Friday, August 22, 2014

The Times They Are A Changin'

There is change in the air. Maybe it's that time of year. School starting. Cooler weather moving in. With those changes comes a desire to try something new. It reminds me so much of the journey we all take when it comes to playing pan.

Remember what is was like when you first heard pan for the first time? Seen your first pan musician or group? Picked up the mallets yourself and gave it try? There is something very enlivening when it comes to embarking on new adventures. Pan is no different. We are our most excited in the beginning.

But what happens when the newness wears off? How easy is it to slip into boredom or discouragement when we mastered those first dozen songs. Where do you go next? If there are no foreseeable avenues, playing pan becomes a tad harder to do. You look and look but still wonder why you are doing it. For many of us, it is pure love of the instrument, its sound, and the camaraderie we have with others that keeps us in it. But is that enough? Maybe yes - maybe no.

Maybe it is just this time of year, that we pannists make changes. Summer is winding down. Outdoor gig bookings are slowing. We start to see our "off season" as a time to regroup and reimagine why we play pan. To blow on the spark that got us into pan in the first place.

Some of us will embark on playing with different groups, trying a new style of music, or learning another instrument in the pan family. We are willing to risk pursuing that opportunity to grow more in the instrument. We all yearn for something more. Maybe it just points out our humanity in that we always want something more. We want to grow.

So take that glowing ember of excitement that got you into pan and give it a gentle blow. Keep playing and supporting pan in your area and across the country. It will be just like it was in the beginning. And when it seems like it is harder than before, remember you'll find your way. Others did, so can you.

Skip Waugh
Steel Pan Collective


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