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New York,
USA -
In the
parking lot
of the
Brooklyn
Museum,
WIADCA’s
red, white
and blue
corporate
logo
featuring a
humming bird
and an
eagle,
loomed large
at the
center of
the back
wall of the
stage.
Surrounding
WIADCA’s
logo was a
myriad of
corporate
posters such
as Heineken
Beer,
McDonalds,
Healthfirst,
Hennessy,
National
Grid, The
Daily News,
Kings County
Hospital,
Caribbean
Life,
American
Airlines,
and others.
Curiously,
there was no
prominent
banner to
signal the
spectacular
event of the
night -- New
York’s 2K10
Panorama
Competition.
In the
absence of a
Panorama
Competition
banner, the
commanding
background
of corporate
images
created a
space in
which the
magical
musical
performances
of the steel
bands served
to enhance
the image
and advance
the agendas
of WIADCA
and
supporting
corporations.
This point
of view is
not a
criticism of
WIADCA and
the
corporations;
nor is it an
appeal for
change.
However, the
contrast of
symbolic
representation
and
non-representation
puts a
spotlight
what can be
called “the
power of
context” to
shape
experience
and to
define
outcomes.
Context here
is simply a
space in
which
something
shows up or
the space
that makes
it possible
for
something to
show up. As
human beings
in our
personal
lives and in
our group
experiences
such as in
family and
in
organizations,
we create
context
through
language and
the
presentation
of images.
Thus it is
through
language or
a set of
conversations
that we
create a
particular
space in
which the
events of
our lives
occur.
Nothing gets
created
without a
conversation.
The context
of our
lives,
however,
operates in
the
background.
We are
usually not
aware of
this context
but it runs
the show on
the stage.
In our
personal
lives many
of us may
have a
background
context for
our lives
that says,
“I’m not
good
enough,”
“There’s
something
wrong with
me,” “I
can’t do
this.” This
kind of
background
conversation
and the
context it
creates
limits what
shows up in
our lives
and how we
express
ourselves.
Until we
become aware
of this
background
conversation
and become
responsible
for creating
context (a
space) that
serves our
interests,
there will
be no
obvious
explanation
of why
things
happen in
our lives
that are
destructive
and we do
not have the
ability to
live freely
and
powerfully.
While
Panorama
competitions
in New York
are
invariably
joyful, what
is
consistently
missing is
the
expression
of powerful
representation
of the
competing
steel bands
that is
reflected in
capturing
the entire
space of the
competition
with the aim
of
strengthening
the
steel
orchestras
(as the
individual
music
organizations
they
themselves
are).
The steel
bands show
up; they
play their
hearts out;
they are
judged; the
audience
endures the
cold and
waits for
the results.
One band
wins the
competition
and bragging
rights until
the next
year. Again,
there is
nothing
wrong with
that
experience
but it does
not leave
the players,
the audience
and their
respective
communities
in a space
of honor and
power.
Now imagine
a Panorama
Competition
where
instead of
the
pervasive
presence of
corporate
logos, what
was present
was the
banners of
each steel
band and
their
governing
statement.
For example,
this year
members of
CASYM Steel
Band
organization
sported tee
shirts with
the
statement
“Education A
Must.”
Education A
Must
establishes
a clear
context that
focuses
attention on
the band and
points to
what really
matters to
them and
their
communities.
This is a
compelling
issue when
it is
considered
that only
28% of Black
males
entering New
York City
high schools
graduate and
there is a
direct
relationship
between
dropping out
of high
school and
being
incarcerated.
According to
Education
Secretary
Arne Duncan
only 2% of
teachers are
Black males.
The Daily
News
reported on
February 14,
2010 that
the number
of Black
students
attending
the city’s
most elite
public
schools
dropped by
10% since
Mayor
Bloomberg
took over
the school
system. At
Brooklyn
Technical
High School
the
percentages
dropped from
18% in
2002-2003 to
12% in
2009-2010.
In that same
time period
the
percentage
of Black
students at
Bronx
Science
dropped from
7% to 3%.
These are
profound
facts that
have a
direct
impact on
the quality
of life in
our
neighborhoods.
In the light
of these
facts it
would have
been great
public
relations
activity for
a member of
CASYM Steel
Band to
bring their
presumably
progressive
educational
agenda to
the Panorama
audience. At
the Panorama
competition
there is at
least twenty
minutes
between
performances.
There is
precious
airtime
available to
move CASYM’s
message from
a tee shirt
to the eight
thousand
people in
attendance
and further
to a
world-wide
audience via
internet
streaming
video. The
question
here is what
was CASYM’s
organizational
context such
that it’s
important
message was
not carried
wide and
loud? To the
extent that
steel bands
attract many
young people
with parents
in the
public
school
system,
steel bands
are well
positioned
to have an
enormous
impact on
educational
policy and
practices.
During the
transition
period
between
bands it
would have
been
fascinating
to view
video
presentations
of
preparation
leading up
to this
year’s
Panorama
competition.
What were
the
challenges?
How were
they
overcome? A
recap of the
previous
year’s
competition
would have
provided
excitement
for what’s
to come. But
nothing gets
accomplished
in the world
of “should”
or “would”
or even
blame and
fault.
What’s at
stake in the
Panorama
competition
beyond
winning
first place
is an
opportunity
to have a
progressive
voice for
the
empowerment
of Black
communities.
But
empowerment
does not
happen
without
conversations
and actions
that are
consistent
with the
will to
power. A
will to
power
necessarily
involves a
shift in the
context or
the space in
which the
Panorama
competition
occurs. The
choice is to
keep that
space small
and in the
service of
other
entities or
to create a
large space
where the
indestructible
voice of Pan
is heard and
its impact
felt.
There is an
often-heard
mantra,
“When Steel
Talks,
Everybody
Listens.”
Well the
digital
revolution
makes that a
reality.
Live
streaming
the Panorama
competition
or any other
performances
such as
steel band
“launches”
opens up a
whole new
world of
possibility.
“Education”
in this
realm is
certainly “A
Must.” The
opportunity
here is for
the Steel
Bands to
create and
participate
in a
conference
that
addresses
the legal,
technical,
social and
economic
issues
related to
streaming
performances.
Indeed, the
digital
revolution
offers the
chance to
create a
context that
ushers steel
bands out of
the
obscurity of
a musical
subculture
to a
powerful
cultural
front for
fashioning
transformation
of the
world. The
choice is
available –
choose.
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