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On Saturday afternoons in the fall it is all about hard
hitting college football on the campus of Vanderbilt
University. But on Sundays a group of Vanderbilt
football players show their softer and gentler side as
part of the Vanderbilt “Commodore” Steel Band program.
Meet the “First and Ten” Steel Band. (Vanderbilt
University News Service video story link below) |
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(
http://sitemason.vanderbilt.edu/newspub/bjfTyg?id=30982
)
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The “First and Ten” Steel Band, currently taught by
Vanderbilt instructor
Mat Britain is one of four steel bands ranging in skill level and
experience from beginning to advanced . “When I first
started teaching at the
Blair School of Music
I was approached by one football player who wanted to
take steel pan lessons to fulfill an Arts credit”,
explains Britain. “He obviously enjoyed the class and
told some teammates because each semester the enrollment
has increased to the point of having an entire steel
band made up of Vandy football players.” The band is
obviously a hit with these student athletes as
linebacker Brandon Bryant explains, “I enjoy playing pan
a lot. It’s kind of a release and lets you blow off some
steam and you are having fun.” The class seems to be
just as fun for the instructor as well, “I must admit
that I was a bit hesitant about teaching football
players how to play steel pan, but I truly have a blast
with these guys and look forward to each class”. Britain
continues, “I also have the utmost respect for them.
They play 3 plus hours of football on Saturdays in one
of the toughest sports conferences in the country
(Southeastern Conference) and then for out of town games
make the trip back to campus. Our class meets on Sunday
afternoons, the day after their games, yet they still
show up on time and ready to practice the steel pan.
Sometimes they come in with ice bags taped to knees or
shoulders, or even on crutches, but they are in class
ready to go.” Britain also loves the athlete’s
enthusiasm and determination. “When they get their parts
right and the song comes together the guys really get
excited. It’s almost like they just made a great play on
the gridiron. They are high-fiving each other and there
is a real sense of team spirit when the group does their
best.”
Very few of the “First and Ten” band have any musical
experience and even fewer know how to read music so the
songs are taught by rote similar to the way steel band
music is taught in Trinidad. Britain calls out the notes
for each section of the band and works on sticking,
phrasing, and rhythmic interpretation by demonstration
and repetition. “I only get to rehearse with this band
once a week so there is a lot of repetition so the
muscle memory of where the notes are on the pans starts
to sink in” says Britain. Senior linebacker Funtaine
Hunter (pre-med) echo’s that thought, “it takes a lot of
practice and repetition to be good at playing pan or
football. If you want to be a good team, or a good band,
you have to practice.” That repetition and practice was
important as the “First and Ten” band prepared for their
very first concert.
“About half way through the semester I got the idea to
put the football players on the fall concert with the
other Vanderbilt Steel Bands” says Britain. “I asked
them if they would be interested in performing on the
concert and to my surprise many of the guys were nervous
and hesitant. My thought was, “these guys are in front
of tens of thousands of people (and on tv) every
weekend.
Surely they won’t be nervous at our steel band concert.
But this was the first time on stage for most of the
guys. I guess I would be pretty nervous if someone stuck
me out on a football field in front of 35,000 and asked
me to kick a field goal.” But with a little extra
practice the “First and Ten” Steel Band accepted the
challenge of performing on the concert.
The evening of the concert arrived and the football
players milled around nervously back stage waiting for
their turn to perform. As the “First and Ten” band made
their way on to the stage the excitement in the standing
room only audience of over six hundred people began to
rise and calls of encouragement were shouted from some
of the footballer’s friends and family in the concert
hall. “As the first calypso began it was evident that
the guys “came to play” says Britain. “They really
stepped up and played great!” The audience obviously
thought so as well as they roared their approval. The
“First and Ten” Steelband definitely made a “musical
touchdown” and left the stage doing what else..... high-fiving
each other and congratulating fellow team/band mates for
a job well done.
To see a video story about the “First and Ten” Steelband
done by the
Vanderbilt University News Service click on the
following link.
http://sitemason.vanderbilt.edu/newspub/bjfTyg?id=30982
Mat Britain’s Bio -
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/Blair/faculty/faculty_ensemble.html
To contact Mat Britain -
(mathew.britain@vanderbilt.edu)
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Meet the “First and Ten” Steel Band
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