LA Percussion Rentals & Recording joined us in hosting this special event on the steel pan percussion family. Steel pan instruments are often pigeonholed to specific genres, but in reality they can enhance a vast array of compositions. They are incredibly effective for adding textures, moods and creating unique signature sounds. Pro steelpannists Ray McNamara, Einstein Brown and Abby Savell demonstrated a variety of pan textures by improvising over compositions submitted by ASA members.

In addition to live demonstrations, this event also covered:

• The names, instrument ranges, standardization, and availability of instruments in the steel pan family
• How to approach writing for steel pan specialists vs. general percussionists
• Where to find steel pan specialists and what to look for
• Ways to write that help move them away from a more “typecast” sound
• Orchestration, considering texture and blending with other instruments
• Hands-on experimentation into extended techniques and sound design