The development of the drum set in steel drum music: A guide for integrating the standard steel drum band percussion section into a single drum set part as applied to Andy Narell's composition 'The Last Word

The Panorama competition held in Trinidad each year is the global epicenter of steel drum music, showcasing the greatest performers and composers while shaping steel drum world-wide. However, music written for the standard Panorama ensemble of 120 players offers up a challenge for smaller, less experienced ensembles to preserve the spirit and energy of the original composition, especially when the drum set is the only member of the percussion rhythm section. My interest in this endeavor was spirited by the challenge of combining the typical percussion section consisting of congas, maracas, guiros, cowbells irons, and drum set into an individual part while maintaining key elements of the original composition. This paper addresses the concepts and approaches I employed for my recital performance of The Last Word; composed by American steel drum virtuoso, Andy Narell.