The Steel Pan Academy is committed to increasing access and opportunity to
quality steel pan playing, teaching and learning.
All our tutors are experienced steel pan teachers and players and have been
working in Coventry and Warwickshire Schools for over 20 years.
The Steel Pan Academy provides regular peripatetic steel pan teaching on a weekly basis as well as one day and half day steel pan workshops for schools and community groups.
For those schools that already have a set of steel pans we will be happy to
provide a steel pan tutor to suit your needs. For those schools who do not have their own pans we will be delighted to bring our own pans to provide a one day workshop and work with you to access funding to put steel pans in your school and encourage more of our young people to enjoy making music as part of a steel band.
Steel pans are one of the most accessible instruments to learn and are inclusive to all. We are happy to teach and support all abilities and are happy to include special needs pupils in our groups. Steel pans not only promote good musical skills but also good social skills as part of the essence of playing pan is about working together as a group. In all our schools we find our pupils develop in social and thinking skills as well as musical.
Depending on number of pans, peripatetic pan teaching is usually in groups of 5 for 30 minutes. Some primary schools opt for having groups lasting 20 minutes in order to keep charges to parents as low as possible.
Children at Clinton School in Kenilworth have been learning to play steel pans with Diana for over 15 years. They love every minute of it. What is amazing is how children, even as young as 7 or 8, can play familiar pieces, with harmonies across the range of pitched pans. Furthermore, the musicality they develop, as well as their sense of achievement from performing as a team, is so good for their mental health.
Steel Pan Academy has worked with Southam College for many years. The students learning steel pans really enjoy the experience and the vast majority continue lessons throughout their school years. This is testament to the commitment and passion of Diana Hancox. Diana is extremely dedicated to the students, and they feel part of a community. They have fun learning to play popular and contemporary songs and they develop their technique and musical skills, but above this they learn how to communicate and interact with their peers. This really shows in performance situations where the older, more experienced players have the skills to support the younger players, giving them the confidence to perform. More recently, students have successfully taken steel pan performance exams and were some of the first in the country to do so. Students taking GCSE Music have used steel pans for their coursework and Diana has been extremely helpful in supporting them to prepare for this. I would highly recommend using the Steel Pan Academy in schools for students of every age and ability.
I loved playing music in a group because it was so much fun and there were always friends around to give me help and support when I needed it. It gave me the opportunity to try out different roles and parts to suit me and helped improve my teamwork skills, which will help me in all areas of life.
I loved being part of a group and playing music together. It was really fun getting to learn all different types of music including traditional steel pan songs. You are able to find your own place in the group on different pans and it’s really amazing when they all come together. Definitely something you want to be a part of.
I really enjoyed learning how to play the steel pans as a group. It gave me the confidence to perform for others as I wasn’t having to do it alone. We worked hard together when learning new songs to perfect our sound as a group. It was a great feeling when all the different parts came together as one. It’s something I would highly recommend for others to try!
I really enjoyed learning how to play the steel pans as part of a group! Learning in a group was so fun as you all worked together to learn new songs and make them sound amazing by all coming together on the different pans. In a group, you have the opportunity to all work together and support each other in order to develop skills and become the best we could be!
Call us today to book your Steel pan lessons:
+447765811042
Steel Pan Academy was created with the intention of increasing access to quality steel pan teaching resources. We’re committed to ensuring that those in the Warwickshire area are able to take part in our schools, groups and workshops.