Lornshill Academy
Lornshill Academy is a secondary school located in Tullibody, Alloa, Clackmannanshire, Scotland.
The school’s community steel band will officially start on 8 January 2013. The name of the band will be Ochil Steel Band.
The idea of forming Ochil Steel Band is to create an opportunity whereby the youths and members of the local community can experience Caribbean and steelpan culture in its entirety.
The steel band received financial support by way of a grant from ‘Awards for All’ and the pans are due to arrive from Trinidad on 19 December 2012. It is hoped that playing them will begin soon after their arrival.
There will be three groups: two groups will be practicing one hour each week on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 4 to 5pm and an Additional Support Needs (ASN) group that will be practicing one hour each week during the day. Participants will be able to choose from any of the two after school groups.
Ms Howitt, one of the music teachers from Lornshill Academy will be running all of the groups. It has been her long time ambition to form a band at the school.
The steelbands hope to perform regularly at charity events and other performances throughout the year, although nothing concrete has yet been decided.
Challenges for the teachers
- Whether to teach the members by rote or an alternative method
- Getting traditional steelband music so as to supoort cultural learning
- Ensuring the repertoire will appeal to everyone, is easy to teach and will sound as having fun: not slow or dull
- Running the steelbands
What the pupils and teachers say?
Pupils are excited for the pans’ arrival.
Teachers are excited about getting the pans and starting the groups even though they have no idea how much up-take there will be.
Information supplied to My Panyard by Lornishill Academy, December 2012