New York, USA - So while at work I’ve decided to write down the experience from the steelpan musicians’ and management perspective. Every year to get a band to the annual New York Panorama hosted by WIADCA (West Indian American Day Carnival Association) is a challenge by itself - with the bands having to raise their OWN funds, find their rehearsal spaces, and recruit players.
The bands themselves now face a new challenge of a more competitive nature - which is preparing a band for a fierce competition and dealing with their neighbors in their respective areas. Okay: so the time permitted for the bands to rehearse is up to 11:00 p.m. - but as we all know as the time draws near steel orchestras tend to burn the candle a bit, and push the time, with the last week being the exception to the rule. But for some strange reason, this year seems to be the worst yet - with police having already shut down bands such as CASYM, Sonatas, and my band, Pantonic.
I currently don’t know what some of the other bands may have to deal with, but as for us we already have a rough ‘neighbor’ that on two separate occasions found her way into the pan yard with her daughter, fussing and screaming about the noise. This woman has threatened my players and supporters twice - and called the police multiple times, along with calling EMS (Emergency Medical Services) - faking an emergency at the pan yard.
So I’m here still at work wondering to myself: today is Wednesday night - and with the two biggest nights left before you cross the stage at Brooklyn Museum, I have two burning questions:
- What more is left to come, and;
- What is WIADCA planning to do, or doing, about this?
Every year Panorama watches another band bite the dust, and with limited space for a pan yard, and now complaining neighbors to add to the list, rehearsal locations are more than difficult [and this is generally for about only one month a year].
So I hope this reaches the right people to ensure OUR culture lives on!
Wayne Bernard
Pantonic Steel Orchestra Captain
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