Summary
Students will identify and discuss steel pans and steel and style. Students will find Trinidad on a world map. Students will play a typical rhythmic/harmonic steel band pattern and learn to play a sustained melody in steel band style.
Suggested Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8
Country: Trinidad & Tobago
Region: Caribbean
Culture Group: Trinidadian
Genre: Steel bands
Instruments: Maracas, Metallophones
Language: English
Co-Curricular Areas: Social Studies
National Standards: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Prerequisites: None
Objectives:
- Understand steel band music & re-create on metallophones
- Learn and play/sing a typical children’s game song from Trinidad
- Learn about the history and purpose of calypso music
- Evaluate and perform “Begin the Beguine”
Material:
- “Gun Slinger” by Kim Loy Wong from Kim Loy Wong and his Wiltwyck Steel Band (Cat. # FW03834)
- “I Los My Glove” by Various Artists from Caribbean Songs and Games for Children (Cat. # FW07856) (Transcription provided below)
- “Picong Duel” by Lord Melody and King Sparrow from Calypso Awakening from the Emory Cook Collection (Cat. #SFW40453)
- “Begin the Beguine” by Bamboushay Steel Band from Bamboushay Steel Band (Cat. #FW03835)
- “Begin the Beguine” by Joe Sullivan from The Musical Moods of Joe Sullivan: Piano (Cat. #FW02851)
- “Begin the Beguine” by Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra from Tribute to a Generation: A Salute to the Big Bands of the WWII Era (Cat. #SFW40817)
- “Begin the Beguine” by The Invaders from Steel Band in San Juan (Cat. # COOK01101)
- Map of the Caribbean & Trinidad
- Transcription of steel band pattern by Pete Seeger
- Elder, J.D. (1962). Song Games from Trinidad and Tobago. The American Folklore Society
- Joseph, L. (1991). A wave in her pocket: Stories from Trinidad and Tobago. New York: Clarion Books
- Lord Melody biography
- King Sparrow biography
- Alan Lomax’s An American Patchwork Series: The Land Where the Blues Began, Toasts segment
- “Gypsy in the Moonlight” by Various Artists from Caribbean Songs and Games for Children (Cat. #FW07856)
- Transcriptions provided below
- Elder, J.D. (1962). Song Games from Trinidad and Tobago. The American Folklore Society.
- Joseph, L. (1994). The mermaid’s twin sister: More stories from Trinidad and Tobago.
- >New York: Clarion Books.
Lesson Segments:
- 1. Gun Slinger (National Standards 2, 5, 6, 8, 9)
- 2. I Los’ My Glove (National Standards 1, 2, 6, 8, 9)
- 3. Lord Melody & King Sparrow (National Standards 6, 7, 8, 9)
- 4. Begin the Beguine (National Standards 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- 5. Gypsy in the Moonlight (National Standards 1, 6, 7, 8, 9)
1. Gun Slinger
![Click to view recording details](https://folkways-media.si.edu/images/album_covers/SF700/FW03834.jpg)
“Gun Slinger”
from Kim Loy Wong and His Wiltwyck Steel Band (1959) | FW03834
- Attentive Listening: Students will listen to a recording of “Gun Slingers”
- What kinds of instruments do you hear?
- What do you think they are made of?
- How do the musicians create a sustained sound?
- Integrating World Music: Teacher shows maps of the Caribbean and Trinidad
- Integrating World Music: Teacher shows pictures of steel drums and if possible, allows students experiment with an actual steel drum
- Engaged Listening: Students will patsch along with shaker part, following teacher demonstration
- Enactive: Students will play shakers along with recording
- Creating World Music: Experiment on metallophones
- Play simple melodies (i.e. “Hot Cross Buns”) on metallophones, using a repeated roll on each note to sustain the pitches
- Add maracas and simulated brake drum
- Creating World Music: Students will perform a typical steel band rhythmic/harmonic pattern, as transcribed by Pete Seeger (see transcription), using metallophones, shakers, and a simulated brake drum (metal chair leg)
Assessment:
Authentic assessment of final performances
Steel Band Riff
Reproduced from liner notes of
Kim Loy Wong and his Wiltwyck Steel Band
arr. Pete Seeger
![](/images/tools-for-teaching/trinidadian_music_1.jpg)
2. I Los’ My Glove
![Click to view recording details](https://folkways-media.si.edu/images/album_covers/SF700/FW07856.jpg)
“I Los my Glove”
from Caribbean Songs and Games for Children (1978) | FW07856
- Integrating World Music: Review maps and steel band
- Engaged listening: Students play shaker and simulated brake drum along with recording of “Gun Slingers”
- Attentive listening: Students listen to field recording of “I Los’ My Glove”
- Who is singing?
