School

San Marcos Fort Collins Brighton

Denver Alamosa Loveland Danbury Hartford

Middletown Danbury

West Haven Selbyville

Newark

Casselberry Lake Worth Avon Park

St. Petersburg

Gainesville

Cocoa Sanford Tallahassee Eustis Tallahassee Gainesville Daytona Beach Miami Gardens Orlando

Unknown

Miami Panama

California Colorado Colorado

Colorado Colorado Colorado Connecticut Connecticut

Connecticut Connecticut

Connecticut Delaware

Delaware

Florida Florida Florida

Florida

Florida

Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida

Florida

Florida

Florida

Florida Florida

Unknown Donald Prorack Donald Prorack

Tom Miller James Doyle Matt Arau Unknown Ben Toth

William Carbone Harold Proudfoot, Jr.

Alton Crame John Syphard

Harvey Price/Kristian Paradis Unknown C. Dwane Earnhardt Leonard Cann

Joe Braccio

Dr. Ken Broadway

Ed Anderson Clayton Donnan Jeffrey Jones Gerry Ricke Jennifer Duerden Unknown Pedro Orey

Dr. Dawn Batson

Jeffrey Moore

Unknown

Chuck Mink Jamie Birdwell

Riverview High School Leon High School Cocoa Beach Junior/Senior High Clark-Atlanta University Milton High School Perry High School Trion High School Sandy Springs High School North Springs Charter School of Arts and Sciences Darlington High School Kennedy Elementary School University of Georgia

Staley Middle School Valdosta State University Brigham Young University-Hawaii Damien High School Idaho State University Benedictine University Elgin Community College William Rainey Harper College Northern Illinois University Illinois University

Western Illinois University Chicago State University Clemente High School Oberlin Conservatory

Sherwood Conservatory of Music

Sarasota Tallahassee Cocoa Beach

Atlanta Alpharetta Perry Trion Roswell

North Springs

Rome Winder

Athens

Americus Valdosta Laie

Honolulu Pocatello Lisle Elgin

Palatine

DeKalb

Urbana

Macomb

Chicago Chicago Chicago

Chicago

Florida Florida Florida

Georgia Georgia Georgia Georgia Georgia

Georgia

Georgia Georgia

Georgia

Georgia Georgia Hawaii

Hawaii Idaho Illinois Illinois

Illinois

Illinois

Illinois

Illinois

Illinois Illinois Illinois

Illinois

David Naumann David Knapp Chuck Brooker

Unknown Bronwyn Thomas Andy Hursey Andy Cox Unknown

D. Naughton

William Camp Unknown

Dr. Thomas McCutchen Carol Kluball Paul Campiglia Darren Duerden

Unknown Dr. Thorn Hasenpflug Unknown Steve Butters

Paul Ross

Liam Teague

William Moersch

Rick Kurasz

Mark Smith S.T. Henry Justin David Michael Rosen Unknown

Naperville Central High School Waubonsee Community College Indiana State University Indiana University University of Iowa Edmunds Academy University of Northern Iowa Wichita State University

Haven High School Campbellsville University University of Kentucky Eastern Kentucky University Morehead State University Western Kentucky University Henry Clay High School Northern Kentucky University Russell County High School Lafayette High School University of Louisiana at Lafayette University of Louisiana at Monroe McNeese State University Poland High School Falmouth High School Otisfield Elementary School Bates College North Yarmouth Academy Stratton Elementary School

Naperville

Sugar Grove

Terre Haute Bloomington Iowa City Des Moines Cider Falls

Wichita

Haven Campbellsville

Lexington Richmond

Morehead

Bowling Green Lexington Highland Heights Russell Springs Lafayette Lafayette

Monroe

Lake Charles

Poland Falmouth Otisfield

Lewiston Yarmouth

Stratton

Illinois

Illinois

Indiana Indiana Iowa Iowa Iowa

Kansas

Kansas Kentucky

Kentucky Kentucky

Kentucky

Kentucky

Kentucky Kentucky

Kentucky

Louisiana Louisiana

Louisiana

Louisiana

Maine Maine Maine

Maine Maine

Maine

Yuko Asada/Joeanna Kolnowsky S. Gibby Monokoski

Jimmie Finnie Unknown Dan Moore Eileen Bowerman Ryan Frost

Darren Dyke (Gerald Scholl) Brad Shores Chad Floyd

James Campbell Jason Koontz

Unknown

Mark Berry

William Kite Scott Lang

Paige Crowe

Unknown Troy Breaux

Mel Mobley

Unknown

Larry Williams Unknown Jason Ward

Shawn Thwaites Larry Williams

Paula Stevens

Waynflete High School Stoneleigh Elementary School General John Strieker Middle School Catonsville High School Old Mill High School Lutherville Elementary School Sparrows Point Middle School/High School Easton High School Padonia Elementary School New Town High School Berklee Cape Cod Academy "The Mosquitoes" Grand Valley State University Oakland University Alma College University of Michigan University of Michigan Mott Middle College High School North Farmington High School Caledonia High School Flint School of Performing Arts St. Louis High School Roscommon High School Bay City School Hamady Elementary (school DNE) St. Ignace High School Petoskey High School Central Michigan University Minnesota State University Moorehead

Portland Baltimore

Baltimore

Catonsville Millersville Lutherville

Baltimore

Easton Cockeysville

Owings Mills Boston Osterville Wellfieet Allendale

Rochester Alma Ann Arbor Flint Flint

Farmington Hills Caledonia Flint

St. Louis Roscommon Bay City Flint

St. Ignace Petoskey Mt. Pleasant

Moorehead

Maine Maryland

Maryland

Maryland Maryland Maryland

Maryland

Maryland Maryland

Maryland Massachusetts Massachusetts Massachusetts Michigan

Michigan Michigan Michigan Michigan Michigan

Michigan

Michigan Michigan

Michigan Michigan Michigan Michigan

Michigan Michigan Michigan

Minnesota

Chris Beaven Doris Reinhardt

Jason Adams

Jim Wharton Mike Miller Alison Tunison

Shannon Lopata

Unknown Doris Reinhardt

D'Artangen Evans Dean Anderson Carl Chase Erik Sewer Gregrey Secor

Mark Stone David Zerbe Michael Udow James Coviak James Coviak

Michael Yoskovich

Unknown Delaina Oberman

Unknown Seth Kilbourn Unknown Unknown

Jason Byma Mr. Bennett Andrew Spencer

Kenyon Williams

Delta State University University of Mississippi University of Southern Mississippi Holmes Community College Mississippi State University Mississippi Valley State University Missouri Western State College University of Montana PANgea and Prep College of Southern Nevada University of Nevada-Las Vegas Gordon McCaw Elementary School Coronado High School Marie Antonello Elementary School Dartmouth University

