|
 Germany
-
In 1999, the
managing
board of the
steel pan
association
pan-kultur
e.V. from
Dortmund
asked music
pedagogue
Werner M.
Weidensdorfer
if he could
offer
courses for
children on
their
premises.
Being an
absolute pan
novice, he
was
confronted
with the
sound of
steel pans
for the very
first time
at that
moment and
was
“assimilated”
immediately.
Within one
week, his
experience
as a
musician and
teacher
combined
with the
craftsmanship
of tuner
Eckhard C.
Schulz lead
to the
creation of
the
TeacherSteelPan,
an
elementary
instrument
for learning
the language
of music.
Thus
equipped,
the PanKids
– as they
were called
back then –
embarked on
their
journey into
the steel
pans’ cosmos
of sound, a
journey
which has
lasted for
11 years up
to now. With
their
TeacherPans
which in the
course of
the early
years were
extended by
the ranges
soprano,
alto, tenor
and bass to
form a
quartet,
they quickly
made a name
for
themselves
as a
children’s
steel band.
2004 saw the
change to
traditional
steel pan
instruments,
and the
PanKids
became the
youth steel
orchestra “PanGanG”.
As early as
in 2006,
they won the
1st prize at
the Folk +
World Music
2006
competition
organized by
the
LandesVerband
der
Musikschulen
in NRW
[regional
association
of music
schools in
North
Rhine-Westphalia].
Numerous
concerts and
intensive
rehearsal
made sure
that the
PanGanG
consistently
developed to
become a
professional
steel
orchestra.
In January
of 2009 they
won the 1st
prize at the
regional
competition
“JugendJazztNRW”,
thus
bringing the
Caribbean
calypso
sound into
the domain
of jazz big
bands. On
20th June,
PanGanG
played at
the 1st
International
Steel Band
Festival in
De Kwakel,
Netherlands.
At this
point, there
was the
breakup with
pan-kultur
as the
managing
board parted
with W. M.
Weidensdorfer
directly
after the
prize-winning
concert in
January.
This would
have been
the end of
the
successful
youth
orchestra if
it had not
been for a
group of
committed
parents who
were willing
to carry on
the
successful
concept. In
late April
of 2010,
PanGanG left
the
orchestra
room in
Güntherstrasse
to move into
their
PanLoft of
the newly
founded
association
“Calypsonic
e.V. -
Institut für
SteelPan und
Calypso”
only a few
hundred
yards away.
Apart from
the soprano
pans owned
by each of
the
musicians,
they had no
orchestra
instruments
at all – but
two
important
gigs were
scheduled
for only two
weeks later.
In this
near-fatal
situation,
the tuner
Toussaint
Clarke
proved to be
a real
saviour. The
parents
advanced
funds, and a
basic
ensemble set
was brought
back to
Dortmund
from a
weekend trip
to Bath.
This,
however, led
to another
challenge:
On account
of the
Caribbean-style
layout of
the pans,
the
experienced
musicians
had to start
again from
scratch!
After only
one single
week and
despite all
adverse
conditions,
PanGanG
played on
Saturday and
Sunday on
occasion of
the
anniversary
of the
Cologne Zoo
– and the
audience was
enthusiastic.
After a
number of
local
concerts,
this summer
the band
achieved
something
which they
would not
have thought
of in their
wildest
dreams:
arranger
Leroy Clarke
and Joe
Friend,
captain of
Real Steel
Plymouth,
invited them
to join the
orchestra
for the UK
Panorama in
London. The
time frame
was tight,
one week of
preparation
in their own
rehearsal
room, then
off to
Plymouth on
the Saturday
before the
Notting Hill
Carnival.
Following
another 5
days of
highly
intensive
work in the
Sound House,
Estover,
Real Steel’s
complete
line-up met
for the
final
rehearsal in
Bath. That
event alone
went beyond
the
imagination
of our
German
teenagers.
And then
came the
absolute
highlight of
this journey
– the UK
Panorama in
Kensal Road,
a musical
wonder of
the world
with PanGanG
right in the
middle!
Since then,
the sound at
Calypsonic
e.V. has
changed
fundamentally.
It sounds as
if the band
has been
given a
turbocharger,
and everyone
knows for
sure: Pan is
for life –
PanGanG will
play on!
From the
news desk of
PanGanG
For further
info go to:
http://www.calypsonic.de
http://www.pangang.de
http://www.teachersteelpan.de
|
