Locals Brave Rain For School Steel Band Performance

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The reputation of one school’s steel band is so high that locals turned out in full force last weekend to see the group perform, despite the wet weather.

Members of the Whitmore High School Steel Band gave the performance of their lives at Pinner Memorial Park on Sunday (July 29th), This Is Local London reported.

They opened the Concerts in the Park event at 14:30, which was being hosted by the Pinner Association.

Local residents were invited to bring a picnic and a chair to watch the show, and due to the adverse weather, many turned up with umbrellas and raincoats as well.

Despite the heavy rain, a spokesperson for the Pinner Association confirmed both performers and the audience had a lovely time.

They stated: “We knew that come rain or sunshine the band would still play on and nothing would dampen their enthusiasm.”

Following this performance, Fats Rollini Jazz and Blues Band will take to the stage this coming Sunday (August 5th) at 14:30. The Stardust Big Band will perform the following week (August 12th), and Grimsdyke Brass Band will wow crowds on Sunday August 19th.

Admission is free and anyone can come along to see the talented musicians perform.

Steel bands are becoming increasingly popular in schools, and one establishment in Wanstead celebrated its 100th birthday with a performance from its own steel band.

St Joseph’s Convent School hosted the show as part of a full day of celebrations, the Ilford Recorder reported, which also included drama workshops, magician performances and a picnic for all the pupils.

To find out more about steel drum lessons in London for your school, get in touch with us today.

How Steel Drums Classes Can Benefit Growing Schools

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When you head off to school, you have an opportunity to learn how to play a musical instrument. You will, unsurprisingly, want to play guitar and live out your dreams of becoming a rock star. However, it’s not necessarily impressive to learn an instrument that thousands of people can already play. Alternatively, you could expand your musical horizons and teach classes to play steel drums.

Just think about it for a moment: everyone likes to boast about the fact that they can play an instrument. When someone tells you that they play an instrument that doesn’t fall in line with the drums, guitar or piano cliché, you’ll instantly pique someone’s curiosity. For secondary schools, holding steel pan workshops will help students to dramatically stand out from others.

The Department for Education suggests that more than 400,000 students will be at secondary state schools by 2027. With such a significant increase (almost 15 per cent), you will find every school teaching their students the same instruments. If your school holds lessons on steel drums, you have a better chance of injecting a different musical culture into students.

According to Frontiers in Neuroscience, music lessons provide benefits to children such as “language-based reasoning, short-term memory, planning and inhibition”.

Dr Artur Jaschke, who conducted the research with Dr Henkjan Honing and Dr Erik Scherderm, told Neuroscience News: “Despite indications that music has beneficial effects on cognition, music is disappearing from general education curricula. This inspired us to initiate a long-term study on the possible effects of music education on cognitive skills that may underlie academic achievement.”

Despite a continued push for students to study the sciences, subjects close to the arts are equally as important for stimulating children’s abilities. Every school is looking for creative ways to plug the gap in extracurricular activities. Someday, you could beat the drums about the fact that you can play a musical instrument!

Our band with steel drums in Greece 2005

Steel Drums Herald Westminster Windrush Anniversary

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There’s no more fitting sound to pay respect to the Windrush generation than a Caribbean steel band, and that’s what attendees of the thanksgiving service at Westminster Abbey were treated to in celebration of 70 years since the arrival of Caribbean migrants on the Empire Windrush Ship.

It’s been a controversial time for the government in regards to those originally welcomed to the UK to help the country overcome an employment crisis after the Second World War, as it was recently revealed that records had been lost, and some of those people who had journeyed to the UK by request had been, or had had family, deported because of a lack of official paperwork.

Baroness Floella Benjamin, patron of the Windrush Foundation, was in attendance, and danced in the naves to the likes of songs such as Amazing Grace played on the steel pans, according to the BBC. Other guests included Prime Minister Theresa May and London Mayor Sadie Khan, but the majority of attendees were the family’s of those who came to the UK as part of the Windrush generation.

Addressing the congregation, Reverend Canon Joel Edwards acknowledged the hardships that have been endured by this generation, institutional racism as just the start, but also celebrated the gift that this generation has made to Britain in terms of leaders in the worlds of politics, business, education, music and sport.

From this year on, each 22nd June will be marked officially as Windrush Day, with government grants in support of events celebrating the day and the contributions of the Windrush generation to life in Britain.

Steel Band Features In Girls’ School Celebrations

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An all girls school in Wanstead has been celebrating its centenary with a host of activities and events, including a performance by a steel band for pupils and staff.

The Ilford Recorder reported that St Joseph’s Convent School chose to celebrate its 100th anniversary by putting on a day full of fun activities for its current pupils.

A big marquee was erected in the school’s grounds, where the girls currently studying there were invited to take part in creative and drama workshops, as well as to listen to the steel band performance and see a show by a magician.

The day also saw all the children enjoying a picnic together in the sunshine. A centenary disco and summer fair were also organised as part of the festivities.

Headteacher Miss Christine Glover told the news provider that the event was “a lovely way to celebrate such a big milestone in the school’s history”.

She added: “It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate all our fantastic achievements so far, and a chance to look forward to the future.”

This kind of event offers a great opportunity to introduce children of all ages to different creative activities, whether musical, drama or otherwise.

Last month there were calls from some in the music industry to encourage schools to put a greater focus on music in the curriculum, with many fearing that failing to get children interested in learning a musical instrument at a young age is one of the factors affecting the number of teenagers who go on to study for a GCSE or A-Level in the subject.

