RNZ Music visited Wesley Intermediate where a group of young students are learning to play steel pans, to perform as part of a band at Aotearoa's first-ever Steel Band Festival.
Wesley Intermediate School Students rehearsing Photo: Alex Behan
New Zealand's inaugural Steel Band Festival was held in Auckland’s Silo Park on the weekend.
Hosted by The Caribbeanz Southern Stars Steelband, the festival featured steel pan orchestras from Auckland, Ruakaka, Katikati, Taranaki and Australia.
There were guest appearances by other local percussion ensembles throughout the day, before an all-in parade with a mass performance by all the steel bands rounded out the day.
Steel bands can range from four to 120 players, and there is a hope among NZ's small group of passionate supporters that their popularity will grow. And the best way to do that?
Get them when they’re young.
We visited Wesley Intermediate in Auckland's Mt Albert, where steel pans have been enthusiastically adopted by students keen to learn more about the instruments and found out why they’re so fun for kids to learn music on.
