PanJammers bring the tropics to Dayspring Christian Academy

Posted February 15, 2013

The PanJammers, who perform on steel drums, performed a 30-minute concert for Dayspring Christian Academy students. Photo by Christy Van Steenburg

The PanJammers, who play on steel drums, performed a 30-minute concert for Dayspring Christian Academy students. | Photo by Christy Van Steenburg

The PanJammers transformed Dayspring Christian Academy into an island of tropical music on Feb. 6.

The PanJammers, a group of musicians that play on steel drums, performed a 30-minute concert for the kindergarten through fifth-grade students in the gymnasium. They taught the students about how the steel drums, call “pan” in their native country, started in Trinidad in the 1920s and 30s. The students were surprised to learn that steel drums started as a trash can. The PanJammers shared about the different beats used in steel drum music, such as reggae and rock.

They also showed the audience how the steel drums can be played with a bass guitar and acoustic drums. Some of the audience members even got a close-up look at the instruments and had a chance to play them.

Mrs. Fritz, who is both a PanJammer and a DCA mom, helped to organize the performance with the elementary music teacher, Mrs. Carr. The elementary students enjoyed themselves so much, they cannot wait to see the PanJammers perform again.

– Submitted by the DCA Young Writer’s Club