Proctor Academy

University of New Hampshire Eastern New Mexico University Binghamton High School Cornell University Ithaca College Lancaster High School

John Marshall High School East Carolina University

Charlotte High School

Cleveland Lafayette

Hattiesburg

Goodman

Mississippi State Itta Bena

Saint Joseph

Missoula Lincoln North Las Vegas Las Vegas

Henderson

Henderson Unknown

Hanover

Andover

Durham

Portales

Bighamtom Ithaca Ithaca Lancaster

Rochester

Greenville

Charlotte

Mississippi Mississippi Mississippi

Mississippi

Mississippi

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana Nebraska Nevada

Nevada

Nevada

Nevada Nevada

New Hampshire New Hampshire New Hampshire New Mexico

New York New York New York New York

New York

North Carolina North Carolina

Larry Bradford Ricky Burkhead Dr. John Wooten

Jeffrey Brown, Jr.

Jason Baker

Unknown

Dr. Dennis G. Rogers

Dr. Robert LedBetter John Scofield Robert Bonora

Dr. Tim Jones

Esther Weinstein

Unknown Unknown

Doug Perkins

Bill Wightman

Nigel Chase

Neil Rutland

Joel Smales Tim Feeney Gordon Stout Joe Marone/ Joe Casimino Mary Taylor/ Lisa Scott Jonathan Wacker

Jim Boyce

Appalachian State University University of Mary University of North Dakota Rittman High School Welty Middle School

Toledo School for the Arts Elder High School Findlay High School Canal Winchester High School Granville High School National Trail High School Lockland High School Waynesville High School Madison High School Clark Montessori Eaton High School Dover High School Miami (OH) University Over the Rhine

Oberlin College Kent State University Bowling Green State University Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music University of Akron

St. Bernard-Elmwood High School West Union High School All City Grade School New Philadelphia High School Central State University Walnut Hills High School Carrollton High School

Boone

Bismarck Grand Forks

Rittman New Philadelphia Toledo

Cincinnati Findlay Canal Winchester Granville New Paris

Lockland Waynesville Madison Cincinnati Eaton Dover Miami Cincinnati

Oberlin Kent Bowling Green Cincinnati

Akron

Cincinnati

West Union Akron New Philadelphia Wilberforce Cincinnati Carrollton

North Carolina North Dakota North Dakota

Ohio Ohio

Ohio

Ohio Ohio Ohio

Ohio Ohio

Ohio Ohio Ohio Ohio Ohio Ohio Ohio Ohio

Ohio Ohio Ohio

Ohio

Ohio

Ohio

Ohio Ohio Ohio

Ohio Ohio Ohio

Dr. Scott Meister

Scott Prebys Michael Blake

Ritt Sims Unknown

Robert Desmond

Jack Anderson Tim Mattis C. McGee

Unknown Marta Wetzel

Unknown Leslie Schleman Unknown Bruce Weil Mike Marston Joan Wenzel Chris Tanner Bruce Weil Chris Ingram Unknown Unknown Bryan Stanbridge

Russell Burge

Matt Dudack Larry Snider JeffSherby

Unknown Margo Snider Joan Wenzel

Lennard Moses Ed LeBorgne Art Glenn

Findlay University Middletown Madison High School Oklahoma City University University of Oklahoma Carl Albert High School

Bartlesville High School Edmond Santa Fe High School Owasso High School Broken Arrow High School Portland Adventist Academy Hood River High School Sojourner Elementary School Stafford Primary School Terra Linda Elementary School W Y ' E Middle School Frick International Academy Ambridge High School Washington High School Carrick High School Chambersburg High School Kutztown University St. James High School

Laurens Elementary School Conway High School

Coastal Carolina University Clemson University

Carolina Forest Elementary

Findlay Middletown

Oklahoma City Norman Oklahoma City Bartlesville Edmond

Tulsa Broken Arrow

Portland

Hood River Milwaukie

West Linn Portland

Hood River Pittsburgh

Ambridge Washington Pittsburgh Chambersburg

Kutztown Murrells Inlet

Laurens

Conway

Myrtle Beach

Clemson

Myrtle Beach

Ohio Ohio

Oklahoma

Oklahoma Oklahoma

Oklahoma Oklahoma

Oklahoma Oklahoma

Oregon

Oregon Oregon

Oregon Oregon

Oregon Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania South Carolina South Carolina South Carolina South Carolina South Carolina South Carolina

Tim Mattis Unknown

David Steffens

Lance Drege Josh Bowman

Steve Craft Andy Heitz

Chris Barber Unknown

Linda Neel

Unknown Shera Sinell

Donna Kagan Patty Delph

Dennis Hillen Ken Schrader

Todd Hartman Unknown Unknown Timothy Gotwald

Dr. Willis Rapp Unknown

Unknown

Robert Christy

Kerry Seymour

Paul Buyer

Tim Peterman

Summerville High School

Aynor Elementary

Northwestern High School University of South Carolina University of South Dakota Beech High School Middle Tennessee State University Belmont University

University of Tennessee University of Tennessee Vanderbilt University Texas Tech University North Harris County Community College University of Texas University of Texas-San Antonio North Texas State University University of Texas-El Paso San Jacinto College North Richland College McAllen High School Lamar University Baylor University East Texas State University (Texas A&M) Midwestern University Steven F. Austin University S.W. Texas State University Texas Christian University

Summerville

Aynor

Rock Hill

Columbia

Varmillion

Hendersonville Murfreesboro

Nashville

Knoxville Martin Nashville Lubbock Houston

Austin San Antonio

Denton

El Paso

Austin

Dallas McAllen Beaumont Waco Commerce

Wichita Falls Nacogdoches

San Marcos

Fort Worth

South Carolina South Carolina South Carolina South Carolina South Dakota

Tennessee Tennessee

Tennessee

Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee Texas Texas

Texas Texas

Texas

Texas

Texas

Texas Texas Texas Texas Texas

Texas Texas

Texas

Texas

L. Gilreath

Connie Christy

Thomas Peterson

Scott Herring

Dr. Darin Wadley

Unknown Dr. David Pruett

Dr. Christopher Norton Michael Combs Dr. Julie Hill Mat Britain Lisa Rogers Unknown

