These panhandlers march to the beat of a different drummer
What images are conjured up when you hear the word panhandling? If you would have asked me that question two years ago, I would have immediately pictured a destitute individual, dressed in tattered clothes, holding a cup asking for money. A sad image indeed.
But now? That is not what I see at all. I see a group of fun-loving residents at Brittany Pointe Estates in Upper Gwynedd Township, Montgomery County, who came together with one goal in mind — to learn to play the steel drums.
Fast forward to now, and they have far exceeded expectations. They are a talented and hardworking group that meets twice a week to learn new skills and play some of the happiest and most lighthearted music on one of the happiest and most lighthearted instruments around, the steel pan, better known as steel drums.
But let me rewind. This journey started a year and a half ago, before the word pandemic entered our vocabularies. As the Life Engagement Coordinator, it falls to me to book great and different entertainment every week for the residents who live here. In my research, I found a steel drum band, Trinidad North, founded by steel drum master David Gettes. Bingo! Just what I was looking for. This should be highly entertaining, I thought. Little did I know where it would go.
Later
in the spring of
2019, I held a “Try Something New” event where I introduced lots of new ideas and opportunities and foods to the residents. Many were off the beaten path … far off the beaten path. Steel drums was one of those.
Dave agreed to come and offer a scaled-down beginner’s version of the steel drums to the residents here. He created these pans to suit the specifications of this age group. Before I knew it, I had a waiting list of people interested in learning.
I immediately requested permission to purchase 10 drums made by Dave, and so it began. Dave came weekly to offer instructions, and immediately we knew this would be something special.
This group, aptly named the Brittany Pointe Panhandlers, came together once a week to rehearse and practiced daily. It would not be surprising at all to walk down a residential hallway and hear the melodic sounds of the drums from behind closed doors. They were determined and diligent.
We were well on our way and excited at the prospect of getting better and better. We set a concert date, and they worked hard. Dave was thrilled and so were we. Then COVID hit.
Just like everyone else, we were restricted as to what we could do, with no possibilities of further instruction and no hopes of performing in public. But did they let that get them down? No way! This incredible group kept practicing and getting better. I did my best to pinch-hit as instructor, with long-dis
tance support and coaching from Dave.
Our first gig was a virtual one but was a huge success. With our first public appearance came more residents who wanted to join the Panhandlers. We are currently a group of 16, with room to grow.
They say that learning a new skill in your later years is a wonderful way to keep your mind sharp and ward off dementia. I recently read an article that stated that individuals between 60 and 85 who began participating in music lessons had improved memory, quicker processing speed and improvement in other cognitive functions, compared to others in that age group. The data omits one vital fact … it’s fun!
My Panhandlers have a great time, are anxious to learn new and more complicated material, and who knows? We might even graduate to full-size pans one of these days. For now, we jam. If you happen to drive by and hear sounds of the islands, it’s just the Brittany Pointe Panhandlers banging their drums.