Wednesdays@ One to present 'All Things Steelpan' May 4 in St. Charles
On Wednesday, May 4, Liam Teague will explore "All Things Steelpan" at 1 p.m. in the Baker Community Center in St. Charles.
He will talk about the instrument's history, construction, development of variously "voiced" steelpan instruments, its place in modern music, education trends and music repertoire, among other topics. While often associated with the sunny music of the Caribbean, the steelpan is a remarkably versatile percussion instrument that has evolved to encompass a family of instruments capable of producing any genre of music.
The program is produced by the Norris Cultural Arts Center as part of its Wednesdays@ One event series, in collaboration with the St. Charles Park District, and presented at the historic Baker Community Center in downtown St. Charles.
Admission is free, thanks to the generous support of Colonial Cafe. Attendees are asked to pre-register online through a link at www.NorrisCulturalArts.com.
Teague, who directs the internationally renowned Northern Illinois University Steelband, will be assisted by members of the steelband in demonstrating the instruments and playing some representative musical selections.
Teague is a professor of music and head of steelpan studies at NIU, and the recipient of an NIU Presidential Research, Scholarship and Artistry Professor Award.
Hailed as the "Paganini of the Steelpan," Teague's commitment to demonstrating the great musical possibilities of the steelpan has taken him to performance venues throughout the world.
Teague has won a number of notable competitions such as the Trinidad and Tobago National Steelband Festival Solo Championship and the St. Louis Symphony Volunteers Association Young Artist Competition. He has also performed with many diverse ensembles, including the National Symphony Orchestra, Taiwan National Symphony, Czech National Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Panama National Symphony, Chicago Sinfonietta, Vermeer String Quartet, Avalon String Quartet, Hannaford Street Silver Brass Ensemble, Nexus, Dartmouth Wind Ensemble, Indiana University Symphonic Band, University of Wisconsin-Madison Marching Band, Nutrien Silver Stars Steel Orchestra, and the BpTT Renegades Steel Orchestra.
Teague has appeared in concert with Grammy Award-winning musicians Paquito D'Rivera, Dave Samuels, Zakir Hussain and Dame Evelyn Glennie, and has regularly collaborated with NIU colleagues Robert Chappell (multi-instrumentalist) and Faye Seeman (harp) with whom he co-founded the steelpan and harp duo Pangelic.
Teague has created arrangements for the most celebrated steelband competition in the world, Panorama, for Nutrien Silver Stars Steel Orchestra, Harvard Harps Steel Orchestra, Starlift Steel Orchestra, and Skiffle Steel Orchestra. He has many recordings to his credit, including "Hands Like Lightning," "For Lack of Better Words," "Panoramic: Rhythm Through an Unobstructed View and Open Window."