Pan
Times
responds to a
podcast
of
an
interview
by Dave
Gerhart
with Dr.
Michael
Bump,
Associate
Professor
of
Percussion
at
Truman
State
University,
a couple
of weeks
ago.
Dr. Bump
talked
about
his
experience
in
Trinidad
and
Tobago
during
Panorama
2011.
Pan
Times
examines
the
priceless
and
irreplaceable
value of
the true
Panyard
experience.
Dr. Bump
recently
performed
with
Invaders
Steel
Orchestra
(pictured) while on
sabbatical
at
Truman
State.
Global -
A very
interesting
and
telling
interview. Dr.
Bump has
gone a
long way
towards
understanding
the oral
tradition
and the
true
power of
Pan and
the
Panyard.
Reading
and
writing
music is
a great
tool and
skillset
to
possess,
as it
can
facilitate
almost
every
aspect
of the
musical
experience.
However,
there is
no
substitute
for the
musician
who
‘lives’
the
music
through
his ears
and
develops
those
cognizant
skills
to
recall
and
execute
while
simultaneously
becoming
one with
the
music.
In
addition,
an even
far
greater
benefit
of the
oral
tradition
of
teaching
music,
is the
human
interaction
that
must
take
place
for the
unit
(orchestra)
to learn
and
share
information.
In the
age of
texting
and
one-person-per-automobile
with all
the
windows
up –
self-imposed
isolation
- and
the
music
blaring
- the
western
civilization
has
become
increasingly
individualistic
and
unfeeling.
The
Panyard
still
compels
people
to
remain
human
and
interact
with
each
other,
ultimately
slowing
down the
ultimate
dehumanizing
of the
human
race.
While it
sounds
great in
theory I
personally
dread
the day
when
everyone
will
walk
into a
Panyard
two days
before
the
annual
National
Panoramas,
whip out
the
music
sheets
and an
hour
later be
ready to
take the
stage.
Those
musicians
will not
ever
know the
name of
the
player
next to
them or
in their
racks,
because
there
would be
simply
no need
to ever
interact
on that
level.
The
Panyard
will
become a
cold and
unfeeling
machine-like
environment.
And we
will
lose
that
ability
to
listen
(play by
rote),
or just
simply
watch
over a
person’s
shoulder
- and
after
two
‘passes’
be ready
to go.
It was
not too
long ago
that we
had the
ability
to
communicate
through
a drum –
for the
most
part
that
ability
is gone
now.
In the
urban
setting
where
life can
be as
hard as
the
concrete
sidewalks
folk
walk on,
the oral
tradition
of and
in the
Panyards
mandates
human
interaction
in a
humane
and
social
manner
in spite
of the
hostile
surroundings.
It makes
us
better
human
beings
overall.
Click
to
comment
on the
related
discussion
on the
WST
forum
