Meet the “First and Ten” Steel Band

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.

Tennessee, U.S.A. - 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.

Video story about the “First and Ten” Steelband done by the Vanderbilt University News Service was at the following link, which is now non-working: 
http://sitemason.vanderbilt.edu/newspub/bjfTyg?id=30982

To contact Mat Britain - (mathew.britain@vanderbilt.edu)

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