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1420 Nostrand Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11226Tuesday to Thursday: 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.Fall session begins in September(718) 555-0107
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Steel pan school · Flatbush, Brooklyn

Learn the steel pan the way it is played: together.

Ensembles by level for ages 8 and up, taught by pan players from Trinidad and across the Caribbean. The pans are the school's, so you can start without buying one.

Try a classSee the ensembles
  • Ensembles by level, from first strokes to the full band
  • The school's pans in the room, rental an extra for home
  • A parade band for carnival season
A rehearsal room with a circle of chairs, hand drums and shakers in a basket, empty before the class

The ensembles

Four ensembles, one path to the full band

Every player starts with a teacher beside them and moves up when they and their teacher agree.

  1. 01

    First strokes

    Ages 8 and up
    Skills

    • Hold the sticks and find the notes on a tenor pan

    • Play a one-line tune with the group

    • Count in and stop together

    Moving up

    Your teacher moves you up when you can keep your line steady while the group plays around you.

  2. 02

    Playing together

    Ages 10 and up
    Skills

    • Play harmony on the double seconds or the guitar pans

    • Keep time with the rhythm section

    • Learn a tune by ear and from a chart

    Moving up

    You move up when you can play your part without watching your teacher's sticks.

  3. 03

    Section player

    Ages 12 and up
    Skills

    • Lead a small section of the band

    • Play rolls and runs with the whole band at tempo

    • Rehearse a parade tune from first note to last

    Moving up

    You move up when your section can rehearse without a teacher in front of it.

  4. 04

    Full band

    Ages 14 and up, and adults
    Skills

    • Play a part in the full band on any pan

    • Help arrange a tune for the season

    • Play in the carnival-season parade

    Moving up

    The full band is where players stay: each season brings new tunes and a new part to learn.

Where to startTry a class

Sample levels.

Class size is up to 12 players, and every player has a pan from the school.

Summer

Pan camp in July and August, one week at a time

Five days of pan for ages 8 and up, with a short show for families on Friday.

Summer
  • Early JulyOpen

    Meet the pans

    Week 1

    Five days of finding the notes, playing in a circle and learning a short tune to play for families on Friday.

    • Ages 8 to 12
    • Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
    • Pan room, Flatbush
  • Mid JulyOpen

    Playing together

    Week 2

    Harmony, the rhythm section and a tune learned by ear, played for families at the end of the week.

    • Ages 10 to 14
    • Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
    • Pan room, Flatbush
  • Late AugustWaitlist

    Parade band

    Week 3

    Rehearsals for the carnival-season parade: the season's tunes, marching order and playing as one band.

    • Ages 12 and up
    • Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
    • Pan room, Flatbush

Sample sessions.

Camp weeks run Monday to Friday in July and August.

This session

The week's ensembles

Tuesday to Thursday evenings, and Saturday for adults and weekend players.

Fall session

Showing 12 of 12

Tuesday

  • 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

    First strokes

    Ensemble · Cherelle Jemmott · Pan room · Flatbush

    Ages 8 to 12First strokesOpenRegister

  • 5:15 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

    Playing together

    Ensemble · Eustace Julien · Pan room · Flatbush

    Ages 10 to 14Playing togetherOpenRegister

  • 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

    Full band, adults

    Ensemble · Eustace Julien · Pan room · Flatbush

    AdultsFull bandOpenRegister

Wednesday

  • 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

    First strokes

    Ensemble · Jamaal Armstrong · Pan room · Flatbush

    Ages 8 to 12First strokesOpenRegister

  • 5:45 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

    Section players

    Ensemble · Debora Peterkin · Pan room · Flatbush

    Ages 12 to 17Section playerOpenRegister

  • 7:15 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

    Rhythm section

    Ensemble · Jamaal Armstrong · Pan room · Flatbush

    Ages 12 and upPlaying togetherOpenRegister

Thursday

  • 4:00 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.