Thomas Burritt Sherry Rubins

Nathan Ratliff

Larry White

Unknown

Unknown Scott Reddoch Gary Parks Todd Meehan Brian Zator

Alan Black Dr. Scott Harris

Genaro Gonzalez

Dr. Brian West

Tarleton State University

A.J. Moore Academy/Professional Development School Abilene High School Eastfield Community College Cedar Hill High School Marcus High School Brigham Young University James Madison University Hollins University Quest Academy Mosaic Virginia Arts Festival Rhythm Project Seahurst Elementary School Southern Heights Elementary School Covington Elementary School Tyee Middle School Enumclaw High School Highline School District Scenic Hill Elementary Gaiser Middle School Jasen Lee Middle School Sacajawea Elementary Lawk WA School District Mercer Island High School Cleveland High School

Columbia River High School Hoquiam High School Cornish College Badger Mountain Elementary

Stephenvile

Waco

Abilene Mesquite

Cedar Hill Flower Mound Provo

Harrisonburg

Roanoke Blacksburg (Regional) (Regional)

Burien

Seattle

Covington

Bellavue Enumclaw Burien Kent Vancouver Vancouver Vancouver Kirtland Mercer Island

Seattle

Vancouver

Vancouver Seattle Richland

Texas

Texas

Texas Texas

Texas Texas Utah

Virginia

Virginia Virginia Virginia Virginia

Washington

Washington

Washington

Washington Washington Washington Washington Washington Washington Washington Washington Washington

Washington

Washington

Washington Washington Washington

Rich Banner

Larry Ordener

Unknown Derrick Logozzo

Kenneth Peach Kennan Wylie Ronald Brough

William Rice

Anthony Hailey Richard Rudolph Unknown Unknown

Theresa Fornalski

Mr. Nelson

Neil Porter

John Cox Judi Rogers Barbara Porter Amy Pennington Larry Zieman Dave Kinch Larry Zieman Dee Tindall Peter Haberman

Robert Cathey Rebbecah Emanuel Dave Keckes-Chartrey Don Tackett Gary Gibson Jeff Gilmore

Chehalis Middle School Chief Sealth High School Clover Park High School Vancouver Arts and Academics School Eastern Washington University Fort Vancouver High School George T. Daniel Elementary Glacier Park Elementary School John Stanford International School Kellogg Middle School Kent Elementary Lake Wilderness Elementary School Lakeridge Elementary Lynnwood High School

McClure Elementary School Meadow Ridge Elementary School Meredith Hill Elementary Miller Junior High School Mt. Spokane High School Pacific Lutheran University

Parkwood Elementary School Rock Creek Elementary School Sammamish High School Seahurst Elementary School Shorewood High School Showalter Middle School Skyview High School Stanley Elementary

Chehalis Seattle Lakewood Vancouver

Cheney

Vancouver

Kent

Maple Valley

Seattle

Shoreline Kent Maple Valley

Mercer Island Lynnwood

Yakima

Kent

Auburn Aberdeen

Mead Tacoma

Shoreline

Maple Valley

Bellevue Burien

Shoreline Tukwila Vancouver Tacoma

Washington Washington Washington Washington

Washington

Washington

Washington

Washington

Washington

Washington Washington Washington

Washington Washington

Washington

Washington

Washington Washington

Washington Washington

Washington

Washington

Washington Washington

Washington Washington Washington Washington

Scott 0 ' Hara Deb Meyer Dennis Dearth Dave Keckes-Chartrey Marty Zyskowski Michael Waldrop Dave Chartrey

Michael Kerstetter

Steve 0 ' Connell

Florence Knowles

Alec Wilmart Karen Martin Christy Hansen

Angela Carey Amy Gentry Stevenson Dennis Miller

Lacey Lynch

Jamie Schnedier Bill Dyer

Scott Jones Miho Takekawa

Linda Luebke

Paul Sayan

Scott Backus Theresa Fornalski

Bob Phillips Steve Ryals Steve Robertson Steve Depuydt

School Summit K-12 Sunrise Elementary School Tapteal Elementary School Thunder Mountain Middle School University of Washington Walla Walla College

Wapato Middle School Washington High School Wiley Elementary School West Virginia University West Liberty State University Wheeling Middle School Wheeling Park High School Bridge Street Middle School Westwood Middle School Winfield High School

Marshall University Mayville Middle School Mayville High School Buffalo High School University of Wyoming

Seattle Kent

West Richland

Enumclaw

Seattle College Place

Wapato Tacoma West Richland Morgantown West Liberty

Wheeling Wheeling

Wheeling

Morgantown Winfield

Huntington Mayville Mayville Buffalo Laramie

Washington Washington

Washington

Washington

Washington Washington

Washington Washington Washington West Virginia West Virginia

West Virginia West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia West Virginia

West Virginia Wisconsin Wisconsin Wyoming Wyoming

Michael Shantz Michael Bento

Ben Leggett Rachel Blake Sarah Runland

Shannon Dudley Brandon Beck James Bennett Don Moore Kenneth Quehrn Dan Black Ellie Mannette Matthew Harder

Buddy Filben Unknown

James Laurine

Chip Buck Frank Barnett Geary Jack Steven Hall Ben Reehl Ben Reehl Brent Rose Dr. Steve Barnhart

* Director's names are those available in various sources as of March 2009

APPENDIX B

FIELD NOTES AND RESEARCHER JOURNALS

Date

29 January 2007

06 March 2007

06 March 2007

14 March 2007

27 March 2007

02 April 2007

03 April 2007

05 April 2007

08 April 2007

17 April 2007

23 October 2007

29 January 2008

13 February 2008

20 February 2008

10 March 2008

12 March 2008

09 May 2008

Description

Researcher Journal

Field Notes

Researcher Journal

Field Notes

Field Notes

Researcher Journal

Field Notes

Field Notes

Field Notes

Field Notes

Field Notes

Researcher Journal

Field Notes

Field Notes

Field Notes

Field Notes

Field Notes

Code

RJ 01.29.07

FN 03.06.07#

RJ 03.06.07

FN 03.14.07*

FN 03.27.07#

RJ 04.02.07

FN 04.03.07#

FN 04.05.07#

FN 04.08.07#

FN04.17.07#

FN 10.23.07#

RJ 01.29.08

FN 02.13.08*

FN 02.20.08*

FN 03.10.08*

FN 03.12.08*

FN 05.09.08%

Code=date plus data source Researcher Journal=Note made following a rehearsal in which the researcher participant *DWSO # DWCS02 % General Music

