ISM Partners with Pan Outreach to Explore the World of Music

The International School of Minnesota students in grades 1-12 are experimenting with the sounds of the steel drum and exploring its cultural history thanks to a new partnership with Pan Outreach. These instruments traveled from school to school and arrived at ISM in mid-December and will be on loan until the end of January.

Jeremy Kunkel, Director of Pan Outreach, explains what their program is all about. “Pan Outreach is a music education program of Chops, Inc. Chops is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that strives to improve lives through music and the performing arts. The Pan Outreach program offers residencies to schools throughout the Twin Cities metro area, allowing students to explore world music and learn about the cultures from which they originate.”

The Pan Outreach residency will supplement the existing music education at ISM. Students can expect to “...learn elements of music including note reading, rhythm, playing in a multi-part ensemble, improvisation, etc. while also exploring how those elements were developed in a different culture, drawing parallels to Caribbean/World history with our own, and having fun playing an instrument that few people ever get to experience,” says Jeremy.

ISM’s music teacher, Mr. Lee, realized what a unique opportunity it would be for our students to learn a new instrument and experience playing it together, for the first time. Mr. Lee shares, “One really great part about the drums is that Jeremy has color-coded the notes which correspond very closely to the solfege syllables I use in my Lower School classroom. This will help the students jump right into any melody with ease. As far as High School goes, those students are already reading more complicated melodies and rhythms and once they understand how the steel drum is laid out, they should be able to play more intricate songs.” Mr. Lee’s goal is for students to create a deeper appreciation for music through an instrument that is rarely played by the general public, all while having fun!

Mr. Lee and the administration at ISM are thrilled to have this opportunity for our students and cannot wait to hear the beautiful sounds they will create. Students will learn the steel drums throughout January, culminating in a concert held at ISM. 

“I am looking forward to watching students play the drums who normally play a melodic instrument (one note at a time) in my band such as a clarinet, saxophone, or trumpet. With the steel drum, they have the opportunity to play melodies as well as harmonies (two notes at a time),” says Mr. Lee.

Save the date! All the steel drum excitement will be shared at ISM on Wednesday, January 31, at 4:00 pm. 

Please visit www.panoutreach.org for more information about their program.