The month of June 2016 marks the two-year anniversary of PAN Magazine. The first issue was published during the first week of June, 2014, and featured a Q&A with steelpan virtuoso, composer and Associate Professor of Music at Northern Illinois University (NIU), Liam Teague.Being a long-time advocate of the need for more cooperation amongst steelpan players and enthusiasts around the globe, Teague has been a supporter of the publication from the beginning.
“Congrats to PAN Magazine on achieving this wonderful milestone. It is refreshing to have a steelpan publication that is so detailed and informative,” Teague said of the anniversary. “I have particularly enjoyed reading the interviews and I have been very moved to learn about the creative output of so many incredibly talented steelpan musicians.”
The idea for the publication began after Editor and Publisher Ted Goslin, having been a long-time steelpan player himself, sought out more information on current news, events and stories about the happenings of the instrument around the world. Having a background in journalism, Goslin felt he could best utilize his skill set to help the industry that’s done so much for him over the years.
“After finding various sites dedicated to different aspects of pan, all doing a good job of covering their respective areas, I realized I hadn’t yet seen a publication that covered the topics I was most interested in, such as stories about the people who make up this fascinating art form,” Goslin said. “Today, there are hundreds of thousands of people who have fallen in love with this amazing instrument. It’s so important moving forward that we as a community find ways to reach out to one another to share ideas to better advance the art form. Thank you to all the readers and contributors who have made PAN Magazine the success it is today. I look forward to what tomorrow brings.”
Considering the divide that exists between some in the global pan community, there are those that believe the only way to lessen that divide is by sharing information to help build an understanding of how to build a stronger foundation for pan. The publication’s sections were designed in an attempt to showcase that foundation in a visual sense (News, Feature Stories, On the Gig, Reviews, Education) to show what topics are of importance to pan enthusiasts and to help connect them with each other through common interests. This connection is something that many feel is the best way to promote the instrument moving forward, including Teague.
“It is critical that we in the steelband community be keep abreast of what is happening around the world with this instrument that we all love, and PAN Magazine has done a fantastic job educating its readers,” said Teague. “Continued best wishes in the future, PAN Magazine!!!”
The publication has recently updated its online store to include new items, is currently designing a new website and is planning an anniversary concert in Los Angeles in the coming months.