APPENDIX C

COMPLETED INTERVIEWS

Name of Participant

Ambrose, Dulcie

Belden, Stan

Chostner, Elsie Coberly, Laurie

Craig, Fred Frechette, Rick House, Lia Klein, Genie Laczko, Gina Legore, Jane Lopatin, Jerry Lopatin Lopatin Lopatin Lopatin Lopatin Lopatin Lopatin Lopatin Lopatin Lopatin Lopatin Lopatin Lopatin Lopatin Martin, Thorn Metzger, Keith

Moody, Julie Narell, Jeff

Ramsey, Monica Ramsey, Tim Stephens, Bob Stephens, Diane Stephens, Tracie (Tomes) Gilsdorf, Diane Tomes, Jim Ulloa, Pat Various Students

Date and Method of Interview EI 08.10.07

1103.11.08

EI 11.04.08 PI 08.12.07

II 07.24.07 II 08.29.07 EI 04.30.08 EI 05.26.08 EI 05.21.07 II 02.13.08 1111.26.06 EI 04.11.07 EI 05.07.07 EI 05.26.07 EI 09.05.07 EI 03.27.07 EI 04.22.07 EI 02.16.09 EI 02.17.09 EI 02.18.09 EI 02.21.09 EI 02.23.09 EI 03.10.09 EI 03.11.09 EI 03.13.09 EI 08.26.07 1103.11.08

II 09.06.07 EI 01.15.08

II 10.03.07 II 10.03.07 II 09.23.07 II 09.23.07 EI 10.10.07 II 02.01.08 II 01.24.08 II 08.27.07 SR

Years Affiliated

1978-unknown

1978-present

1998-1999 1999-2007

1978-2000 1997-present 1979-1980 1994-1995 N/A 1988 1978-present

1988-1989 1983-present

1998-present N/A

1983-1988 1983-1988 1983-1988 1983-1988 1986-1987 1983-1984 1983-1988 1999-present 2007-2008

Group(s)

Former sixth-grade teacher Sixth-grade teacher DWSO DWCS02/ DWSO Principal DWCS02 DWSO DWSO N/A DWCSOl ALL

DWSO Sixth-grade teacher DWCS02 Historical Contact DWCSOl DWCSOl DWCSOl DWCSOl DWSO DWSO DWCSOl DWCS02 DWSO

Wouters, Wendela 1108.30.07 1999-present DWCS02 Yednak, Barbara 1108.08.07 1998-present DWCS02 Yednak, Michael EI 09.03.07 1990-1991 DWSO

EI=E-mail interview II=In-person interviews PI=Phone interviews SR=Anonymous student responses from written prompts

APPENDIX D:

SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

For DWSO alumni:

1. Tell me about your memories of being in the Desert Winds Steel Orchestra.

2. What year did you join the sixth grade group? Did you play steel drums before that time? Since then?

3. What impact did the steel drum groups have on you? What did it mean, looking back, to your life?

4.What made you want to be in the steel band?

5. Describe your favorite memories of the steel band program.

6. Describe your least favorite memories of the program.

7. Describe Jerry as an educator. What did others think of him at the time?

8. What concerts do you remember performing in? Tell me about a favorite performance that sticks out in your mind?

9. What about Jerry or his teaching methods enabled the group to learn the music?

10. Did you get to play steel drums in your general music classes? If so, please describe that.

11 .What was your opinion of the music you played in the steel band? Why did you feel that way?

12. What other people would have interesting stories about Jerry or the program?

13. Would you recommend this program to others?

For the DWCSOl and DWCS02 participants:

1. Tell me about your memories of being in the Desert Winds Community Steel Orchestra.

2. What year did you join the steel band group? Did you play steel drums before that time? Since then with other groups?

3. What impact did the steel drum groups have on you? What did it mean, looking back, to your life?

4. What made you want to be in the steel band?

5. Describe your favorite memories of the steel band program.

6. Describe your least favorite memories of the program.

7. Describe Jerry as an educator. What did others think of him at the time?

8. What concerts do you remember performing in? Tell me about a favorite performance that sticks out in your mind?

9. What about Jerry or his teaching methods enabled the group to learn the music?

10. What was your opinion of the music you played in the steel band? Why did you feel that way?

11. What other people would have interesting stories about Jerry or the program?

12. Would you recommend this program to others?

APPENDIX E

ARTIFACTS**

o

CN

o

U

O^

CS

co

^^

NO

^c

»O

N©

^C

Nc

OT

i-

in

NO

C-

^O

OO

N©

^-

iC

Nc

o,r

fi

ON

Or

--

--

o©

ON

©

Hg

QO

QQ

QQ

QQ

QQ

QQ

QQ

QQ

QQ

Qp

QQ

QQ

QQ

QQ

QQ

QQ

QQ

QQ

PQ

DQ

assed

1 o y a w

CO 13 <U

School Yi

CN

oo O

N

1

00

ON

ON

O

N

ON

•

00 O

N

ON

NO

O

N

ON

«

—1

u-1

ON

O

N

l/N

ON

O

N

T—

4

1

ON

O

N

r^

00

00

ON

1—

1

1

00

ON

«/-> 0

0 O

N

•

00

ON

>o O

N

ON

1

ON

O

N

NO

O

N

ON

i

ON

O

N

NO

O

N

ON

i—

l

ON

O

N

NO

ON

O

N

l

ON

O

N

»—i

NO

ON

O

N

T* >o O

N

ON

*

—H

CO

O

N

ON

T1

CN

O

N

ON

CM

O

o <N

o ©

CN

o o o CN i O

N

ON

O

N T

O

N

ON

l

co O

N

ON

r-H

CN

O

N

ON

1

ON

O

N

r—t

SP c

ran

*«

J3 J*i

ti i-

Q

K$

J

£2 <

<

£ 2:

y—t

©

o CN i o o o CN

CN

O

N

ON

1

ON

O

N

ett

T3

3 c/3

<3 2

N/ASi Variou

m

00

ON

"p •"3-00 O

N

i-

^

r^ O

N

ON

'T* N

O

ON

O

N

00

a ran H

co

ette iew

arm terv

S£

< <

<

2

:^2

*•—

t

oo O

N

"7 1

o 00 O

N < ^

CO

O

O

C

N

CN

O

o CN

rf O

N

ON

i

CO

O

N

ON

ape

H o

rao

inds

£ t! u CO

1) Q

CO

O

N

ON

*

—i

CN

O

N

ON

t—

(

rf O

N

ON

7̂ C

O

ON

O

N

T—

4

CO

o o CN i

CN

O

o CN o o o CN i O

N

ON

O

N

n. p. a.

