Trinity’s Steel and Hand Drum Concert
Goodwin Theater
Austin Arts Center
Trinity College
Hartford
Dec. 3, 2025
Winter in Connecticut has changed over the decades. When I was a kid, we usually had one or two major snowstorms by the first week in December. Thanks to climate change, the winter bite has become less sharp, and the dreaded (or welcomed, depending on your perspective) season’s snowfall starts later and later.
So when we received our first major precipitation of winter 2025 in the form of a wintry mix this week, it felt like the snowy season had finally arrived. Not so fast, said the students of Trinity College’s music program. The Steel Pan Ensemble and World Drumming Ensemble brought the audience music and traditions from the warmer part of our hemisphere, and managed to keep the winter blues away for another day.
Trinity’s Steel Pan Ensemble is unique in that not only do the students learn how to play the instruments, but they are also taught about the history and social significance of steel pan music in Trinidad. They learn the roles of each instrument and also how the techniques associated with playing them.
The concert began with a calypso-style rendition of Bob Marley and the Wailers' Three Little Birds. The students' arrangement maintained the spirit of Marley’s breezy ode to life working out, while adding the high-pitched flair of calypso to the song.
Afterwards, the ensemble went in a contemporary direction, performing Jamtown by Coutain X Tano, two Trinidadian artists. It was impressive to see the students manage the upbeat tempo of the song while maintaining the playfulness of the original track.
The second half of the concert was dedicated to the World Drumming Ensemble, which features students performing percussive music from various cultures using hand drums. For their performance, the ensemble lit up the stage with bomba music and dance that originates in Puerto Rico.
The student performers were joined by guests Natasha Velez and Naomy Velez, who danced, and Carlos Cruz, who sang. The bomba performance was broken down into sections instead of different songs, with a brief pause between each section.
The students maintained the demanding rhythm and tempo of bomba music while their instructor, Nelson Bello, joined in. Several of the students pulled double duty, stepping away from their drums to perform the traditional dance associated with bomba. The colorful twirling of their dresses was a sight to behold.
What I really enjoyed about the show was the multicultural flair not only of the music, but of the participants themselves. Students from different races, cultures and personal backgrounds came together to play music that they may not have had much experience with before, and played it well. Music cuts across barriers more easily than many other art forms, and also carries the legacy and history of cultures with other people.
Cold weather notwithstanding, the students of Trinity College brought the heat in their concert. It was an enjoyable celebration of what young people can do with both classic and new music.
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