Global - On July 13, Delaware Steel, under the direction of Professor Harvey Price of the UD (University of Delaware) in Newark, will head out on tour for the first time since its Eurasian stint in 2008 when they shared the stage with great bands like Ebony and Calypsociation steel orchestras. The group will put on several performances in Thessaloniki, Greece.
Delaware Steel’s touring band is made up of 16 music educators, percussion majors, and community members from northern Delaware and Philadelphia. The band has been together for over 15 years and has hosted visiting artists including Andy Narell, Ray Holman, and Liam Teague. The group has played festivals in Sweden, Germany and Israel. This is the first trip to Greece for the band. To keep the pans in top shape, the band brings long-time friend and expert tuner Billy Sheeder along on tour. When the band plays, Billy doubles as Iron Man, to keep the band in time.
Delaware Steel
The group applied along with hundreds of other musical groups and artists to perform at the prestigious 30th International Society for Music Education (ISME) World conference on music education. The conference is held every two years in a different country and features a variety of multicultural musical lectures and performances. This year, the conference is in Thessaloniki, Greece from July 15 to 20. The band is among a few dozen groups invited to play at the conference.
While ISME does not offer monetary support for the invited musicians, the University of Delaware department of Arts and Science provided a generous grant to help the band afford the trip. Band members had to raise funds for individual airfare.
Delaware Steel onstage at Caribbean Summer in Dortmund, Germany
Musically, Delaware Steel will highlight a set of Caribbean styles featuring Soca, Calypso, Samba, with a Bomb tune and a Classical number for good measure. This tour’s program will include ‘Red Beans and Rice’ by Ray Holman, ‘I Will Survive,’ the Bomb tune arrangement by Pelham Goddard, as well as an arrangement of the 2011 Panorama winning tune “Calling Meh.”
The band has been rehearsing since February and will perform two sets at the conference. One set will be on the main stage of the Thessaloniki Concert Hall on Monday July 16 at 13:00 (1 PM). The second performance will be a special outdoor evening set at the famous Lefkos Pyrgos (the White Tower) on Tuesday July 17 at 23:00 (11 PM). All performances are open to the general public and conference attendees alike. In addition to Delaware Steel’s formal sets at the conference, the band will perform several “pop up” concerts at local cafes and parks.
Delaware Steel is excited to represent the Pan community. They are proud to share the mission of bringing Pan love to the world.
Leave a comment in the WST forum