Join us for our 5th annual Pan Camp!

Pan Camp is a week-long program that takes a group of children new to the steelpan, performance, and instrumental music and teaches them steelpan and performance technique. During the week, children learn steelpan technique, performance skills, and the history and culture of the instrument, including the unique building process. Each aspect of the curriculum helps our young students to build confidence, be creative, think innovatively, and build their skills as we move through the week. Learning about the history and creation of the instrument inspires their creativity and increases their connection to the steelpan.

Our unique camp will not only teach students about the steelpan, our program also focuses on enhancing social skills and increasing self esteem, self awareness, and confidence while promoting personal expression and creativity. Pan Camp ends with a Community Showcase for family and friends.

Sessions: (Please note: each sessions takes place in a different location)

June 17th-21st 9am-12pm Community Forge

July 15th-19th 9am-12pm TBD

August 5th-9th 9am-12pm St. Edmunds Academy

Cost: $175 per session

**Scholarships available for all programs. Contact us for more information: info@barrelstobeethoven.com

*Healthy snacks will be provided. Please let us know if your child has a food allergy.

Scholarships Available!

Pan Camp is funded in part by the Pittsburgh Foundation of Pittsburgh, A.W. Mellon Grant

About Us

Barrels to Beethoven is dedicated to the preservation, education, and innovation of the steelpan. Founded in 2014 by Leigh Solomon Pugliano, Barrels to Beethoven provides engaging, entertaining, and interactive opportunities for the public, especially young people, to learn the accurate history of the instrument, the building and tuning process, music theory, and technique. Leigh started the organization as a way to recognize and continue her father’s work. The mission of the organization is to provide impactful arts and cultural education to the community as well as sustain the instrument. In addition to learning music theory, science, innovation, and technique, kids who participate in our steelpan education programs gain the personal, social, emotional, and educational assets needed to support healthy development.

Steelpan Summer Camp at Mannette Academy of Music. Ages 7 – 16, music, fun, activities from 9am to 2 pm. End of camp concert.

Andy Narell & Friends at Cotton Club Japan.

This year, close on 90 different schools and institutions will be descending for the eighth Education Africa International Marimba and Steelpan Festival and will see over 2000 participants with kids travelling from as far as Zimbabwe, Botswana and Nigeria,” says Joan Lithgow, Marimba Specialist and Director of the International Marimba and Steelpan.

Education Africa launched its International Marimba and Steelpan Festival (The Festival) in 2012 to create an awareness worldwide of the educational value that marimba playing has while also creating an international platform for our marimba and steelpan players in South Africa to perform on.”

The Festival has become one of the largest of its kind in the world and takes place annually in Boksburg over a period of two days. It is fully inclusive and caters for people from all walks of life including deaf and special needs bands. Over the weekend, marimba and steelpan bands take part in various competitions divided into age sections and various categories. A prominent feature at The Festival includes fringe events which feature guest performances and approximately 90 workshops.

“500 disadvantaged children are also being looked after over the weekend, with The Festival sponsoring meals, some accommodation and transport,” says Lithgow.

In order to facilitate the tightly timed competitions, two sets of adjudicators have been selected with each including international and extensive local experience. Adjudicators include five-time Grammy ballot-nominee, Jason “Malletman” Taylor, Sasha Sonnbichler, Nobathembu Yvonne Raedane, Naledi award winning Musical Director, conductor, arranger, composer and educator, Eddie Clayton, Mokale Koapeng and SAMRO award winning composer, Dave Reynolds.

The Festival comprises six sections for Primary Schools, High Schools and Open Bands split between small and large ensembles and within each, a number of categories include Battle of the Bands, In the Mix, Strictly Classical and Proudly South African/African Prestige Bands.

“We would like to take the opportunity to thank our sponsors, especially Business Arts SA (BASA) and the SAMRO FOUNDATION for their continued support. We’d also like to thank the educators and we applaud the considerable effort and hours of learning and practice that each musician has put into their instrument of choice,” concludes Lithgow. “We look forward to another spectacular weekend of incredible music, learning, friendship and camaraderie.”

Join us for a 3-day hands-on workshop at Exodus’ Panyard. Learn how to practically apply music theory to improvication, composition and music-making. Guide your students toward a lifetime of making, composing and playing music of their choice. Featuring: Dr. Kim Johnson, Vanessa Headley M. M., Malika Green M. M., Atiba Williams M. M.