Norman Stewart

Master Steelpan Tuner !

His first experience of playing music at 5 years old was when his father brought a piano into the house for his sister who was having lessons. Not long after he was playing too. Finding it much easier to play by ‘ear’ rather than play while reading music. His brothers showed musical tendencies too, by learning to play the guitar. When our parents were out we would all form a band and start playing music together with a few additions like the washing up bowl, milk bottles and pots! This was the foundation to the start of his musical career and playing steelpan.

His sister informed him that the secondary school he was going to attend had plans to start a steelband. He had only ever seen a Steel Band on TV once before, so knew relatively nothing about them, but what he did know was that he wanted to be part of it. He had to audition with Roy Jacob, a Trinidadian who was the music teacher. Twenty children were chosen and he was not one of them. Roy told the schoolteacher that he should be added to the list.

He had a stroke of luck because his best friend was selected so he tagged along. After several attempts by Roy to show them what to play on the bass, they were all unsuccessful and he grasped the opportunity to say that he could do it. Roy allowed him to play and was amazed. Roy suggested to the teacher that he was added to the list and he was.

Roy only came back once after his initial visit and not to be deterred he brought together his friends to form his own band, ‘ Steel Circuit’. Their popularity and the band grew and needed more instruments. That was when he tried to make his first pan. Remembering it took an eternity to ‘sink’ and shape the pan. When it was finished he took it home and tried to tune it. Proud of his achievement, he arranged for Roy Jacob to review his efforts. To his disappointment, Roy told him that the pan will never tune but offered to teach him the art of tuning a pan. This was a formative point in his Steel Band career because he was invited to attend the Midlands Arts Centre and work with Roy Jacob and the Maestros Steelband.

He was not only learning to tune pans but became a regular member of the Maestros Steel Band at age 17. When he left school, Roy asked him to join him as his assistant, teaching in schools and running workshops. In October of that same year they went to Germany performing workshops and making pans for schools and community centres. Unfortunately, a week after returning from Germany, Roy Jacob passed away. He was devastated. He went to Trinidad for the first time when he was 22, and with Solo Harmonites with 120 players. He has been back for the steelband panorama competition many times and played with Desperadoes, Phase II Pan Groove and Fonclaire.

He was the leader of the first steelband to play in the old Ukraine when Kiev was learning how much music could be viewed as a universal language, when words often fail. He has toured several European countries, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East and all over the UK including performances for the Queen and Prince Phillip. Hi television performances include Central ITV, Hairy Bikers, CBeebies and many radio stations. He also conducted workshops in schools community centres and prisons introducing thousands of people of all ages to the steelpan art form. His workshops included how to play a piece of music on steel drums, Steelband History, Making & Tuning of Steel Drums. Mr Pan Maestro boasts that he will travel anywhere in the UK to tune your steelpans, also offering a restoration service where old steelpan instrument are brought back to life.

Norman has been a member of the UK Steelpan Tuners Guild since it’s inauguration in 2008.

Please join Panpodium in congratulating Norman ‘Pan Maestro’ Stewart on achieving his Master Tuner’s Certificate from the UK Steelpan Tuners Guild.