Russell Pope
Media Director
In everything around me, I can see the steelpan having a connection in some way or form. I don't honestly think that there was a time that pan was not on the peripheral of my life. I start ed playing in Dec. of ’86 and by ’91, I had visited Europe twice, won Multiple jr panoramas, won a youth steelband festival and opened for the CARIFTA games with the St Augustine steel Orchestra, under the direction of Mr. Andre Moses. With all of those accomplishments, the most joy for me has always been imparting the knowledge of the steelpan to new learners. I am most proud of the elective program I taught at the Aranguez Jr secondary school, a program conceived by my mentor Ms.Pat Adams, this led to teaching summer camp pan classes at the Pan Piper Music school under the direction of Ms.Louise McIntosh, a program so successful it was extended twice. Upon emigrating to the United States, I got involved in a broader aspect of the Steelpan, in respect to archiving through the medium of recording technology with Basement Recordings. For more than 11 years we recorded both audio and video of the steelband movement in and around the New York area. While at Basement I taught steelpan classes in a few Brooklyn schools. When I was invited to be part of NuGen Academy Program, I jumped at the chance to continue playing a role in contributing to the Steelpan Movement.