o o

o

-s -9 -s «

tfl [ft

•^

^

^

CO

fe

S S

©̂

o,

oo

» £

££

-v <

<

<

ON

z^

*2

CN

O

N

ON

1

ON

O

N

CN

O

N

Os

T—

H

1

Q\

o\

i—1

^ o o

42 &

rrt *H

w

t/3

CN

M

O

O

-O

a crt s* o

C

/3

<—

<C

NC

O^

J->

/0N

Ot--0

CO

N

oooooooooooooooo

T3

rO

*^

*"CJ "O *"0

'"O *0

*0 ""O

"O '"O

*"0 '"O

- T3 "O

Or-ic

Nc

o,*

>o

^o

r--oo

oN

O'-<

cN

co

'^-u

oN

ot--o

oo

NO

'-HC

Nc

o,*

iriNo

t^o

oo

NO

H

rt-

HH

rH

HH

rtr

H(

SM

M(

N(

SM

(N

NN

Nm

mf

nr

om

f>

iwtn

tnf

n't

o

o

<U

0)

T3 -O

O

<U

-a o

u

T

3

O

o

T3

o

o

D

<D

T3

T3

O

<L>

T3

O

« -d

o

<u

T3

O

O

O

<L>

<D

O

"t3 T

3 T

3

O

<D

T3

O

U

T3

O

<u

T3

O

O

U

<U

T3

T3

O

D

-a o

<u

T

3 o

o

<D a>

T3

T3

O

O

a> w

T

3 T

3

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

Video 41 Video 42 Video 43 Video 44 Video 45 Video 46 Video 47 Video 48 Video 49 Video 50 Quilt 1 Recording Recording Recording Recording Recording Recording Recording Recording Recording Recording Recording Recording Recording Recording Recording Recording Recording Recording Recording Recording Recording Recording

1990-1991 1992-1993 1990-1991 1991-1992 1991-1992 1991-1992 1990-1991 1991-1993 1993-1994 N/A Workshop 1997-1998 1981-1982 1981-1982 1983-1984 1984-1985 1985-1986 1986-1987 1987-1988 1988-1989 1989-1990 1990-1991 1991-1992 1992-1993 1993-1994 1993-1994? 1994-1995 1995-1996 1996-1997 1997-1998 1997-1998 1998-1999 1999-2000 2000-2001

VID41 VID42 VID43 VID44 VID45 VID46 VID47 VID48 VID49 VID50 QUI R8182 R8182(2) R8384 R8485 R8586 R8687 R8788 R8889 R8990 R9091 R9192 R9293 R9394 R9394(2) R9495 R9596 R9697 R9798 R9798(2) R9899 R9900 R0001

* Various documents have been digitally archived. These documents include letters, cards, internal correspondence, publications, and pictures. **More detailed information on the above artifacts is available in the data binders, which are in possession of the author N/A=does not directly relate to the Desert Winds steel band program

APPENDIX F

INVENTORY OF THE DESERT WINDS STEEL BAND

LIBRARY AS OF 31 JANUARY 2007

Composition '67 Road March Addams Family America America the Beautiful

Angelina Another Saturday Night Baby Elephant Walk Bacchanal Bacchanal Lady Bahia Girl Banana Wind

Beer Barrel Polka Blame it on the Bossa Nova Brazil Brown Eyed Girl The Bull Canon in "D" Caravan Caribe Carol of the Bells Cast Your Fate to the Wind Catch Em' Changes in Latitude Cheatin' Man Coconut Woman Coconuts Come Monday Comin' in the Back Door Compadre Pedro Juan Congo Man The Crow Dancero De Straws are for De Ladies Desert Wind Desert Wind Is #1 The Dog Don't Leave Me This Way

Down de Road Du Du Yemi Dus in De Face

Composer* Lord Kitchener Various Samuel Francis Smith Samuel A. Ward; lyrics by Katherine Lee Bates Bob Dylan Sam Cooke Henry Mancini Traditional David Rudder David Rudder J. Buffett, R. Guth, P. Mayer, J. Mayer, R. Kunkel Brown, Timm, Zeman, Vejvoda Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann Ary Barroso Van Morrison Lord Kitchener Johann Pachelbel Juan Tizol JeffNarell Mykola Dmyrovych Leontovych Vince Guaraldi; lyrics by Carel Werber Unknown Jimmy Buffett Unknown Harry Belafonte Unknown Jimmy Buffett Julius Wechter Rafael Solano Mighty Sparrow Various Tom Miller Cynthia Barlow Jerry Lopatin Jerry Lopatin Unknown Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, and Cary Gilbert Andy Narell Mighty Sparrow David Rudder

El Cumbanchero El Relicario Everybody Loves Saturday Night Fiesta a la King Fins Flag Woman Flying High The Gift to be Simple Gimme Soca Global Carnival Gravy Waltz Guantanamera Her Majesty Hermano Louie Hot, Hot, Hot I Can See Clearly I Go to Rio I Music I'm a Believer Island in the Sun Island Song Jack Ass [sic] Song Jamaica Farewell Jingle Bells Joanna's Tune John B. Sails Joy of Man's Desiring Judy Drowned Jump in the Line Jurassic Park Kiss the Girl Kokomo La Academia La Bamba La Belle Cite La Conga Sabrosa Let's Limbo Some More Lindstead Market The Lion Sleeps Tonight Livin' la Vida Loca Lollipops and Roses Lonely Bull Louie, Louie Love Is the Reason

Rafael Hernandez J. Padilla Traditional Tito Puente Jimmy Buffett Lord Kitchener Elmer Bernstein Elder Joseph Brackett JeffNarell Unknown Ray Brown and Steve Martin Jose Fernandez Diaz Paul McCartney Unknown Mighty Sparrow J.Nash Peter Allen Jit Samaroo Neil Diamond Harry Belafonte Unknown Attaway and Lord Burgess Lord Burgess James Lord Pierpont Unknown Traditional J.S. Bach Harry Belafonte Stephen Somvel John Williams Alan Menken; lyrics by Howard Ashman The Beach Boys Dave Grusin William Clauson E. Straker Jose Olvirades Dave Appell and Kal Mann Traditional (Jamaican) Weiss, Peretti, Creatoe Robi Rosa and Desmond Child Tony Velona Sol Lake Richard Berry Unknown

