The Starlift Steel Orchestra continued its Annual Training Programme with a cohort of fifty-eight for the 2023 edition.
Forty-six of the graduates were registered directly to the Starlift programme, with the other twelve referred from the Hero’s Panstastic Music Academy.
The training programme focused on the players learning to play the instruments properly, and was conducted by Kingsley ‘Hero’ Roberts
Reflecting on four weeks of the training, Roberts said: ” Every year it peaks because the interest is high”.
Roberts underlined that the annual training exercise, is primarily to replenish the Starlift Junior Band.
But according to him, the process is one of screening, whereby only the bests are chosen.
“All of them want to come back… We have the saying that many are called but few are chosen, I look around and I see they are not applying themselves, they would not go forward… They will not get pick”, Roberts revealed.
Persons attending last Saturday’s Graduation Ceremony were thrilled by the performance of the graduates, as they skillfully rendered the memorable ‘Never on a Sunday’ and local folk song, ‘Moonlight’.
Prior to the performance of the graduates, the occasion was dotted by the usual remarks, this year from Parliamentary Representative for West Kingstown- Hon. St Clair Leacock , President of the Youlou Pan Movement- Rodney Small, Captain of the Starlift Steel Orchestra- Roddy Dowers and Hon. Rene Baptiste.
Meanwhile, Featured Speaker- Rayshard Ambris, called on the graduates to love the pan and admitted that the pan yard is his second home.
However, he warned the new players, “Don’t use it too much that you neglect your school work”.
The afternoon was crowned off with renditions from a segment of Starlift’s senior band.