Steelpan Continues To Grow As Participants Graduate

One hundred and twenty eight enthusiastic youths from Regions 3, 4, 6 and 7 graduated from the 2016 Republic Bank RightStart Pan Minors Music Literacy Programme.

The three week programme was held during the period July 18 – August 04, 2016 and participants learnt practical skills, steel pan history and music theory. The workshop is now in its seventh year and to date over 900 students have prticipated from the programme.

This year there were three Beginners’ Camps and one Specialist Camp which catered for youths who showed an aptitude for Steel Band Arranging.

The workshop concluded with a special Graduation Ceremony on Thursday, August 04, 2016 at 15:30h in the Grand Savannah Suite, Pegasus Hotel, Kingston, Georgetown where the Georgetown participants received their certificates and provided entertainment. Similar Closing Ceremonies will be held in Regions 6 and 7.

The Feature Address was delivered by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mrs. Delma Nedd while the programme overview was delivered by Mr. Andrew Tyndall, Administrator of the National School of Music and Coordinator of the Programme.

This initiative, a collaboration between Republic Bank and the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport was first introduced to Guyana in 2010 as part of the Bank’s ‘Power to Make a Difference’ initiative.

Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited continues to play a major role in the promotion and development of the steel pan artform.