Mama Yo Quiero Mambo Lake Margaritaville Margie Mariella's Dance Mary Ann Mary's Boy Child Mas Que Nada Matilda Melao de Carta Merengue from "My Blue Miami Beach Rumba Minuet from "Don Juan" Minuet in G Minuet in G Montego Montego Bay More Pan Morning Dance Mr. Pan Man Mrs. Harriman Muchacha Musette Musician My Band Never on Sunday No Se Que Siento Old McDonald On a Whim On Broadway One for the Road One Particular Harbour Ooh La La Outcast Oye Como Va Pan in Harmony Pan Night and Day Pan Party Pan Rhapsody Pan Rising Pantastic Party Gras Penny Pepe

Unknown Unknown Jimmy Buffett Aldwyn Roberts Ray Holman Peter Morris Jester Hairston Jorge Ben Traditional Mercedes Pedroso Ira Newborn Irving Fields Amadeus Mozart J.S. Bach Ludwig van Beethoven Unknown B. Bloom and J. Barry Lord Kitchener Jay Beckenstein Mighty Bomber Lord Kitchener Unknown J.S. Bach Unknown Ray Holman Manos Hadjidakis Unknown Traditional Julie Moody Jerry Leiber and Cynthia Weil Unknown Jimmy Buffett Unknown Ray Holman Tito Puente Lord Kitchener Lord Kitchener Unknown David Rudder Len "Boogsie" Sharpe Jerry Lopatin Unknown Lord Kitchener Unknown

Plenty Lovin' Promises Proud Pan Quando, Quando, Quando Queen of the Bands Raiders of the Lost Ark Rain Melody Rainorama Recardo Bossa Nova Reveillez-vous Road March Road Marches Romancing the Stone Rumba de Verano Sabre Dance Samba de Areata Same Time, Same Place Sarah Saturday Save the Last Dance Schindler's List Shift Your Carcass Smile Spanish Eye Spanish Flea Spanish Harlem Star Trek Star Wars Sunny Ray Sunset Sway Sweet and Lovely Taste of Honey Tell Them Tell Them Judges Tequila The Crow The Dog The Gift to be Simple The Stripper The Way You Do the Things You The Wedding Bell Then I Woke This Feeling Nice

Ray Holman Burt Bacharach Unknown Alberto Testa and Tony Renis Mighty Sparrow John Williams B. "Preacher" Henry Lord Kitchener Djalma Ferreira Peter White Traditional Traditional Eddie Grant Unknown Aram Khachaturian Ray Holman Unknown Len "Boogsie" Sharpe Unknown Unknown John Williams Mighty Shadow Charlie Chaplin Bert Kaempfert Julius Wechter; lyrics by Cissy Wechter Ben E. King Alexander "Sandy" Courage John Williams Ray Santos Unkown Unknown Flip Phillips Various Unknown Lord Kitchener Daniel Flores Unknown Unknown Elder Joseph Brackett David Rose Smokey Robinson and Robert Rogers Leo Fall Unknown Traditional

Tico Tico Tijuana Taxi Tinga Layo Toco Band "Toreador Song" from Carmen Tristeza Trumpet Cha Cha Twinkle, Twinkle Una Paloma Blanca Under the Boardwalk Under the Sea Up on the Rooftop Vito Volcano Walkin' on the Sun Watermelon Man Wave Weeks the Road March Champ What Now My Love Wishes Yellowbird You Sweeten Me Zombie Jambouree Zorba the Greek ZumZum

Jose Gomes da Abreu Johnny Flamingo and Ervan Coleman Traditional Lord Kitchener Georges Bizet Haroldo Lobo and Niltinho Rafael Mendez Traditional Hans Bouwens Kenny Young and Arthur Resnick Alan Menken; lyrics by Howard Ashman Benjamin Hanby Unknown Unknown Unknown Herbie Hancock Antonio Carlos Jobim Lord Kitchener Gilbert Becaud; lyrics by Pierre Delanoe Unknown Traditional Mighty Sparrow Lord Intruder (Winston O' Conner) Mikis Theodorakis Unknown

* All compositions were arranged for steel band by Lopatin

APPENDIX G

RECORDINGS OF THE DESERT WINDS STEEL BANDS

YEAR 81-82

81-82 (1982)

83-84

TITLE and TRACKS The Desert Winds Steel Orchestra & Friends SIDE1 Miss Tourist Mary Ann

SIDE 2 Quando, Quando Mary's Boy Child Desert Winds Steel Orchestra & Friends SIDE1 Miss Tourist Quando, Quando, Quando Mongoose Mary Ann Mary's Boy Child I Go to Rio

SIDE 2 Rags to Riches Island in the Sun Tristega Don't Come Back Again Tequila Heavy Metal SIDE A Musician Spanish Eyes Sweetheart from Venezuela Limbo Rock Zombie Jamboree More Pan Tequila

SIDEB Brazil* Jamaica Farewell* La Belle Cite* Quando, Quando* Lara's Theme* Shift Your Carcass* Mary's Boy Child*

84-85

85-86

86-87 (1987)

Heavy Metal SIDE A Musician Spanish Eyes Sweetheart From Venezuela Limbo Rock Zombie Jamboree More Pan Tequila

SIDEB Brazil Jamaica Farewell La Belle Cite Quando, Quando, Quando Lara's Theme Shift Your Carcass Mary's Boy Child 1985-1986 Heavy Metal - recorded on a cassette master with date notated

SIDE A Tristeza Never on Sunday Vito Taste of Honey Ooh La La

SIDEB El Relicario Under the Boardwalk Baby Elephant Walk El Cumbanchero Compadre Pedro Juan Sabre Dance Heavy Metal SIDE A You Sweeten Me Compadre Pedro Juan Pan Rhapsody Yellowbird Miami Beach Rumba Mama Yo Quiero

87-88

88-89

Spanish Flea Lindstead Market

SIDEB Tristeza* Save the Last Dance for Me* Musician* Wave* Never on Sunday* El Relicario* Don't Leave Me This Way* Heavy Metal - listed as album #5 SIDE A St. Thomas Guantanamera Bahia Girl La Academia Brown Eyed Girl Minuet in G (Bach) Pan Night and Day

SIDEB Margaritaville Love Is the Reason Minuet from Don Juan (Mozart) My Band Miami Beach Rumba Down de Road Tequila Heavy Metal SIDE A Tristeza Coconuts ZumZum Joanna's Tune Louie, Louie

SIDEB Smile El Cumbanchero Yellowbird Same Time, Same Place Tequila

213

89-90

90-91

91-92

92-93

Heavy Metal 1989-1990 - cassette master SIDE A Global Carnival Bacchanal Lady Under the Sea Jump in The Line Louie, Louie

