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very own MySpace LayoutsDC PAN JAMMERS, Inc. was incorporated on October 1, 2003, as a not-for-profit organization under the laws of the District of Columbia. The primary and exclusive purpose of this community organization is to teach individuals to play "pan." "Pan" is a term used to describe the instruments employed by the steel band, creating a musical art form that originated in the twin-island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.The pan has been described as the only musical instrument invented in the twentieth century and its popularity has spread exponentially worldwide. Steel bands have appeared at prestigious locations such as Buckingham Palace, Philadelphia Music Hall, Carnegie Hall, and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, can now be found in any major market in the US and Europe. Pan artistes who are world-renowned include American born Andy Narrell, Robert Greenridge, and Liam Teague, a professor at Northern Illinois University.In response to a demand caused by the demise of a Washington DC steel orchestra, the organization, in March 2004, purchased some instruments and began to fill the void. Of the initial 30 musicians, 18 were under age 18. After intensive practice, DC Pan Jammers participated in the DC Pan Jamboree and in the DC Caribbean Carnival Parade hosted by the DC Caribbean Carnival organization in June 2004. In September 2004, DC Pan Jammers captivated both the crowd and the adjudicators at the Jour Ouvert celebration at the Brooklyn Labor Day Parade. DC Pan Jammers also performed for Howard University at its Employee Appreciation Day celebration at Paramount's Kings Dominion Park on October 3, 2004.Creating the musical arrangement and imparting it to the students fall within the jurisdiction of the Steel band Coordinator/Band Director, Mr. Emlyn Harewood. Practice sessions are now held at 915 Emerson Street, NW Washington, DC, no more than three times per week to accommodate the substantial number of school students who are in the program.
