Steelpan
Workshop with Duvone Stewart is set for Saturday September 1, 10am-3pm,
at PanWest CSMC 10855 San Pablo Ave, El Cerrito CA 94530. Come and
sharpen your improvisational skills and learn how Duvone rips it up on
the pan. Call 510 222 1123 for more information.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Help Needed, Save on Registration-Tuition Fees!
Do you have any skills in the following areas? You can save on registration and tuition fees by trading your services at PanWest:
- e-commerce
- publicity/PR
- booking and managment
- steelpan mallet crafting
Sunday, August 19, 2012
PanWest Open House a resounding success
- the Best family, especially my wife Romaine, our mothers, my sons, my brother and his family, the whole Best clan.;
- Claude Gonzalez for landing the building for us and for the numberless conversations on pan.
- Duvone Stewart for his special appearance and for lighting up the crowd.
- fellow musicians and students at the different community centers.
- everyone who turned up to celebrate the Grand Opening and those who intend to join us in activities
We feel a sense of fraternity with all others who play the instrument, regardless of what level of proficiency.
At PanWest, we feel pan is an instrument not just of music but also community. We truly believe that is the purpose of it's emergence. And if you take the time to track it's evolution you will see that everywhere a pan program exists you have the nucleus of a community.
We also believe that music and the arts is where the answer to our societal woes lies. Because everyone is a creator whether in music or another art form. It's this belief that inspires our mission statement here in this venture:
PanWest is dedicated to enlightening people to their own musical potential. At PanWest we see everyone as a musician whether or not they have ever played a steel drum/pan. We recognize that in each of us is a creative spirit with a unique voice. We believe that for the sake of health that voice needs to be expressed. When that voice is a steel drum/pan, we provide products and support that help that voice come forth.
We are about more than teaching steel drum/pan music. We are about the healing power of music to meet human need for joy. That's why we encourage and support efforts of individuals and groups who work to bring steel drum/pan music to their community. It is our goal to use our mental, physical, and spiritual resources to enrich the lives of our students, teachers, and supporters through steel drum/pan music.
In this
way we hope to enlighten you to your own wonderful musical potential and by
doing so add harmony to this world.
We invite you to come join our musical community and enjoy a most unique art form that validates you as the creator you are. Bring your children and family members. Make it a family activity. We promise you will gain more benefits and improve the quality of life for you and your family better than any other activity we can think of.
We welcome you and assure you that whether you take our classes or not this will always be a haven for you when you need to enjoy the soothing sounds of pan to relieve the stresses of the day.
Once again, thanks to all of you.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
PanWest CSMC Announcement and FAQs
Announcement:
We are waiving the registration fee for the first 20 students who enroll
before Aug. 20. See Registration Form below.
Some FAQs
Q: Are pans provided for the class or do students have to bring
their own?
A: We provide all the pans for the classes but students are welcome to
bring their own.
Q: Does anyone rent pans(so I could practice and/or have them for class
if needed)?
A: We don't know of anyone else who rents pans and all our pans will be
in use at the Center. But if there is enough interest in renting we will
look into bringing in more pans.
Q: Is a double seconds spot in the class still open?
A: Yes, Double seconds are open.
Q: Will the classes run for a certain # of weeks then finish with a
performance, or will the class just run open-ended? If a performance, do
you know that date?
A: The classes will run open-ended and we plan to have quarterly
performances but no date has been chosen until we know what the full
enrollment will be.
Q: I'd love to do the Thursday class but couldn't because I already have
a commitment that night of the week.
A: For now the classes are set tentatively. If more members in the
Intermediate class would rather meet on Thursdays or vice versa we would
consider switching them.
Q: Is the Adults reading/rhythm class included in the tuition or is that
a separate fee? Should I do that, too?
A:Right now, the reading/rhythm is offered as part of the tuition and
is optional, as needed.
The Pandamentals class is also free to all registered students. It's
intensive and is really aimed at mastering the instrument.
Please send your questions and/or suggestions to panwestcsmc@gmail.com,
or call 510 222 1123.
REGISTRATION FORM
Student Name:
Last__________________________
First______________________
Address:
Number &
Street__________________________________________
City________________State_____
Zip____________________
Telephone:
Day__________________________
Evening________________
Email:________________________
Date of Birth:___________
Father's Name
(Youth)___________________________
Mother's Name (Youth)___________________________
Previous Study: Instrument/Number
of Years:
_______________________________________________________
Registration Fee: $35.00
individual/$50.00 family per year________
Class Tuition: $100/month (10%