SIDEB Bahia Girl Jamaica Farewell Mary's Boy Child Du Du Yemi Tequila Heavy Metal SIDE A St. Thomas Under the Boardwalk I Music Island Song Hot Hot Hot

SIDEB Shift Your Carcass Guantanamera Louie, Louie Jump in the Line Tequila Heavy Metal SIDE A Brown Eyed Girl Angelina Louie, Louie Pan Night and Day

SIDEB Quando, Quando Merengue Minuet in G La Academia Tequila Unknown SIDE A Margaritaville

93-94

1994

Love Is the Reason Minuet Louie, Louie My Band

SIDEB Miami Beach Rumba Morning Dance Spanish Harlem Down de Road Tequila Heavy Metal SIDE1 Sway Reveillez-Vous Pan Rising Louie, Louie I Go To Rio

SIDE 2 1. Another Saturday Night 2. Musette (Bach) 3. Pan in Harmony 4. Kokomo 5. Tequila Heavy Metal SIDE1 St. Thomas Guantanamera Bahia Girl La Academia Brown Eyed Girl Minuet (Bach) Pan Night and Day

SIDE 2 Margaritaville Love Is the Reason Minuet (Mozart) My Band Miami Beach Rumba Down de Road Tequila

94-95

95-96

96-97

Heavy Metal SIDE1 Party Gras Oye Como Va Louie, Louie Minuet (Beethoven) Star Trek This Feeling Nice

SIDE 2 Save the Last Dance For Me Hot, Hot, Hot Volcano Rhumba de Burros Tequila Heavy Metal SIDE 1 Brown Eyed Girl Mas Que Nada Schindler's List Zombie Jamboree La Bamba

SIDE 2 Sunny Ray Raiders of the Lost Ark Louie, Louie Bacchanal Lady Tequila Heavy Metal SIDE1 Caribe Dancero Theme from Star Wars Louie, Louie Margie

SIDE 2 Changes in Latitude Sarah Prelude (Chopin) Fiesta a la King Tequila

97-98

1998

98-99

99-00

Heavy Metal# Compadre Pedro Juan I Can See Clearly On Broadway Outcast Canon in D Louie, Louie Jurassic Park Melao De Cana Plenty Lovin' Tequila MENC recording Desert Winds Steel Orchestra Compadre Pedro Juan I Can See Clearly On Broadway Outcast Canon in D Louie, Louie Jurassic Park Melao De Cana Plenty Lovin' Tequila Heavy Metal# Romancing the Stone Lion Sleeps Tonight Gimme Soca Joy of Man's Desiring Louie, Louie Oye Como Va Desert Wind Kokomo Mariella's Dance Tequila Heavy Metal# Bacchanal Lady Another Saturday Louie, Louie Living La Vida Loca Minuet in G Major (Bach) Sunset Montego Zig Zag Rainorama Tequila

00-01

1997-2008

Journey to Paradise# Rags to Riches Montego Bay Louie, Louie Shift Your Carcass La Bamba Walkin' on the Sun Miami Beach Rumba Margie Tequila Best of DWCSO-Sweet Steel Quando, Quando Spanish Harlem El Cumbanchero Jamaica Farewell Brown Eyed Girl Guantanamera Margaritaville Jump In The Line Sway Changes In Latitude I Go To Rio Samba De Areata Down De Road Yellowbird Banana Wind Outcast Tijuana Taxi The Stripper Blame It On The Bossa Nova

All tracks were recorded by the DWSO unless noted.

* Track was performed by the DWCSOl

# CD split between DWSO and DWCS02

APPENDIX H

LIST OF PERFORMANCES

Date 12/02/80 12/09/81 12/17/81 12/20/81 1/21/82 1/27/82 1/28/82 2/16/82 02/82 02/20/82 02/23/82 02/23/82 02/26/82 03/15 Or 03/16/82 04/06/82 04/24/82 05/19/82 /

05/26/82 05/30/82 10/82 07/82 or 08/82 03/20/83 04/83 06/83 12/83 02/84 02/10/84 Sat b. 02/27/84 03/84? 03/84 03/31/84 10/84 or 11/84 12/13/84 04/24/85 5/7/85 5/22/85 12/11/85 12/11/85 01/16/86 02/15/86 03/01/86 03/09/86 03/16/86

Concert Park Meadows School# Desert Winds Elementary School# Desert Winds Elementary School# Park Central Mall# Desert Winds Parent Teacher Organization# Carl Hayden High School# Monte Vista School# Judson School# Desert Sky Junior High School# Metrocenter Mall# Cave Creek Elementary School Dist.# Presentation for Deer Valley School Board# Village Vista Elementary School School# Arizona State Capitol# Deer Valley Unified School District Band Festival# Hypoglycemia Association of America# Desert Winds Elementary School# Village Meadows Parent Teacher Association# Legend City# Phoenix Civic Plaza Expansion# 8th Summer Sunday# Valley West Mall# Park and Swap# TV station (for Harry Belafonte)# Desert Winds Elementary School# Phoenix Zoo Auxiliary Thunderbird Campus Mary vale Mall Paradise Valley Mall 5th Anniversary Sunrise Elementary School International Fair Performance for RV Club Desert Winds Elementary School Aire Libre Elementary School RV Club Desert Winds Elementary School Chamber of Commerce Willie & Guillermo's Sanita Elementary School Desert Quest Retirement Community Beatitudes Scottsdale Civic Plaza Sunflower RV Resort

04/12/86 05/06/86 02/88 02/29/88 04/13/89 01/90 01/20/90 03/90? 03/05/90 04/90? 04/04/90 Sat b. 05/07/90 04/05/91 12/06/91 12/11/91 02/21/92 04/09/92 05/92? 12/11/92 01/16/93 1993 04/19/93 04/93 04/29/93 05/93 01/94 01/14/94 01/15/94 02/15/94 02/27/84 03/23/94 04/94? 04/94 04/19/94 04/23/94 05/09/94 05/17/94 05/17/94 04/95 04/95 or 05/95 11/04/95 04/96 05/01/96 Fri b. 05/09/96

