First Experience Listening to Pan

I remember the first time I heard steel pan. My family had the good fortune of going to Barbados years ago. On one of the evenings after dinner, there was a steel drum band playing on the beach. It was the Air Canada Steel Drum Band. This was back when steel drum bands sometimes took on the names of their sponsors. It was pretty cool. Here they were playing the instruments made out of old oil barrels. What a beautiful sound. It was nothing that I had heard before. The following year, a steel drum band came through my small town in New Jersey. Now, that was even cooler because I got to get up real close to them to see their technique and how they all move in unison. I hung out by one of the bass players. He was a real technician. Had two sticks in each hand and was playing the bass pans. I have yet to see anyone duplicate that feat. My parents took me up to see the bands in New York as well. My uncle was also a steel pan musician.  Each experience made a huge impression on me as a kid. Once you hear that sound, you'll either want to listen to more or learn to play. I always wanted to play and now I'm living that dream.