Charlestown Primary School – Iron Band
Charlestown, Nevis
May 30, 2008
Premier of Nevis and Minister of Education Hon. Joseph Parry urged students on the island to continue their involvement in music and cited that it would keep them away from idleness and trouble.
Mr. Parry made the call on May 28, 2008 at Musical Expose 2008 which was held at the Netball Complex in Charlestown. The event which was created by Music tutor the late Mr. Herald Sutton in 2006 was organised by the Department of Education. It featured performances from every school on the island and showcased the student’s musical talent and demonstrated the role of the Music Department in their development.
“If you love music it helps to save your mind it relaxes you and it makes you a better person. I believe as well that as we are growing up that young people should not just focus on academic education but to be roundly educated. You need to do a number of things including sports and leisurely affairs and certainly music.
“As you get yourselves embroiled in music, as you get yourselves involved in various forms of music, it also takes you away from idleness, it takes away from some of these activities that can get you into serious trouble,” he said.
The Minister also thanked the music tutors for their hard work.
Meantime, Principal Education Officer on Nevis Mrs. Jennifer Hodge in an interview with the Department of Information on May, 29, 2008 summed up the performances as “fabulous” and of particular delight were the steel pan renditions.
She also pointed to the performance of the Charlestown Primary School’s Iron Band. She said the school had capatilised on the craze and was the first to have an iron band.
“They did great they sang the popular “Focus” calypso and adapted it to the Test of Standards and fractions and it was ingenious, clever,” she said.
