Pan, Still on the Move: An Exploratory Study of the Steelpan's Uncharted Growth and Development in North America, and What Impact this Puts on the Pan Movement in its Place of Origin, the Caribbean

ABSTRACT This study examines the growth and development of the steelpan in its place of origin, Trinidad and the Caribbean, and its diffusion into North American cities in Canada and the USA. This topic is based on a personal interest in the progressive development of the steelpan including the concerns and the implications for the future of the people, places, and institutions that are affected. Steelpan development, in its simplest form, is very broad when considering the varied aspects of cultural, social, academic, and economic scenarios. This dissertation offers a comparative analysis of the various aspects of steelpan development, based on the information focusing on two specific areas: academic and community development. Certain areas have begun the industrialized manufacturing of the instrument. The study is restricted to some of the major cities in Canada and the USA which have been heavily involved in some aspect of steelpan development. The rationale behind the study is to observe and determine the pros and cons in areas of development and to provide information that may be shared and further assist in steelpan developmental strategies. Findings of the research are determined through the examination of related books on the steelpan culture, government documents, newspaper articles, interviews, participant observation, and my personal direct and continuous involvement with the pan culture for over fifty years. The methodology and theoretical approaches of autoethnography and cultural studies are the ways and means that are employed to achieve the necessary research goals.