The Florida Folklife Reader

Michael Kernahan: A Life in Pan

35 ‘’ ‘’ Michael Kernahan A Life in Pan stePhen stUeMPfle in a field of saWgrass Behind a WarehoUse coMPlex on the edge of Miami’s suburban Tamiami Airport, Michael Kernahan creates high-precision musical instruments, known as pans, from discarded oil and chemical barrels. He works in a small clearing under a tree that provides some limited shade. Assorted barrels are stacked around the space; some are full size, while others have been cut. A briefcase filled with metalworking tools rests on one barrel. From the edge of the clearing, a narrow path extends to another space, where pans are heated over a wood fire. In the distance is a third clearing, in which Kernahan’s apprentice, Michael Phillip, sometimes works. This outdoor workshop is a peaceful place. Breezes blow across the acres of sawgrass, while occasional helicopters and small planes take off from the airport. The surrounding neighborhood consists of import/export, aviation , and other businesses. It is a good location for metal artisans. No one complains about the constant banging of hammers against metal barrels. Moreover, discarded barrels can sometimes be found at shops in the district. One of the warehouse units next to the field where Kernahan works is the panyard or headquarters of the 21st Century Steel Orchestra. In addition to tuning (fabricating) pans, Kernahan serves as the leader and musical arranger for this band. He also plays an instrument known as the double second pan. While most individuals associated with the pan world today specialize in tuning, arranging, playing, or administration, Kernahan follows in the tradition of the old-time pan leaders of Trinidad who combined all of these activities. His versatility and accomplishments have earned him great respect from other pan musicians. At a recent party in 21st Century’s panyard, 36 stePhen stUeMPfle numerous members and supporters of the band took turns testifying about the multifaceted impact that Kernahan has had on the pan world. “We all can consider it a real privilege to have known him,” suggested one panman. Indeed, Kernahan has inspired audiences throughout North America with his music, has taught countless students to play pans, has tuned instruments for numerous steelbands in Florida and other states, and is now patiently passing on his vast knowledge of tuning to his apprentice. In short, he has been one of the guiding forces in Miami’s still-emerging pan scene.1 Steelbands, a creation of the twin-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago, are a relatively recent phenomenon in south Florida. Though a few pannists, such as the internationally known jazz virtuoso Othello Molineaux, were active in Miami by the early 1970s, most have arrived since the 1980s, as part of a growing migration of Trinidadians and other Anglophone Caribbean peoples to the region. Pannists have performed as part of small ensembles in the tourist industry and private party market, as well as playing with steelbands for the local Caribbean Carnival and other community events. Among the steelbands in Miami at present are 21st Century, Miami Pan Symphony, Michael Kernahan with tenor pan. Photo by George Chillag. Courtesy of Historical Museum of Southern Florida. 37 Michael Kernahan: A Life in Pan and Rising Star. There are also some school bands, most notably an ensemble at Florida Memorial College under the direction of Dawn Batson, a pan educator and arranger with many accomplishments in both Trinidad and the United States. Along with these bands, there are a number of individual pannists who play in restaurants, on cruise ships, and at other venues. The characteristics of the Miami pan scene and of Michael Kernahan’s remarkable career are best understood in the context of the development of pan music in Trinidad. What was once a disreputable type of street music eventually became a cherished national art and a new form of musical expression for the world. the historical develoPMent of Pan The musical form that is now known as “pan” emerged during the late 1930s in Trinidad. Its immediate precursor was African-Trinidadian tamboo bamboo music, which was played by striking different sized pieces of bamboo together or stamping them on the ground during pre-Lenten Carnival street processions. During the 1930s tamboo bamboo men began beating on metal containers (such as paint and trash cans), automobile parts, and other metal objects. This metallic percussion proved to be louder and more durable than bamboo; around 1940 Carnival bands began to discard their bamboo altogether...