    Playing together

    Ensemble · Cherelle Jemmott · Pan room · Flatbush

    Ages 10 to 14Playing togetherOpenRegister

  • 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

    Full band, youth

    Ensemble · Eustace Julien · Pan room · Flatbush

    Ages 14 to 17Full bandWaitlistRegister

  • 7:15 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

    Adult starters

    Ensemble · Cherelle Jemmott · Pan room · Flatbush

    AdultsFirst strokesOpenRegister

Saturday

  • 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

    Adult starters

    Ensemble · Cherelle Jemmott · Pan room · Flatbush

    AdultsFirst strokesOpenRegister

  • 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

    Weekend band

    Ensemble · Eustace Julien · Pan room · Flatbush

    AdultsFull bandOpenRegister

  • 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

    Section players, weekend

    Ensemble · Debora Peterkin · Pan room · Flatbush

    Ages 12 and upSection playerWaitlistRegister

Sample classes.

Times change by term. Each ensemble is up to 12 players, and every player has a pan from the school.

Adults

Weekends are for grown-up players

Many of our adults came to pan late. The Saturday starters class begins with the sticks and one note, and the weekend band plays the same tunes as the youth band, with a teacher in the room.

  • Adult starters meet Thursday evening and Saturday morning

  • The weekend band plays on Saturday afternoon

  • Come with a friend or come alone

See the adult classes
Adult players together in a rehearsal room with a bass, drums and a piano, seen at a distance

Teachers

Five teachers, one pan room

Led by Eustace Julien, who learned pan as a boy in Trinidad.

  • Eustace Julien, founder and lead teacher, standing beside a steel pan in a bright room

    Eustace Julien

    Founder and lead teacher

    Eustace learned pan as a boy in Trinidad, in a yard band that rehearsed every evening before carnival. He has taught in Brooklyn ever since, leads the full band and the parade band, and writes out each season's tunes by hand.

  • Cherelle Jemmott, steel pan teacher, standing behind her pans with a pair of sticks

    Cherelle Jemmott

    Tenor pans and the youngest ensembles

    Cherelle grew up in Brooklyn in a Barbadian family and learned in a school band. She teaches first strokes to new players, young and grown, and is patient with a beginner's first notes.

  • Debora Peterkin, music teacher, at an upright piano in a bright lesson room

    Debora Peterkin

    Arranging and reading music

    Debora plays keyboard and writes out the band's parts for players who read music. She teaches section players how to follow a chart and how to hear the part beside theirs.

  • Jamaal Armstrong, rhythm section and horns teacher, seated with a tenor saxophone

    Jamaal Armstrong

    Rhythm section, bass and horns

    Jamaal plays drum kit, congas and bass, and keeps the rhythm section together. He also writes the tenor saxophone and horn lines for the parade band, and teaches anyone who wants to play rhythm rather than pan.

  • Amaris Veras, voice and banjo teacher, seated with a banjo in a bright lesson room

    Amaris Veras

    Voice, banjo and ear training

    Amaris teaches singing, banjo and ear training, and leads the call and response that the band uses on the road. She helps players hear a tune before they play it.

Carnival season and after

The season, month by month

From parade rehearsals in late summer to the spring concert in June.

  • Parade rehearsals

    Late August · The parade band meets for extra rehearsals, with the season's tunes and the marching order.

  • The carnival-season parade

    Early September · The full band plays and walks the route. Families can find the band at the school beforehand.

  • Fall session begins

    Mid-September · New players start in First strokes, and returning players move into their new ensemble.

  • Winter concert

    December · Each ensemble plays one tune for families in the pan room.

  • Open rehearsal

    March · Come and listen to the full band rehearse, then try a pan yourself.

  • Spring concert

    June · A longer evening of tunes from every ensemble, with the full band last.

Sample dates.

Months only: the school confirms each date with families.

Families and players

What families say

4.8

36 reviews

5★
28
4★
6
3★
2
2★
0
1★
0

  • “The room is loud in the best way, and the teachers never rush a beginner.”

    Marcia B., parent of a nine-year-old

  • “I came to pan as an adult and nobody made me feel late.”

    Kevin O., adult student

Sample reviews.

Come in

Hear a rehearsal, then pick up the sticks

Book a class on our enrollment page. We go over tuition with you there, and you can sit in first.

Try a classCall the school