Last year, Narell attended the Panorama, Trinidad's national steel band competition, and he relays to the Wisconsin audience the tale of his appearance. Narell equates the affair to Olympic ice skating where high and low scores are discarded for political reasons. The sense of earnestly which Trinidad holds for steel band playing has helped create a worldwide infectiousness for this music. Narell has witnessed pan yards in South Africa, and he has led master class clinics in remote cities like La Crosse, Wisconsin. During the audience-questioning portion of the program, both musicians are asked to discuss their rehearsal habits .
Music is about playing.
He uses the culture of Trinidad as an example. There, musicianship avails itself to the entire society. Music helps build the culture's soul. When Dr. Taylor and Narell discuss the energy created by a steel pan orchestra, Narell points out the influence of pan size on audience and musician. Larger steel pans, shaped like oil cans, require the drummer to maneuver about the instrument in order to strike the correct notes .