- Can you describe the quality of the recording?
- Does it sound like it was recorded in a studio?
- Discuss field recordings
- Enactive Listening:Students learn song by rote and sing along with recording
- Creating World Music: Students sing song as a call and response song
- Teacher sings first phrase, students respond
- Student soloist sings first phrase and students respond
- Assess pitch-matching
- Creating World Music: Students play game as follows (adapted slightly for the public school setting):
- Players sitting in a ring, “Peter” walking around outside of ring while players sing
- At “Drop, Peter, Drop,” Peter drops a handkerchief or beanbag into the lap of the nearest player.
- The chosen player must chase Peter around the circle and tag him before he reaches the vacated place in the ring.
- The chosen player becomes the new Peter and the game repeats
- Integrating World Music: Read aloud a story from A Wave in her Pocket: Songs from Trinidad and Tobago (Joseph, 1994).
Assessment:
Assess pitch-matching during call and responses solos
![](/images/tools-for-teaching/trinidadian_music_2.jpg)
3. Lord Melody & King Sparrow
![Click to view recording details](https://folkways-media.si.edu/images/album_covers/SF700/SFW40453.jpg)
“Picong Duel”
from Calypso Awakening from the Emory Cook Collection (2000) | SFW40453
- Integrating World Music: Read Lord Melody biography
- Integrating World Music: Read King Sparrow biography and show pictures
- Attentive listening: Listen to Picong Duel by Lord Melody and King Sparrow
- Listen to the insults the two performers exchange.
- Integrating World Music: Discuss lyrics and insults.
- Integrating World Music: Talk about African American tradition of “the dozens” or “signifying.” Supplement here with examples from African American film culture
- Integrating World Music: Show “Toasts” segment from Alan Lomax’s An American Patchwork Series, The Land Where the Blues Began
- What are toasts? Rapid fire delivery of lyrical, poetic statements and stories with veiled, often political meaning or roots in Black pride
- Can you think of other traditions like this? The dozens, kudeketera, calypso
- This tradition birthed what modern musical forms? Reggae and rap
- Integrating World Music: Compare forms of verbal dexterity across cultures: African American dozens, Shona kudeketera, calypso picong, rap, proverbs
Assessment:
Assess verbal responses during discussion periods
4. Begin the Beguine
![Click to view recording details](https://folkways-media.si.edu/images/album_covers/SF700/FW03835.jpg)
“Begin the Beguine”
from Bamboushay Steel Band (1962) | FW03835
![Click to view recording details](https://folkways-media.si.edu/images/album_covers/SF700/FW02851.jpg)
“Begin the Beguine”
from The Musical Moods of Joe Sullivan: Piano (1973) | FW02851
![Click to view recording details](https://folkways-media.si.edu/images/album_covers/SF700/SFW40817.jpg)
“Begin the Beguine”
from Tribute to a Generation: A Salute to the Big Bands of the WWII Era (2004) | SFW40817
![Click to view recording details](https://folkways-media.si.edu/images/album_covers/SF700/COOK01101.jpg)
“Begin the Beguine”
from Steel Band in San Juan (1964) | COOK01101
- Attentive Listening: Students will listen to four versions of Begin the Beguine
- Identify the instruments and ensembles heard
- Compare and contrast styles
- Enactive Listening: Students will learn Begin the Beguine and sing along with the recording
- Creating World Music: Students will play Begin the Beguine on the metallophone, mastering the rolled technique for sustaining pitches
- Creating World Music: Students will accompany the melody with other barred and percussion instruments (see transcription)
- Integrating World Music: Students will read about steel band history during WWII found in the liner notes of The Steel Drums of Kim Loy Wong
Assessment:
Assess final performances of learned piece
Begin the Beguine in C, Steel Band Style for Orff
5. Gypsy in the Moonlight
![Click to view recording details](https://folkways-media.si.edu/images/album_covers/SF700/FW07856.jpg)
“Gypsy in the Moonlight”
from Caribbean Songs and Games for Children (1978) | FW07856
- Enactive Listening: Listen to the recording of “Gypsy in the Moonlight”, keeping steady beat
- Attentive Listening: Listen to the recording of “Gypsy in the Moonlight”
- What is the story of the song?
