Oberlin Steel

Oberlin Steel
Oberlin Steel plays at LSU in 2005.
Background information
Origin	Oberlin, Ohio
Genres	Steelpan Soca Trinidadian
Years active	1981–present
Website	http://www.oberlin.edu/stuorg/osteel/

Oberlin Steel is a steel band based at Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio. Originally known as the Oberlin Can Consortium until 2001, the group plays in the tradition of the great steel bands of Trinidad, but also performs arrangements of salsa, calypso, and jazz as well as original compositions and arrangements by band members. It is one of Oberlin's most well-known bands, playing annually in Oberlin College's commencement festivities, Parent's Weekend, and other sponsored events. Finally, it is the only representative of the traditional steelband style in Northern Ohio.

History

The Oberlin Can Consortium was started by three Oberlin Students, Peter Mayer, Toby Gordon, and Michael Geller. All three were 1977-78 graduates of Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua, NY where they were members of Calliope's Children, one of the first high school steel bands in the US. All of its steel drums carried the letters CC in a star-burst logo. With the retirement of James Leyden, founder and director of Calliope's Children, the group was disbanded. Peter, Toby, and Michael brought a number of the instruments with them to Oberlin.

The band was officially started as an Oberlin College winter term project in 1981. After receiving a grant to purchase drums, they acquired additional instruments and formed a small performing unit. As many of the drums already painted silver and bearing the CC logo, the band became named The Oberlin Can Consortium. Much of their early library was made up of arrangements from the Calliope's Children Steel Band.

The first ever Can Consortium concert was held on February 12, 1981 was a huge success and led to the formation of a steel drum class in Oberlin's experimental college program. Development continued and one year later, a second concert was held, which featured a performance by Andy Narell and a presentation by Ellie Mannette.

Since its origin, the band has grown in size to become an ensemble of twenty musicians. Oberlin Steel performs at campus events and in the Oberlin area. After months of rehearsing and performing, the band tours for the week of spring break in late march. Past destinations include Chicago, Boston, New York (the band has played at Avery-Fisher hall of New York’s Lincoln Center), Atlanta, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Miami, Montreal, Ithaca, and Washington DC, among others. Oberlin Steel performs for college and university audiences, nightclubs, restaurants, theaters, train stations, hotels, high schools, elementary schools, airplanes, weddings, stadiums, outdoor festivals and public spaces such as central park in New York City and the Lincoln memorial in DC. The band usually has sixteen to twenty members, including tenor, double-tenor, seconds, cello, quads, and bass pan players, as well as auxiliary percussionists and a set drummer.

Oberlin Steel is well connected with the broader steelband community. A handful of its members have played with Trinidadian steel orchestras including Clico Sforzata, BP Renegades, and the Trinidad All-Stars. Many of the Oberlin Steel pannists also play with the band Pan Sonatas in the New York Panorama competition, which takes place over Labor Day weekend.

Oberlin Steel plays at the Champagne Brunch at Oberlin College's 175th Commencement. 5/25/2008.

Instrumentation

Although the instrumentation changes from year to year, this is the typical configuration:

6 Tenor pans
2 Double-Tenor pans
3 Double-Second pans
2 Cellos
1 Quadrophonic
1 Tenor-Bass pan
1 6-Bass pan
1 Drum set
Auxiliary percussion (including iron, timbale, scratcher, congas)

Discography

• This Feelin' Nice (1988)
• Caught Steelin' (1991)
• Panhandlin' (1993)
• Jus' Yenjai (1995)
• Canspiracy (1997)
• Steel This Band (2001)
• Don't Panic! (2005)
• Pan on the Moon (2009)

Press Releases

• Around Tappan Square - The Oberlin Alumni Magazine, Vol. 98 No. 1
• Oberlin Steel Drum Band to Perform in Centennial Park March 31 - Metro Parks News Release
• Steel Drum and Percussion Group to play at LSU - LSU News
• Midwestern Kids Rock Steel Drums in DC - current.com

Other External links

• Oberlin Steel Official site
• List of Steelbands
• Article on Oberlin Steel at Oberwiki
• Oberlin Steel Advertisements from Oberlin College digital collections