ABOUT

The Virtual Steelband is an opportunity for pannists around the world to participate together in one steelband performance that spans the globe virtually. Pastiche Steel Ensemble is hosting and producing the Virtual Steelband. The idea was brought to the ensemble by one of its past members Mia Gormandy after viewing Eric Whitacre's "Virtual Choir." Other Pastiche members including Yuko Asada, Abe Breiling, and Scott McConnell latched on to the idea, and they all later formed a committee to produce the Virtual Steelband. The Virtual Steelband Committee and Pastiche Steel by extension hopes to bring the steelband world together through this venture. This process will bring awareness to the number of steelpannists existing in different countries around the world and will promote future collaborations. This opportunity can promote Trinidad and Tobago's culture and possibly attract more people to the steelpan world. 

How it works

Pan players around the world video record themselves playing an original composition commissioned by the Virtual Steelband Committee. Each musician will perform a specific part of the composition using a metronome or prerecorded version of the piece. These video recordings will then be uploaded to the internet and combined by a sound and video engineer to form the Virtual Steelband. Here we will display the global community of the steelpan and show just how far this instrument has traveled in its short lifetime.