The Capitol
By Dana French
Old Mill High School
When one looks at an empty 85-gallon oil drum - maybe at a park, where it may serve as a trash can - most likely the last thing that person would think to do with it is to turn it into an instrument.
However, that is precisely what an unknown Trinidadian thought to do in the 1930s. The roots of this instrument go back to the 1500s, when French and Spanish plantation owners brought African slaves to the Caribbean Islands, but it wasn't until the 20th century that the object of choice for creating the instrument turned to the empty oil drum.
In 2000, the art of playing steel drums finally came to Maryland schools - more specifically, Old Mill. Four students started the then-extracurricular band with Michael Miller as supervisor, practicing during their lunch period. In 2001, Steel Band became a bona-fide course, with Mr. Miller being chosen to teach the class. Since then it has expanded into an ever-growing part of the Old Mill music curriculum, with it going on multiple periods a day.
Some
of the finer students in the steel drum band are allowed to come and play
together in the traveling form of the band. This band plays multiple shows a
year, traveling throughout the county and state. Some of the places the band
can list on its resume are the Anne Arundel County Board of Education,
Baltimore's Channel 13 morning news program, Fells Point Osyterfest, and
Annapolis's Midnight Madness.Mr. Miller's musical accomplishments are nowhere near limited to the steel drum band alone. Inside of Old Mill, Mr. Miller helps inspire future generations of musicians as the teacher of guitar, as well as steel drum.
Outside of school, he makes his mark as guitarist and steel drum player in his band, The Geckos. They play in and around the Annapolis/Inner Harbor area and please audiences with one of the most laid back sounds one could imagine. To this date they have released two albums, entitled "Move Yourself" and "Slow Down Your Engines." This winter they will be releasing a new CD, "Meet Me On The Water."
"I think it's awesome (that we have a Steel Band class)," said Melissa Moscati, 12, who is one of 60 students currently enrolled in the class, "I can't think of any other school that has one." Many people share her enthusiasm for the steel drum.
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