Drumming to their own beat

The University of South Dakota’s Caribbean Coyotes are out to show people how musical drums can be.

Their most recent performance at USD was March 11, where the Flying Pans from Central College in Iowa performed with USD’s steel drum ensemble.

Traditionally, steel drummers play a type of music called “Soka,” or what is more commonly known as Calypso, or Caribbean music. At the most recent concert with the Flying Pans, the seven USD instruments joined the 25 pan instruments.

The steel drums are handmade in Trinidad and consist of 55 gallon barrels that are pounded into the proper shape which allows them to emit every pitch a piano can.

USD’s Director of Percussion Studies Darin Wadley said playing isexciting for everyone.

“With the push for globalization in classes, it gives students an opportunity to play music that’s not from around here,” he said.

The Flying Pans and their director Stan Dahl were on their spring break tour when they performed at USD. The Caribbean Coyotes accompanied them for three songs.
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“It was an experience for the students to perform with a group that large,” Wadley said.

Dahl, of Central College in Iowa, said the two groups learned a lot from each other.

“It’s always great to perform and play with other people who are into the same style of music,” he said. “In our area there aren’t that many steel bands, so it’s always great to join forces for great concerts.”

The Flying Pans were started in 2000.

“When I first got it started, it was definitely like ‘Whoa, what is this thing. What is this music doing in Iowa?’ But people keep coming back,” Dahl said.

Dahl said the Flying Pans have played everything from Calypso music to Led Zeppelin and that the Caribbean Coyotes will undoubtedly be successful because there is so much you can do with a steel drum.

“People come wanting to hear upbeat music that leaves them feeling exciting and energetic once they leave the concert,” he said. “They want to hear tradition, and people also want to hear what you can do with this instrument.”

Senior Reid Turner, who had never played a steel drum before this school year, said people usually enjoy their concerts because the music sounds so happy, especially when the weather is so dreary.

“It’s cool when people show up and have no idea what the instrument is,” he said. “I think people like it because it’s pretty relaxing.”

Turner said the group has played a variety of music and will even be doing an arrangement of USD’s school song for their upcoming concert.

“We can play anything,” Wadley said.

This includes more popular tunes, like Gotye’s ‘Somebody

That I Used To Know,’ at a concert earlier this school year. The Caribbean Coyotes have also accompanied USD choirs.

“The group is really, really fun.” Wadley said. “It’s a style of music you don’t really hear. It’s kind of neat to have a steel band playing.”

There will be many concerts to come.

“At USD, they’re going to want more and more all the time because it’s very easy to get sucked up into the pan,” Dahl said.