We should all applaud the Pan Tuner Apprenticeship Programme for its emphasis on young people. Launched last month, the initiative aims to train 15 people aged 17 to 35 for two years. The age cohort is useful because it means participants can have a long career ahead of them. It is a sustainable idea, assuming training is thorough and professional, and graduates remain in the industry.
Tuning is essential in pan production but hasn’t always gotten the attention it deserves. My generation can remember when Panorama banners credited only a few tuners. There are more now, but the numbers don’t match the proliferation of steel bands. Bands around the world often wait months to get a tuner to blend their pans. That is profitable for tuners, but it does slow the pace of Pan’s development.
The apprenticeship programme comes out of the National Steelpan Steering Committee, established in 2023 to create a governance framework for Pan. Building tuning expertise is a smart step in that direction.
Although the industry is decades old, most pan tuners are still self-taught or apprentice with an experienced tuner. Early tuners also played crucial roles in shaping Pan’s evolution. The late Ellie Mannette, often called the "Father of the Modern Steelpan," refined tuning techniques and helped establish the steelpan as a respected musical instrument. He created the Double Seconds as we know it today.
Spree Simon was also a pivotal figure in Pan’s early development. He created the first melody pan, turning a rough percussion instrument into one that could play music. He designed the “ping-pong” forerunner of today’s tenor pan.
Bertie Marshall developed the Double Tenor pan and experimented with its electronic tuning. Another great innovator, Anthony Williams advanced the design and tonal quality of the steelpan. Tuners like Lincoln "Delgado" Noel, Roland Harrigan, Leo Coker, Bertram Kelman, Allan Gervais, and Herman “Guppy” Brown have all helped to refine the sound of the instrument.
At Panorama, all bands want to have the sweetest pans. Audiences love the rich tone of the steel bands they support. Next to a tune’s arrangement, it can be the other key factor in winning. Steelpans require precise tuning after a lengthy process of preparation of the drums. It begins with the careful shaping of the playing surface that the tuner hammers to create individual notes, each occupying a separate area on the drum.
Tuners groove and dome the notes to establish their pitch. They then heat the steelpan in a process called tempering. This strengthens the metal and stabilizes the notes. The tuner then adjusts each note by tapping the surface to refine the pitch, tone, and resonance. This fine-tuning is done by ear and often requires multiple tuning sessions to get a clear and balanced sound. We can expect that as this apprentice programme produces more professional tuners Pan will evolve beyond where it is today.
Speaking at the launch, Trade Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon said the two-year programme, at a cost of $1.95 million, will train 15 people between ages 17 and 35 with "prior steelpan playing experience in the meticulous craft of steelpan tuning which includes note marking, tempering and tuning."
Participants will receive a $2,000 monthly stipend and be incorporated into steelpan manufacturing organisations such as Panland and MITTCO.
Gopee-Scoon praised the efforts of the government and committee in promoting the national instrument.
The National Steelpan Steering Committee was established in 2023 and includes members from the public and private sectors to develop the national governance framework for the steelpan industry.
Gopee-Scoon said financing under the government’s Steelpan Manufacturing Grant Fund Facility, established in 2020, has provided funding for the acquisition of equipment, software tools, raw materials and training.
Since the introduction of this facility in 2020, the exports of the steelpan have increased by 72 per cent, from $1.95 million in 2020 to over $3.1 million in 2023.
"Today, nine businesses have benefited from this grant from the facility in the amount of $3 million. The recipients have exported their steelpan to regional markets including Barbados, Martinique, Guadalupe, Jamaica, Cuba, Belize, St Thomas and the US Virgin Islands. And also internationally to the UK, US, Canada, France, Japan, China, Germany and Australia."
"...Other plans include the creation of a mechanism to connect tuners, players, arrangers, composers and manufacturers to collaborate and work together to build the industry.
Gopee-Scoon said a recording fund for steel bands will be created so that performances can be recorded and marketed internationally.
"Also, a thorough review of existing tax benefits will be done to boost target incentives and encourage support of the industry.
"A website will also be developed to allow stakeholders along the value chain to offer their products and services to both local and foreign consumers.”
In light of continued efforts to boost the capabilities of the manufacturers, Gopee-Scoon said she expects the trend of exports and large-scale production to continue.
The art of steelpan tuning includes various skills such as the marking of notes, tempering, tuning, finishing and blending.
"By ensuring the preservation and growth of steelpan tuning expertise, we are fostering the continued development of the steelpan industry in the areas of education, music production and international performance. Additionally, this programme will create jobs, help sustain local panyards and expand the larger steelpan ecosystem within our communities."