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Phasing in of the Steelband Art form into Higher Educatio:
Quality Assurance and the Teaching of Steel Pan in Schools and the
community
Lionel McCalman,
University of East London and Nostalgia Steelband
I welcome the idea of developing a national strategy for the teaching
of steel pan in music education, a strategy that gives due
importance to our community art form (a key component for the
recognition of the Caribbean Arts and creative arts in education).
For this to become a reality, it would require a comprehensive
document – which would be placed for discussion in the public
domain. We should also explore the means of implementing
conference’s recommendations for a register of accredited steel pan
tutors, whose musical skills and talents are recognised nationally.
I am also proposing new ideas around the development of schools
steel bands, as community music learning centres. There would be a
need for a Focus Group working on this aspect of ‘community based
educational initiatives’ to produce a detailed action plan for the
implementation of this concept. There are many other initiatives
that can be developed. I will suggest just a few of them. In the
first place, local councils should play a prominent part in the
development of community music projects along the lines of the
Centre for Young Musicians, in the fostering of a community
education culture for steel band music.
The programmes can be developed in connection with the existing
community steel bands, such as Ebony Steel Orchestra, Pantonic Steel
Orchestra etc. - in the specific locality. Projects would include
the development of viable and attractive community Carnival arts
studios, library, on the lines of the ones proposed
in Luton and London. We need to ensure that a cadre of trained
steel pan tutors is provided in the area of Educating Older Adults,
if the idea is to be extended to old people’s homes, and Third Age
projects, to ensure that these homes, which are mushrooming in view
of the requirements of an aging population, become hives of musical
activity, that can have a salutary effect on the lives of their
residents. The residents would thus be viewed as active and not
passive beings. Other projects could include The Foyer Residential
projects for the 16-25 age groups.
The other key issue is that of Immigration – and the transfer of
culture across national boundaries. Adult education has an important
role to play here. How about the idea of transforming Lifelong
Learning Centres, with due focus on education for resettlement, the
arts and rediscovering a global culture. The samba bands and the
steel bands are classic examples of cultural exchange from
developing countries to the developed. Walter Rodney’s classic
text,
How
Europe Underdeveloped Africa is worth revisiting in
this context.
The University with its broad curriculum today is ideally placed to
take such steps towards quality assurance. In particular, it is my
view that Education Departments (or where possible in collaboration
with Music departments), because of their experience is such
procedures, should be the focus of such developments.
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Programme