Written by Ted Goslin
In the second year of its existence, the Pan People Music Festival proved it has staying power by overcoming low attendance and difficult weather conditions to put on a noteworthy event. Despite the 90-degree heat and tent-toppling wind, which caused havoc with various vendors, the event went off without a hitch with people from various backgrounds coming together to produce as fun-filled day of steelpan music.
Headlined by Tracy Thornton of “Pan Rocks” fame, the event took place at the Auraria University Campus in Denver, Colo. It showcased two educational seminars and a number of local and out-of-state bands, including Tom Miller’s “Pan Nation,” the Rocky Mountain Steelbands, Pan Generations and Pangea, a district-wide high school group from Lincoln, Nebraska. The concert ended with a mass band performance of the Nirvana classic, “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” with all performing players from throughout the day.
Although the turnout for the event was comprised mainly of passersby, family of players and various vendors, festival director Skip Waugh of nonprofit group, “The Steelpan Collective,” felt it was a tremendous success based on a number of factors.
“I was pleasantly surprised by this year’s festival. The turnout was much more than last year – approximately. We had a phenomenal group of performers, vendors, and volunteers who helped make the show a success. It ended up surpassing our expectations,” Waugh said. “I think the biggest challenges for us is educating the public on what steelpan is. It is a painstaking process especially when talking to potential vendors or sponsors. We just kept at it. We made the calls and called in a few favors. It all worked out in the end. We already have a few sponsors lined up for 2017 as a result.”
While Waugh felt all groups did an excellent job during their performances, he added that there were some standout performances which got the crowd moving. “There were three that I can think of. I think the mass band was one. It was not only a special treat for the public, but also for the performers. For the performers, it was a chance to play in a group of 40-50 other players,” he said. “I also think having Tracy Thornton be our headliner was a differentiator this year. All the performers got to know him and saw his pan playing ability in action. It was inspiring for all of us. Lastly, having PANgea Steel Drum Band travel from Lincoln, Neb. to participate was also a highlight for us. Those high schoolers are very talented and their set was really good. I heard a lot of positive comments about their performance.”
Waugh wasn’t alone in his sentiment, as headliner Tracy Thornton commented on Pangea as well. “I think the festival was great. It was the second one ever, and the first with a guest artist. With the resources they had, they couldn’t have done much better,” he said. “I know the scene in Denver is newer and it had a really nice family vibe to it. I was really blown away by the kids from Nebraska. It was really fun to sit in with them and trade solos. It was impressive because they did it. A lot of times, high school kids are afraid to take solos and they jumped right in. Whatever she [Megan] is doing down there is great. They have a fearlessness about them.”
Megan Manning-Ketchely, director of Pangea, took over the group from her mentor, John Schofield, who started the band 13 years ago as a response to what little was being done with percussionists in standard concert bands. “He wanted to give drummers something to do other than count measures and get into trouble,” said Manning-Ketchely. “John got in touch with skip about two years ago. The group was invited then but due to logistical and liability issues it slowed the process to get the band there.”
To attend the event, the kids had to fund themselves, chartering a bus for both students and parents. “I would have liked to get a fundraiser. I’ll be looking to do that the next time we travel for something like this,” Manning-Ketchely said. “We’re looking into other festivals but really want to keep this relationship alive. I think this event is great. It’s great to connect with other people of similar interests who have over come similar roadblocks to succeed and to get as many kids involved as possible. That’s something I want to see in the future. Right now it’s an auditioned group but I want to get it to the point where it can be for the community for maybe those students who don’t have an activity they can be involved in.”
Improving the community involvement is a shared sentiment amongst many in the steelpan community given how new events like this are in many parts of the country. While the east coast and Texas enjoy strong pan movements with several popular festivals throughout the year, the western part of the U.S. and other spots throughout are only recently taking part in the movement. This is something others in those popular regions would like to see improve.
“What I love seeing is, especially in this case with community groups where it’s getting out into communities with people of all ages, I love that. And to have it here in Denver, which is land-locked to everything, is really neat. It’s also neat to see the same type of things from one part of the country the other but there’s also a different flavor just from the people who are putting on the event,” said Chandler Bailey, a prominent steelpan builder and educator who works for Mannette Instruments in West Virginia. “You get out to see all the different things that are happening around the country. The education forum is really where the lion’s share of programs are in this country. I teach community-based programs myself so it’s really nice to see the music not just in the school systems. To have a community program where anybody can join at whatever age really starts to show what this instrument can do and it reaches out to people.”
Thanks to the efforts of both players and the community at large, this year’s event was considered a success. But Waugh hopes to build upon that success in coming years by improving on some obvious issues.
“I think for next year we’ll take a look at the venue. We want to be sure it is not only comfortable for the performers, but the public as well. This is the second year in a row where the temperatures rose into the upper 90s. I think we can relook at how to prepare for any kind of weather,” Waugh said. I think too that we’ll look at the program. Our motto at the SPC is ‘Learn. Connect. Perform.’ We’ll want to look at building a program that continues to capture that for everyone. That could be a day dedicated to info/education sessions, performances in the evening, dinner/reception. We’ll keep all our options open.”
Additionally, Waugh sees the event as an opportunity to build the community further across the country, and possibly internationally, to help promote the instrument and its capabilities.
“I am just a part of the Steel Pan Collective, so I’m just one voice. But I do see the Pan People Music Festival being an event where people network, learn some new techniques, catch up with old friends, make new ones, find the latest in products/services, give stellar performances to the general public, but also experience performances by pan players at the top of their craft,” he said. “I think the Pan People Music Festival, being in Denver and in the center of the country, it could easily be the one ‘can’t miss’ event that people circle on their calendar. It can be one of the times that pan and all that goes with it takes center stage.”
