Joan Bobb-Alleyne-Dann

Email: joan.bobb-dann@sta.uwi.edu; jbobbdann@hotmail.com

Biodata

Joan Bobb-Alleyne-Dann became the Coordinator of the University of the West Indies School of Continuing Studies in Tobago in October 2007 after thirty three years in the teaching profession. She spent fifteen years at the primary school level before moving into special education as teacher in charge and later, principal of the Tobago School for the Deaf, Speech and Language Impaired. She holds a Teacher’s Diploma (1979); a Certificate in Education-Teaching of the Hearing Impaired with distinction in practice (UWI, 1993); a Bachelor of Education Degree- Educational Administration, (UWI, 2000, First Class Honors); and a Master of Education Degree- Youth Guidance, UWI, 2005, with distinction). She is currently pursuing upgrade from MPhil to PhD in Educational Administration at UWI, St. Augustine.

Abstract

This paper highlights the utilitarian benefits of steel pan playing. By embracing, the findings of relevant researchers which suggest a positive correlation between instrumental music participation and academic performance, the paper proposes that educational institutions in the Caribbean capitalize on the possible positive relationship between steel pan playing and academic performance. It indicates that music playing activates the entire cerebral cortex of musicians and that musicians have more developed brains than non-musicians, and suggests that music production enlarges the brain, connects the hemispheres and promotes the development of skills that students transfer to other academic areas. The paper further illustrates positive transfers in mathematics, science and English language; suggests a cumulative impact of steel pan playing; and explores possible gender differences. It offers an explanation as to how positive transfers are possible. The social and economic context of the history of the steel pan presents a possible reason for the initial apparent rejection of the instruments by some members of the society. The paper concludes by indicating that, contrary to the beliefs of academic instructors, when students are pulled out of academic classes to participate in instrumental music training, they do not perform more poorly than their non-instrumental counterparts.

© Joan Bobb-Alleyne-Dann, 2008. Page last revised November 3, 2008.

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