小蝌蚪APP

'Just Sit Back and Enjoy the Music': Celebrating the Melodic Tones of the Steel Drum

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Posted on March 24, 2016

Alice Jackson

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What does Mobile, home of the 小蝌蚪APP, have in common with the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago? 

The twin-island nation off the coast of South America does celebrate their pre-Lenten Carnival during the same time we locals observe Mardi Gras.

But for this story, it's important to know that the rich tradition of steel drum music, which originated in Trinidad and Tobago, also is celebrated at South.

And, as campus azaleas bloom and spring鈥檚 mild temperatures climb, the melodic tones of the USA Steel Drum Band promises that once semester finals are a memory, lazy summer days filled with beach waves are only a short drive away.

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On Monday afternoons in the , students set up steel drum instruments for their weekly practice session. The stainless steel bowls, or pans, of varying sizes, set atop thin-legged stands, are practically an international symbol for a tropical beachside or pool party.

Anticipation is building as the band鈥檚 director leads them in segments of popular songs, such as 鈥淵ellowbird.鈥� In two days, on March 23, the band would play during USA鈥檚 Brand Launch event held on the lawn between the Student Center and Meisler Hall. Then, on April 27, the group will present its Spring Concert in the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center.

USA鈥檚 Steel Drum Band began in 2011. Now, the 17 music students who alternate in the band are a popular addition to the University鈥檚 annual Holiday Concert. The group鈥檚 popularity is becoming known across the area, thanks to some paid gigs at private parties, and they have even played at a tropical-themed casino on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Only a handful of universities teach steel drum music, according to Dr. Luis Rivera-Carrero, assistant professor of and director of the USA Steel Drum Band.

鈥淢ost music curricula are focused on classical Western music, so the steel drum bands add something different, both for the students and their professors,鈥� he said.

But, how does such a simple-looking instrument produce all those bewitching and melodic tones that urge listeners to throw off their shoes and dig toes into the sand?

鈥淓ach pan is a slightly different size, even though they appear to be the same, and inside each individual pan, there are different pitches, or notes,鈥� Rivera-Carrero explained.

The key to one steel pan producing different musical notes is that during manufacturing, the pan鈥檚 metal is hammered to varying depths around its circumference. The player uses rubber-tipped sticks, resembling a drumstick, to strike notes around the inside of the pan.

鈥淭he smaller pans are more difficult to learn, but most people who play other instruments can easily learn to play steel pans because the musical note 鈥楥鈥� is at the center of the pan also,鈥� Rivera-Carrero said. 鈥淢ost musicians can learn to play steel drums during a weekend of practice.鈥�

Behind the familiar-looking stainless steel pans are the bass pans. If they resemble oil drums, that鈥檚 because they are, in fact, re-purposed oil drums painted black. To produce their sound, a bigger rubber-tipped stick is used.

鈥淭he arrangement of pitches on each steel drum is unlike any instrument I鈥檝e played before,鈥� said Ryan Boehme, a senior majoring in music education. 鈥淚 learned to play the double tenors first, which separates the pitches across two different pans, so there鈥檚 a lot of finesse that has to be learned and practiced in order to maneuver smoothly from one pan to the next.鈥�

A steel drum band can consist of simply the stainless steel pans, or the pans and the drums, but for the ultimate sound, any number of percussion instruments may be added, such as a familiar drum kit. Sometimes, even guitar music rounds out the island sound.

Like many people, Boehme understands why steel drum music is so popular.

鈥淎t all the steel band gigs we鈥檝e played, listeners already know what they鈥檙e seeing and hearing, and they can just sit back and enjoy the music,鈥� he explained. 鈥淭he steel drums sound good whether we鈥檙e playing a traditional tune or a popular song, and I think the audience reacts to that, which is what makes them so popular.鈥�

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