Holiday Inn/Metrocenter Arizona School Administrators Cantina Band's First Performance Arizona School Administrators Desert Springs Elementary School At-Risk Students Chef & the Child Charity Dinner Arrowhead Elementary School Sundance Elementary School Accountability Summit Farm Bureau Conference Shrine Lady Luncheon Arizona Steel Drum Panorama Desert Winds Elementary School Heard Museum AASA Conference# Heard Museum Chefs Dinner Desert Winds Elementary School National Integration Conference Jack School Washington Elementary School Sun City West Tucson Trip North Ranch Elementary School 2nd Annual Conference on Curriculum Integration Outdoor luncheon Steel Drum Clinic by Jerry Lopatin A+ Celebration Indoor perf. For elderly Outdoor performance Volunteer Reception Arizona State Capitol Hyatt Indoor Performance Indoor Performance Arizona State Capitol Desert Winds Elementary School Volunteer Dinner Youth Summit Percussive Arts Society Constitution Elementary School Desert Winds North Ranch Elementary School

05/05/96 03/97 03/12/97 02/26/98 02/28/98 03/19/98 03/98 Wk of 3/23/98 04/15/98 04/17/98 04/24/98 04/29/98 04/30/98 12/02/98 01/01/99 01/02/99 01/25/99 02/22/99 04/07/99 04/10/99 03/20/00 11/13/00 12/14/00 03/22/01 03/24/01 01/24-26/02 02/23/02 03/01/02 04/27/02 05/05/02 05/16/02 06/06/02 06/27/02 09/20/02 10/01/02 10/04/02 11/17/02 01/31/03 03/28/03 04/26/03 05/04/03 05/22/03 01/04 05/02/04

Youth Summit Heard Museum Hillcrest Middle School Arizona State University (University Club) ASTA Northern Arizona University Performing Arts High School Butterfield Elementary School Client Appreciation Day MENC National Conference Arizona Language Association Desert Winds Elementary School A+ Awards Presentation Desert Winds Elementary School Bank One Ballpark Fiesta Bowl Parade (Pre-Parade Perf.) Copper Creek Elementary Arizona State University Good Life RV Resort Deer Valley Community Center AZPAN at Arizona State University* Arizona State University (University Club) Arizona State University Graduate Reception Desert Sky Pavillion (Jimmy Buffett)* AZPAN w/ Andy Narell at Northern Arizona University Crown Plaza* Shea Miley School* Camelback High School* Hyatt Gainey (Crisis Center)* Beardsley Park* Community Center at Sun City West* Freestone Park in Gilbert* Freedom Plaza Retirement Community* Chapparal Suites* Cricket Pavillion (Jimmy Buffett)* Phoenix Zoo* Shepard of the United Methodist Church Hills* Sedona Hilton* AZPAN Mass Band at University of Arizona* Hyatt Crisis Center* Beardsley Park* Luke Air Force Base Retired Officers* P.F. Chang Rock N' Roll Marathon* Beardsley Park*

222

# DWSO performance

* DWCS02 performance

All other performance were likely played by the DWSO and the applicable DWCSO group

APPENDIX I

REPERTOIRE FOR THE DWCS02 DURING THE 2007-2008 SEASON

Composition

Baby Elephant Walk

Bacchanal Lady

Banana Boat (Day-o)

Banana Wind

Blame It On The Bossa Nova

Blue Tango

Brazil

Brown Eyed Girl

Changes In Latitude

Come Monday

Comin' In The Back Door

Dancero

Dolores

Down De Road

(The) Dog

Eight Days A Week

El Cumbanchero

El Relicario

Gimme Soca

God Bless America

Got To Get You Into My Life

Composer/Arranger

Henry Mancini

David Rudder

Harry Belafonte, Lord Burgess, & Bill Attaway

Jimmy Buffett, R. Guth, P. Mayer, J. Mayer, R. Kunkel

Cynthia Weil & Barry Mann

Leroy Anderson

Ary Barroso

Van Morrison

Jimmy Buffett

Jimmy Buffett

Unknown

Tom Miller

Emil Waldteufel

Andy Narell

Unknown

John Lennon & Paul McCartney

Rafael Hernandez

J. Padilla

Jeff Narell

Irving Berlin

John Lennon & Paul McCartney

Guantanamera

Hello, Goodbye

Hot, Hot, Hot

I Go To Rio

I Music

In My Life

Jamaica Farewell

Joanna's Tune

Jump In The Line

Kokomo

La Academia

Lady Madonna

Louie, Louie

Margaritaville

Mariella's Dance

Miami Beach Rumba

Musician

Never On Sunday

On Broadway

One Particular Harbour

Outcast

Oye Como Va

Quando, Quando, Quando

Jose Fernandez Diaz

John Lennon & Paul McCartney

Arrow

Peter Allen

Jit Samaroo

John Lennon & Paul McCartney

Lyrics by Lord Burgess

Unknown

Stephen Somvel arr. Lopatin

Mike Love, Terry Melcher, John Phillips and Scott MacKenzie

Dave Grusin

John Lennon & Paul McCartney

Richard Berry

Jimmy Buffett

Ray Holman

Irving Fields

Unknown

Various

Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller

Jimmy Buffett

Ray Holman

Tito Puente

Alberto Testa and Tony Renis

Pantastic

Rainorama

Romancng The Stone

Sarah

Save The Last Dance For Me

Shift Your Carcass

Spanish Harlem

(The) Stripper

St. Thomas

Sway

Sweet & Lovely

Taste Of Honey

Tijuana Taxi

Tequila

Volcano

Under The Boardwalk

Yellowbird

You Won't See Me

Watermelon Man

Windy

Zombie Jambouree

Jerry Lopatin

Aldwyn Roberts

Eddie Grant

Len "Boosgsie" Sharpe

Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman

Mighty Shadow

Ben E. King

David Rose

Sonny Rollins

Pablo Beltran Ruiz

Arnheim, Tobias, & Lemare

Various

Sol Lake

Chuck Rio

Jimmy Buffett

Kenny Young and Arthur Resnick

Traditional

John Lennon & Paul McCartney

Herbie Hancock

Ruthann Friedman

C.E. Mauge, Jr.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Brandon Lee Haskett was born in Merrillville, Indiana on February 16, 1978. He received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Indiana University in 2001, his Master of Music degree from Arizona State in 2005, and his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Arizona State in 2009. He has studied with various percussionists including: Jeff Brown, Wilbur England, Dr. Mark Sunkett, Dr. J.B. Smith, and Dom Moio. He has participated in steel bands under Keith Leinert and Elizabeth DeLamater. From 2002 through 2007 Haskett taught band, string orchestra, and steel band at Kenilworth School in Phoenix Elementary School District No. 1. From 2003 through 2007, he was also the instrumental music coordinator for the district. During the 2007-08 school year, Haskett taught upper and lower string methods as a teaching assistant at Arizona State University. In 2008, he was hired by North Georgia College and State University in Dahlonega, Georgia as the Assistant Professor of Music Education.