- When does the gypsy come home?
- Learn song by rote (transcription provided below and in Song Games from Trinidad (Elder, 1962)).
- Creating World Music: Play game as follows (Adapted slightly for classroom use):
- Players standing in a ring, “gypsy” walks around the outside, while players sing verse one and point.
- At “Walk in,” gypsy enters the ring and continues circling inside the ring. Players can join hands and circle in the opposite direction if desired.
- Gypsy sings the third verse as a solo and chooses a partner.
- Gypsy and chosen partner dance in the ring, while the rest of the players clap and sing
- Integrating World Music: Read aloud a story from The Mermaid’s Twin Sister: More Stories from Trinidad and Tobago (Joseph, 1994).
- Creating World Music: Final performances of learned pieces including “Begin the Beguine”, the steel band style groove, and game songs.
Assessment:
Assess pitch-matching during solo verse of game song
Assess final performances of known pieces
![](/images/tools-for-teaching/trinidadian_music_3.jpg)
Suggested Resources
Smithsonian Folkways Resources:
Bamboushay Steel Band (1962). Bamboushay Steel Band [Sound Recording]. Folkways Records, FW03835.
Champion Steel Bands of Trinidad (1957). Champion Steel Bands of Trinidad [Sound Recording]. Cook Records, COOK01046.
Drums of Trinidad (1956). Drums of Trinidad, Calinda [Sound Recording]. Cook Records, COOK01045.
Mighty Sparrow (1959). King Sparrow’s Calypso Carnival [SoundRecording]. Cook Records, COOK00920.
Lord Invader (1959). There’s a Brown Girl in the Ring and Other Children’s Calypso Songs [Sound Recording]. Folkways Records, FW07262.
Video Recording:
Villon Films (1987). Pan in “A” minor: Steelbands of Trinidad. Iskra Films.
Survey of Carnival and the annual Panorama steel band festival. Interviews musicians and pan makers. Discusses historical links to African percussion.
Books:
Blake, F.I.R. (1995). The Trinidad and Tobago steel pan: History and evolution. Spain: Grafiques.
Dudley, S. (2008). Music from behind the bridge: Steel band spirit and politics in Trinidad and Tobago. New York: Oxford University Press.
Dudley, S. (2004). Carnival music in Trinidad: Experiencing music, expressing culture. New York: Oxford University Press.
Elder, J.D. (1965). Song games from Trinidad and Tobago. American Folklore Society.
Hill, D.R. (1993). Calypso calaloo: Early carnival music in Trinidad. Gainesville: University Press of Florida.
Stuempfle, S. (1995). The steelband movement: The forging of a national art in Trinidad and Tobago. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Journal Articles:
Aho, W.R. (1987). Steel band music in Trinidad and Tobago: The creation of a people’s music. Latin American Music Review, 8(1), p. 26-58.
Brown, E.D. (1990). Carnival, calypso, and steelband in Trinidad. The Black Perspective in Music, 18(2), 81-100.
Delano, P. (1998). Images of Trinidad: Carnival 1997. The Drama Review, 42(3), p. 74-81.
![Click to enlarge](/images/tools-for-teaching/trinidadian_music_4.jpg)
![Click to enlarge](/images/tools-for-teaching/trinidadian_music_5.jpg)