We’re hoping that this article will bring you up to speed with what birdsong got up to for Carnival 2017 as well as update you on our plans for the rest of the year.
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Building the New Panyard
Following our eviction from our home for the last 30 years just one week before Trinidad and Tobago Independence Day, 2016,we managed to move most of our teaching programmes, including the After School and Saturday Programmes to the Old Works building at UWI. However, once we started practice for Panorama 2017 at the UWI location, we felt that something was missing and yearned to return to our roots in the Tunapuna community. We'd been struggling for the last 10 years to gain access to our property at #3 St. Vincent Street, Tunapuna, so when we were granted the necessary planning approvals in the first week of January 2017 we were ecstatic. Here at last, was the opportunity hold the Panorama practice on our own property. However, we faced the daunting task of turning a heavily overgrown, vermin infested lot into a Panyard and suitable practice facility. Once again, the birdsong family rose to the occasion, we mobilized our own resources and received lots of support from great corporate citizens likeT&TEC, MIC/MuST and the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force. In just over 3 weeks, we managed to clear and grade the lot, install electrical, lighting, plumbing and toilet facilities, build storage facilities for the front-line pans and other instruments and embark on the process of paving the entire compound. So while we consider the new facility to be an interim one (stay tuned as we reveal more about our plans for the birdsong Academy of Music), we’re still proud of what we managed to achieve in such a short period of time. We’d like to give special thanks to all the workers and supporters who made it possible.
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The Panorama Experience
This year our Arranger for the National Panorama was Mia Gormandy. Mia, who is just 29 years old, has been described as “A perfect blend of immense talent, intellect and humility” and is definitely one of a new generation of musicians seeking to broaden the horizons of steelpan musical expression. Our Tune of Choice was Pan Kingdom and in this post, Mia describes the thinking behind this selection.
Prelims and Semis
Despite the fact that our Panyard was about 85% complete, we proudly hosted the "Prelims” at our new Panyard on Thursday 2, February with a great measure of success. The turn out of the people in the community was overwhelming and police estimates put the crowd at well over 800 persons. We live streamed the event on our Facebook Page and so far, more than 9 thousand persons have viewed the event. This outpouring of support powered the band to the National Panorama Semi-Finals. Unfortunately, we did not make it all the way to the National Finals but Mia’s arrangement and the bands performance was widely acclaimed. This serves to highlight the fact, that despite all the obstacles and setbacks, birdsong continues to “punch above is weight” in the steelpan arena. Indeed, in this article, Wesley Gibbens highlights the achievements of another birdsong Academy alumnus, Aviel Scanterbury, our former Junior Panorama Arranger. This year, he graduated to the big yard and was the Arranger for the band Angel Harps. Aviel who is only 22, is also a recent UWI Graduate, with a BA in Musical Arts.
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Junior Panorama
Once again, birdsong Academy performed with distinction at the National Junior Panorama playing “Far From Finished”, which was composed and sung by Aron Lewis and arranged by another birdsong prodigy, Daniel “Danny Boy” Ryan. The band created a buzz, resplendent in designer costumes, complete with gold footwear. On stage, fog machines added to the spectacle. Again congratulations are due to the band, all the parents, guardians, supporters, well wishers and the workers who made this possible.
Crowd Funding Initiative
While our hosting of the Panorama Prelims proved to be a spectacular success, the event also revealed a number of shortcomings with the new facility. These included the need for better drainage and lighting and to complete the main building. This work will cost us about $50,000 TTD. To this end, we’ve launched a crowdfunding campaign aimed at raising $50,000 TTD by March 18, 2017. To contribute, just visit the birdsong site and use your credit or debit card to contribute to the cause.
You can also contribute offline, make cheques payable to birdsong. As we wrote this article, contributions to the "Help Us Complete Our Panyard" stood at $22,572 TTD.
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Our Plans for the Rest of 2017
After School and Saturday Progammes
The emphasis in the immediate post Carnival period now switches to the birdsong Academy. Due to some temporary demolition work in the vicinity of the UWI location, classes have resumed at the new Panyard at #3 St. Vincent Street, Tunapuna.
Our focus will be on getting our students prepared for the various musical theory Associated Boards of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) and practical exams (ABRSM, Trinity Guildhall and UWI-Department of Creative and Festival Arts).
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Benefit Concert
The Scholarship Benefit concert is an annual concert designed to raise funds to provide scholarships for outstanding students. The birdsong Scholarship Fund currently supports three students; Derrianne Dyett at the Prince Claus Conservatoire in the Netherlands, Nicholas Jones at the University of Southern Mississippi, School of Music and Alisha Wallace at Tblisi State Medical University. This concert will take place in June at a date to be announced.
Vacation Programme
The Vacation Programme takes place over a 5 week period in the Summer (July to August) Vacation . The theoretical component is geared to Grades 3 and above and there is similar emphasis on both Pan and Non-Pan instruments as with the After School Programme. The Vacation programme will culminate with a grand Closing Concert at Queens Hall which is tentatively scheduled for August 19.
Free Concerts and Events - Pan for the People
birdsong Diwali - This popular community celebration of the Diwali festival is back for 2017. The event will take place in the Panyard and will feature the lighting of diyas and the sampling of various traditional Diwali sweets and delicacies. The event will also feature performances by birdsong Academy family including birdsong Tassa as well special guests.
Christmas in The Park. Auzonville Park comes to life with lights and the sounds of birdsong’s annual Christmas in the Park concert. The Christmas concert, which shows the various aggregations of the birdsong musical family will serve up a repertoire of seasonal music for the benefit of the Tunapuna community and the growing list of sponsors, well-wishers and supporters.
