The Central College Flying Pans Steel Drum Band performed at the 50th anniversary Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) Nov. 12 in Indianapolis, Ind. PASIC is the most prestigious percussion convention in the world.
“Only the finest percussion artists from around the world are invited to perform at PASIC!” says director Stan Dahl, assistant professor of music.
PASIC is the largest percussion event in the world, featuring more than 120 concerts, clinics, master classes, labs, workshops and presentations. Over 8,000 people attended the convention.
The Flying Pans were selected to perform in the World Showcase Concert as part of the Mass Steel Band, along with three other premier steel drum programs from around the country—the University of Illinois, Miami University and the Jim Royle Drum Studio. As a result of this performance, the Flying Pans will always be known as a PASIC Artist, which is a great honor.
“Performing at PASIC was great because we got to play pans with other students. Mass steel bands sound great!” said Ivy Paul, a senior cultural anthropology major who plays with the Flying Pans. “There are a lot of clinics and performances at PASIC. I liked the ones that talked about culture, such as a presentation about tasse drumming from Trinidad and a clinic about Ghanaian drumming. It was cool that the Flying Pans had the opportunity to be involved in such a special PASIC—the 50th anniversary.”
The Flying Pans perform on steel pan drums, which originated in Trinidad and Tobago. Including students from many different majors, the band performs diverse styles of music, from traditional calypso, soca and reggae to Latin, disco, techno and rock and roll. They often perform at Central and around the state and have recorded several CDs of their performances, including “Sanpana,” “Aerosteel,” and “Caribbean Rhapsody.”
The Flying Pans will be performing at the Music Department Student Showcase Recital Tuesday Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. in the Cox-Snow Recital Hall. During their part of the recital, they will perform and discuss three pieces from their PASIC concert.
Stan Dahl (back row, center) directed the Flying Pans at PASIC.