discount to former students of Harry Best and one referral of their choice; 20% Discount for additional
family members)
Make check payable to: PanWest
CSMC Amount Enclosed: _____________
(Please circle one)
MC, Visa, Disc,#
__________________________
Exp Date: ____________ Zip Code
________________________
Signature:
______________________________________________
Mail Form to: PanWest CSMC 10855 San Pablo Ave. El Cerrito
CA 94530
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
PanWest CSMC Open House
You are invited to the Grand Opening of the PanWest Caribbean Steelpan Music Center. Open House August 18, 3-7pm. Bring a friend. 10855 San Pablo Ave El Cerrito CA 94530. 510 222 1123. Meet and greet other Bay Area pan musicians and learn about PanWest plans and programs for the future. Classes begin Monday August 20.
Join PanWest Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/323445861080320/
Sunday, July 08, 2012
Saturday, July 07, 2012
Sharon Baird with the 'Bang Band
Sharon Baird with Ed McCarver (L) and Dexter Bruce (R) of Shabang at Sam's Chowder House in Half Moon Bay June 16, 2012. Trio did a repeat performance July 7.
Thursday, July 05, 2012
PanWest CSMC program set to launch in August
10855 San Pablo Ave. El Cerrito CA 94530 - 510 222 1123
We have finalized terms with our landlord and classes are set to begin the week of August 19. Here is what the monthly program looks like right now. Things could change as we progress:
Mondays
Kids/Jumbies (Beginners) – Reading and Rhythm (4-5pm)
Kids/Jumbies (Beginners) – Jumbie Jam Tunes (5-6pm)
Adults/Beginners – Rhythm and Reading (6-7pm)
Adults/Beginners Pan Tunes (7-8pm)
Tuesdays* (Pickleweed Community Center, San Rafael)
Beginning Caribbean Steelpans 6-7pm
Intermediate Caribbean Steelpans 7-8pm
Wednesdays
Kids/Pandaleros (Intermediates) – Reading and Rhythm (5-6pm)
Kids/Pandaleros Steelband – (6-7pm)
Adults - Rhythm and Reading (7-8pm)
Adults – Cerritos Intermediate Steelband (8-9pm)
Thursdays
Adults – Panchant Advanced Steelband (7-9pm)
Fridays
Caribbean Film Festival (8-10pm)
Saturdays
Pandaleros Pandamentals 10-11am
Adults Pandamentals 11-12noon
Private Lessons 12-5pm
Small Ensemble Performances (Fourth Saturday) – 7:30-9:30pm
Sundays
Pan in the Park Jam sessions (check for schedule) (3-6pm)
*El Cerrito CSMC closed.
Monday, June 11, 2012
PanWest Caribbean Steelpan Music Center
This is our proposed headquarters for the new Caribbean Steelpan Music Center. It is located at 10855 San Pablo Ave in El Cerrito. We have an agreement in principle with the owners of the building. The details will be ironed out soon and we plan to begin classes in August. We will be releasing more information on the program and classes as we progress. Thanks for the great show of support!
Saturday, June 09, 2012
Friday, June 08, 2012
Bellstars New Pete Engelhart creation
Bellstars
Configured by Harry Best
Designed and created by Pete Englehart
2012©
- Fully Chromatic – C#
- Wholetone inverted images on each side
- Geometrical symmetry
- Played with hands or rubber tipped mallets
Pete Engelhart
Pete Engelhart began crafting metal percussion instruments after spending time in Brazil in the 1950's. He combined his life long love of jazz, knowledge of Latin rhythms and sounds, and his ability as an artist to produce complicated resonant tuned bells.Pete has now been handcrafting metal percussion for nearly 43 years. He has designed a large variety of highly creative instruments that are now used worldwide by many professional musicians.
This current line of 9 instruments has been designed to fill the basic needs of the working drummer / percussionist. It represents the essential toolkit for the modern drummer. The metal instruments are all hand made with care by Pete Engelhart. The bells are made of heavy gauge metal and are individually tuned.
Harry Best
Harry Best is a professional steelpan player and innovator
and enjoys exploring the correspondences between music and geometry especially
as it relates to the steelpan.
This configuration was inspired by the Ellie Manette
standard pattern for the double second steelpans. The right side of the
Bellstars is an exact image of the right side of the Manette double seconds.
Harry simply created an inverted symmetry on the left side.
Tuesday, June 05, 2012
Guppy lead for sale

Mr. FixIt readies pan float for T&T Steel at SF Carnaval
Carlyle, Mr. Fixit! the hardest working man in the Bay Area built the float in the eastbay, towed it to SF at 5am, made all the secure adjustments then joined the rhythm section for a hot jam down the road.
Pan on the road in SF Carnaval

Pan rep at Black History Celebration

PanWoman Sharon Baird and Harry Best share a moment with Rev. Richard A. Roberts of the San Francisco Community Fellowship at a Black History celebration in Daly City.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
New Steelpan Program to Launch in East Bay
I am recruiting 15 people for a new Caribbean Steelpan Music Program to
be launched late summer or early fall in the East Bay. Please contact me
if you are interested or pass the word to those who might be. I can be
reached by email, harrybest@shabang.us, or by calling 510 222 1123. All are welcome, beginners to advanced.
Beat Pan!
Harry Best
510 222 1123
Friday, May 18, 2012
Stanford's Cardinal Calypso in Blue Panic
Stanford's Cardinal Calypso in 'blue' (we won't tell CAL)playing Adam Genecov's Beat Panic at a May 11 spring concert in Toyon Hall.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Third Annual Pan Ramajay Summer Steel Drum Festival
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