Dear Source:
The Love City Pan Dragons has lots of thanks to spread around now that our 60th Festival is in the history books.
I’d like to thank the young people behind the pans with sticks in hand — our committed regular band members, our visiting alumni who joined us for the parade, and our St. Thomas players who helped grow our sound through this spring’s membership challenges. It’s all about the music, people! I love you all.
Kudos to our arrangers, Shomari Dyer and Morlan "Ikema" Dyer, whose dedication and considerable musical gifts have brought a bright new flavor to the Pan Dragons’ signature sound; to our tuner, Mike Sorzano, who keeps the sound sweet and in proper pitch; to our conga man, Elijah Lee, who doubles as our St. Thomas driver and a welcome extra hand; and to Patrick Dyer for his expertise in the ‘engine room.’
Huge hugs to our dedicated board members and parent volunteers, whose hard work made it possible for the band to participate this spring and summer in two Panoramas, Rising Stars Pan Fair, Gifft Hill School graduation, our Food Fair, Opening of the Village and Parade. Special thanks to Gregory Edward, whose truck gets more use from us than it does from him, who keeps our own Big Bertha GMC box truck up and running, and who resurrected the parade trolley’s aged tires to get us back on the road after two years in the yard.
Love to Shikima and her assistant Carol, our hosts at the Sports Parks and Recreation Youth Center, for support, cooperation and general good neighborliness.
A hearty wave to our firefighter friends across the street, who have stepped up many times over the years to help out in any number of pinches and who have been our biggest fans. They know all our music since they never miss a practice.
Many thanks to the Festival Committee for their cooperation and assistance with logistics for the many events in which we took part.
Thanks to Gail Seart from Outside the Box Solutions for donating assistance with our Web site: www.pandragons.org.
Thanks to the youth and community organizations that are beginning to forge bonds to work more closely with us to enhance the lives of our young people – St John Youth Coalition, St John School of the Arts, St John Community Foundation, Coral Bay Community Council and others.
And huge appreciation to the steel pan lovers in the St. John community for your love and support over the last twenty years for St John’s only continuously-running steel band.
As they say on the Pan On the Net Web site, "When steel talks, everybody listens."
Elaine Penn, President
Love City Pan Dragons Youth Steel Orchestra
