Diatonic Pan Institute, in its drive to foster positive social change among the youths in our society, is deepening our involvement in Culture, Education and Sports. In this regard we are hosting our 6th Annual Diatonic Siparia Steel in Motion, on the occasion of Siparia Fete. To mark this occasion we produced an annual souvenir glossy magazine that features interesting cultural, social and religious excerpts which are of historical and educational significance to Siparia. This magazine will have national and international distribution.
Diatonic Pre Secondary School Pan Programme 2015 In late May and June of 2015, students awaiting Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) results from the Siparia Seventh Day Adventist Primary School benefitted from Diatonic Pan Institute’s Pre Secondary School Pan Class, a programme sanctioned by the Ministry of Education. The goal of this initiative is to utilize this relatively inactive period for students of the SEA class towards positive pursuits by providing opportunities to learn pan playing techniques, understand basic music and rhythms and perform at their graduation ceremony in front of their parents, teachers and peers.
To view more pictures go to Gallery - Pre Secondary Pan Programme 2015
Diatonic Pankalang TV Series In the year 2014 diatonic ventured into a new dimension of pan exposure, with a television series entitled Pankalang. The main objectives was to educate the society nationwide and internationally about the creating, nurturing and maintaining a steel band together with the emotional, communal, physical, financial, political and social issues that accompanied its developments. As well as strengthening the steelband movement through the development of its members and the organization.
To view more pictures go to Gallery - Pankalang TV Series
Pre Secondary School Pan Classes 2013 With SEA exams happening in May there is a period of inactivity while awaiting results for our nation pre secondary students. Diatonic recognize that if this period is not properly managed it can provide an opportunity for all types of negative influences. Diatonic decided to use this period as a means of imparting positive influences and habits by offering steelpan classes designed to inform, uplift and entertain. These classes are designed to serve as a launching pad to fashion the lives of students entering secondary schools and to positively impact on delinquency and other non sociable behavior so prevalent in our system.
This is the second year that the Diatonic Pan Institute offered this programme with Siparia Union Presbyterian and St. Christopher AC School benefitting from the programme in 2012. The students and teachers see it as an after SEA Stress Reliever and recognized the change in attitude and the discipline of the students after the first two days.
The classes
were held Monday to Friday between the hours of 9:00am –
11:30am. This program has been sanctioned by the Ministry
of Education. The children were taught by Diatonic’s Pan
Institute Musical Director – Andrew Cardinal, with
assistance from Diatonic’s Asst. Manager – Wayne Sylvester
and other Diatonic Members.
The programme has achieved all our objectives for 2013. To view more pictures go to Gallery - Pre Secondary Pan Classes 2013
Diatonic launches its Music Literacy Program Diatonic Education Committee launched its Music Literacy Program on February 01st 2012, which was made available FREE to the community, thanks to the timely intervention of Point Lisas Nitrogen Limited. The program will see participants sitting the grade 1 Trinity School of Music examination in May 2012 and progressing to grade 8 by 2014. In addition to Diatonic members, the program was made available to institutions and individuals in the community. Such was the response, that at present thirty (30) students comprising a mixture of youths and adults are enrolled at the classes which are held weekly at the La Divina Parish Hall. The target is that they all will progress to the grade 8 level, thereby permanently changing the musical landscape of Siparia.
Conference on Culture & Sport - A Tool for Social Transformation
The Diatonic Steel Orchestra
embarked on the staging of two identical conferences
entitled “Culture and Sports – A Tool for Social
Transformation” in conjunction with the European Union. The
conferences were held at Lions Civic Centre in south
Trinidad and the Community Development conference facilities
in North on the 11 and 25th June 2011 respectively.
An opening ceremony was done in south which saw the playing of the national anthem, a prayer, and short addresses from the program officer of the EU and the manager of Diatonic. North was considered a continuation and as such there was no opening ceremony, however a closing ceremony was held at the end of the conference in north. The north conference started at 10.15am due to torrential showers which prevented the participants from getting to the venue. It should be noted however that the presenters were present for the schedule start.
Presentations were heard from Marcia Riley, Nestor Sullivan, Kenny Phillips, Richard Braithwaite and Damion Richardson, while the proceedings were moderated by Teddy Belgrave. Their presentations were so informative, interactive and provocative, that it fully explored the theme of the conference and the stated objectives were exceeded. At both conferences, the participants were stimulated to the extent that they called for a series of workshop to plan strategies geared towards implementation of the methods realized and sensitization of major stake holders. The conference not only informed on the need for culture and sports to curb crime, but it also showed that Trinidad and Tobago posses all the resources necessary for implementation. Their now exist tremendous interest in the conference that not only were there calls to have it done in Tobago, but a request was received from St. Vincent to stage a similar conference for their benefit. Presently plans are moving apace for the staging of the St. Vincent. |