Premise

Diatonic Steel Orchestra and Pan Institute was established in Siparia as a registered NGO on June 2010 and a registered CBO in April 2011 we are also registered with the National Registry for Cultural Workers. The programs of Diatonic are designed to directly affect all communities in the ward of St. Patrick and serve as a model for the national community. Diatonic intends to impact positively on poverty alleviation and social disorders in the society thereby exposing the tremendous social and economic power of the steelpan.

The Structure

The operations of Diatonic will be managed by a Board with the following sub committees: Steel Orchestra; Special Events; Marketing and Distribution; Education; and Sports. Members of the board and sub committees will be filled from personnel within Siparia and its environs.

The Orchestra 

The Orchestra will be fashioned along the lines of the traditional steel orchestra. They will engage in disciplined practice session and will perform at selected functions throughout the country and abroad, in addition to participating in   regional, national and international competitions. The objective is to create an institution that will encourage a wide cross section of the community to assemble in a common environment enabling the distribution of positive messages, while creating a platform for social change.

Special Events

Diatonic will attend to the revival of Siparia Fete by hosting a ‘Single Pan on the Move’ Competition. In addition, a number of national and international cultural and artistic shows will be staged with the intent of satisfying the St. Patrick community and becoming the cultural epicenter of the Ward. The objective is to create a community where residents can feel a sense of pride, belonging and fulfillment, while fostering camaraderie and brotherly hood.

Marketing and Distribution

A vast international market for the steelpan exists presently and need to be explored. The manufacture and sales of the instrument is currently done in an ad hoc manner, which limits the ability of the country to adequately command the international market. Diatonic will attempt to streamline the production, marketing and distribution of the steelpan; stands; pancases; artifacts and other accessories in such a manner that it will become a model for the industry ensuring that Trinidad & Tobago benefit in a tangible way from its invention. The objective is to create employment and be a source of valuable foreign reserves for this country thereby impacting on poverty alleviation and the country’s GDP through job creation and foreign income.

Education

Dedicated teaching rooms will be installed complete with teaching aids for both theory and practical in the following disciplines: music, playing of the steelpan, steelpan manufacturing, history of the steelpan and any other related studies. In addition a library will be established and the history of the development of the steelpan in St. Patrick will be written and archived. The objective is to create a source of interest and learning, with secondary students as the main target group. This will ensure continuity and succession in the establishment, while developing a sense of appreciation for our indigenous heritage.

Sports

Active sports have the ability to bring a community together while ensuring a healthy society. Sporting activities carries the same social benefits as the steelpan, it is therefore only fitting that they complement one another. Diatonic will establish an active football league in Siparia and its environs, in addition it will stage a major annual athletics event. The objective is to bring the community together in a form of friendly rivalry and to create a healthy society, while offering positive distractions for our youths.

Conclusion

It is the intention of Diatonic to develop an institution that will create a well rounded society. Diatonic operations will be informed by crime prevention rather than crime detection and apprehension, by creating positive distractions in the society. While attending and focusing on youth, the needs of adults must also be addressed, thereby ensuring an outlet for our youths when they mature. Once these outlets are created, bottlenecks are removed eliminating the frustrations associated with the transition from adolescence to maturity. It will be a case of the output affecting the input and vice versa. Such a closed loop system will offer hope and futuristic opportunities, resulting in a more tolerant law abiding and disciplined society.