If your school would like to offer steel drum lessons in London to your pupils, contact us today to find out how we could help.

Pupils Enjoy Musical Month At Primary School

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Although there’s a lot that has to be covered under the national curriculum, that doesn’t mean that schools can’t give pupils a chance for some extra, enriching experiences during their time at school.

This is exactly what St Francis Catholic Primary School in Bradford did in May, when it ran its month-long celebration of music.

The Telegraph and Argus reported on what was organised last month, noting that children at the school had the opportunity to not only try playing different instruments, but also to speak to musicians and find out more about their musical talents.

Among the events run by the primary school were Live for 5 video events, where different professional musicians had five minutes to explain their specialisms, as well as sessions where children could try different instruments, such as the trumpet.

Other highlights included concerts by a brass band and a string trio, giving pupils a chance to experience a range of musical styles.

They were also able to get involved themselves with a hymnathon and extra lunchtime music clubs throughout May.

Head at the school Andrea Haines said the month-long musical celebration had resulted in more children becoming interested in singing and music.

“I have seen the significant difference music and singing has made to the lives of children and adults,” she told the newspaper.

We think this is a great idea, and if you want to organise something similar at your school why not consider adding steel band workshops to the mix?

There have recently been calls from professional musicians for there to be a greater focus on music in schools, both primary and secondary, and this could be an excellent way to introduce more children to the varied instruments and musical styles out there.

Calls For Schools To Focus On Music

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A number of musicians and musical organisations have come together to urge schools not to give up on providing music education for youngsters.

The BBC spoke to a number of people within the industry at the recent The Great Escape Festival, where band Wolf Alice said that if they hadn’t had access to music lessons at school, as well as extra-curricular music sessions, they may not be where they are today.

Diane Widderson, from the Musicians’ Union, told the news provider that they are concerned that some schools appear to be dropping A-level and GCSE music from their curriculum because they don’t have enough students to run the courses, or because it is not a subject they’re judged on.

Getting children interested in music at an early age is part of fuelling their passion – and exposing youngsters to as many different kinds of music as possible is a great way to do this.

Offering steel band workshops at your school could open their eyes and ears to a whole new kind of music and get them to think about the possibilities when it comes to learning an instrument.

Earlier this month, the Guardian reported on a letter published in the Observer and written by all the former winners of the BBC’s Young Musician prize, in which they called for all primary-age children to be given the universal right to learn an instrument at no cost to them or their families.

“It is crucial to restore music’s place in children’s lives, not only with all the clear social and educational benefits, but showing them the joy of making and sharing music,” the letter stated.

Playing steel pans is a fun and sociable experience, so this could be a great way to share the joy of making music with students from all backgrounds and of all ages.

Solid Steel Band Wedding Music - with the bride

Steel Band To Greet Royal Wedding Guests

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly going to have a steel band to welcome guests at their festival and carnival-themed wedding after-party, with the prince specifically requesting this kind of music.

The Mirror revealed what the couple have planned for their guests who will be invited to Frogmore House in Windsor Castle for a fun-filled evening of celebration after the more formal element of the nuptials is over.

According to the news provider, Harry has requested a Tiki bar for this part of the reception, while guests will dine on South African wagyu beef, provided by Feast It, a company run by one of the prince’s friends.

This particular reception will be the more informal part of the day, for around 200 guests who are Harry and Meghan’s closest friends and family.

Aside from the steel band who will reportedly be playing as guests arrive and help to get the party started, there is much speculation about which pop megastars will perform on the night. Currently, there are rumours that the Spice Girls, Coldplay and Ed Sheeran could be the ones gracing the stage.

With the wedding just days away, we’ll soon find out which of the rumours are true when it comes to the music, as well as the guest list and the wedding dress.

Earlier this month, an official statement revealed that Meghan’s father will walk her down the aisle, while her mother will travel with her to Windsor Castle. Prince William, meanwhile, has been named as best man, and Princess Diana’s sister Lady Jane Fellowes will give a reading at the ceremony.

If you’re interested in hiring a steel band for your wedding, contact us today.

steel pans

A Potted History Of The Steel Pan

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Now that it feels as though summer is finally here, with a brilliantly hot May Bank Holiday only just behind us, there’s no better music to accompany the sunshine than the intriguing and unique sound than a steel pan band.

No doubt you’ve come across the interesting range of notes of steel drums before, but have you ever stopped to think about just where this musical style originated from? The instrument itself is a 55-gallon oil drum that has been hammered in such a way as to produce certain tones, with the drum capable of playing any kind of music whatsoever.

Back in the 1800s, when Trinidad was a sugar plantation society, slaves were brought to the region by colonists from central and west Africa to work on the plantations, bringing their music with them. Drumming and singing were commonplace, a big feature in all religious ceremonies and other celebrations, as well as a method of communication.

But eventually the colonists became concerned that the drumming was being used as a way of organising riots and uprisings, so all drum parades were banned towards the end of the century. After this, bamboo sticks were used to beat out rhythms, with groups of musicians later known as tamboo bamboo bands – although these too were banned in the 1930s because rival bands would often clash and fight in the streets.

The first steel drum was invented in Trinidad at about the time of the second world war. The tamboo bamboo bands made the move to steel because metal was stronger and louder than bamboo, with the first versions of the steel drum paint and biscuit tins!

From there, it was discovered that dents and bulges of various sizes in the tins could make sounds of different pitches and musicians started to tune them up so that melodies could be played! Winston Spree Simon is the man widely credited with playing the first recognisable tune on a steel drum – you can read more about him on the TriniSoca website.

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