Submitted by Sara Somers on the 2015 winter session program in Trinidad and Tobago sponsored by the Department of Music…
Trinidad was not a country I had been familiar with before deciding to apply for the steel pan study abroad program. Even after online research, I did not have any strong preconceptions about Trinidad and Tobago. Soon after arriving, we began indulging in the life and culture of Trinidadians. Professor Harvey Price informed us of many slang terms, behaviors, and norms of the Trinidadians. We quickly learned that a meal for $40 TT was a good price, I should not pet all of the stray dogs, and that the small winding roads actually do fit two vehicles. In the first week of exploring Trinidad, I was also introduced to the importance of music in Trinidad. Specifically, Calypso, SoCa, and steel pans. Our group, made up of rookie steel pan players, only a few having a musical background, has already learned to play a song in steel pan class. In addition to the knowledge from class, we travel to pan yards on most nights to watch the competitive steel pan groups rehearse for Carnival season. I have never known of a culture that revolved around music for a season. Most Trinidadians are in a steel pan group from the time they are able to play until they cannot do so. The players see music as a priority, regardless of their quality of living. I have found great joy from watching our University of Delaware students learn an instrument from scratch without any previous musical knowledge. They are beginning to understand all that goes into music. My first week in Trinidad has opened my eyes to a very different culture, including the history and music of the country.