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Steel drums help tune kids into music – new research

Friday 21 April 2006

Forget guitars, pianos, or the classic recorder – if you really want your kids to get to grips with music at an early age it’s the steel drums they should be practising. That’s according to new research carried out by a Senior Lecturer at the University of East London’s (UEL) School of Education who’s been teaching steel pan drums in local primary schools for over ten years.

Lionel McCalman, Programme Leader for UEL’s BA (Hons) degree in Education and Community Development, currently teaches the instrument at Lister and Kingsford schools in Newham and Eltham Green School in Greenwich. His latest research paper, to be published in May, shows that children as young as five clearly benefit from learning steel drums as their first instrument.

Lionel, who made his own 29-note steel pan out of an oil drum, said: “Steel drums are a wonderful instrument. Compared to traditional brass or woodwind instruments, they’re a very simple instrument to learn basic tunes on, and pupils can use them to quickly grasp the key principles of tuning, pitch and scales.

“Having said that, I definitely wouldn’t ask a five-year-old to make his own drums – it’s pretty hard work!”

The steel drums originated as an instrument in the African communities of Trinidad and Tobago and first appeared in this country during the Festival of Britain in 1951. Their popularity has grown rapidly, largely as a result of the success of the Notting Hill Carnival, and thousands of British schools now boast their own steel bands.

Lionel’s very own Nostalgia Steel Band will be performing at the Mayfest arts extravaganza at UEL’s Docklands Campus on 4 May as part of an exciting programme of events aiming to bring together the work of UEL students and the local community in a celebration of culture and creativity.

Other highlights of Mayfest 2006 include art and photography exhibitions, music, dance, poetry, and literature performances, and a range of seminars exploring the rich history and future development of the Docks. For further details, visit www.uel.ac.uk/mayfest or contact Lionel McCalman on l.mccalman@uel.ac.uk or 020 8223 2592.

UEL's School of Education is based at Longbridge Road, Barking.

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For details and pictures contact Patrick Wilson: 020 8223 2061 or 07951 797 975

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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