Bequia
LEAF International has partnered with "Kids on Pans," a unique music and arts education program teaching traditional steel pan drumming to children on the island. What began as an introductory class to spark interest in cultural heritage has grown into an established program, with dedicated students now on track to become professional steel pan musicians.
When the program started, only one child on the small island had any knowledge of the steel pan tradition. Westernization, along with the high cost of steel pans and the expense of keeping them properly tuned, had pushed the tradition toward extinction, with fewer and fewer young people carrying it forward. Today, thanks to an inspired and engaged community, more than 70 children have participated in Kids on Pans — sparking a genuine revival of Bequia's steel pan heritage.
Founded in 2006 | Located in Bequia | 24+ Youth Served Weekly
Meet The Culture Keeper
John, a student turned culture keeper, is now leading the Kids on Pans program forward. Having grown up learning the steel pan himself, John traveled to LEAF to teach at schools throughout Buncombe County — carrying the tradition he once learned into classrooms across a new community.
John
“When I first learned to play the steel pan, I didn’t just learn an instrument — I learned who I am. Now, getting to pass that on to kids who’ve never touched a pan before, watching that same spark light up in them... that’s everything to me.”