Written by Ted Goslin
As an elementary music specialist for San Luis Obispo public schools in California, all Patty Dee wanted to do was spread the joy of music in a public setting. Little did she know that there was another method she hadn’t yet tried: the steelband.
As part of her job in the 1990s, Dee attended yearly state education conferences. At one of those conferences, the CMEA (California Music Education Assocation) conference in Sacramento, she was introduced to her first steelband and was astonished, to say the least.
“This was a steelband presentation by Char Lusk and Davidson Middle School. The students were amazing musicians, playing different genres of music such as calypso, pop, jazz, ragtime and classical – all without sheet music or music stands!” said Dee. “It was so amazing to hear students of this age producing music of this quality. I never knew how great a full steel band sounds and how versatile the instruments are. I came home from that convention determined to start a steel drum program here in San Luis Obisbo.”
Researching the Dream
To get started, Dee began researching how to start a non-profit group and applied for grant money to purchase instruments. To maintain control over the project in the event the situation ever became unstable, she decided to purchase the first set of instruments herself to have the flexibility to move and teach anywhere. “It was the best decision I could have made. I have continued to add more instruments to my collection,” Dee added.
The program, which began in 2000, is called Cuesta Steel Bands, located at Cuesta College, and is made up of three levels: Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced Steel Band. The number of players varies each semester but can accommodate up to 12 pan players, at least one drum set player and one percussionist. The instrumentation consists of six tenor pans, two sets of double seconds, two triple guitars, and two six-bass. Drums were made by Mannette Instruments, Dave Beery, Patrick Arnold, Mappo, and Ansel Joseph. The drums are tuned by Chris Wabich.
One Gal’s Trash
Dee emphasized that her main goal with the group is to give members a positive musical experience in a group setting, regardless of musical skill level. “Students who stick with the program for a length of time obtain a higher level of musicality and become quite proficient on pan,” said Dee. “The classes take place for two hours each, once a week for nine weeks. The culminating experience is our performance at the Downtown Thursday Night Farmer’s Market. Student register with a registration fee and materials fee each semester.”
The group used to only offer Beginning and Intermediate classes but has recently added the Advanced course after building enough skilled, returning players over the years. Dee is also adding an Introduction to Music Reading class to help new players adjust to both a new instrument and reading sheet music while playing. “I was encouraged to teach a music reading class by my intermediate students who strive to progress to advanced steel band where everyone is on sheet,” she added.
To further her own education and involvement in the steelpan cause, Dee has traveled across the country to various events over the years, including being a regular attending at both the Mannette Festival of Steel in Morgantown, W.V., and Pan Ramajay Fest in Denver, Co., since 2002.
“As a steelband director, I think it is important for me to continue my studies of the pan and also to network with other teachers. I have traveled to Washington to study with Shannon Dudley when Ray Holman was an Artist in Residence there,” said Dee. “This past summer (2015), I was honored with a gift from Ellie Mannette himself with a composition he wrote just for me! He performed it at the summer workshop and is currently having it transcribed to sheet music.”
For the Cause
Attending events like the Mannette Festival of steel has taught Dee many things she has applied to her own group, including the encouragement for beginning players to continue onward, knowing that with a little support, a beginning can blossom into a great player.
“My personal goals with steel band have always been to nurture a program that will sprout new musicians and bring more people to pan that would otherwise not have this opportunity,” said Dee. “Steelband is a wonderful avenue to becoming a proficient musician and I want other people, and especially other musicians, to give it the respect it deserves. I am in the trenches trying to make that happen!”
Cuesta Steel Band performs “Dynamite” by Taio Cruz at its regular farmer’s market gig.
