Steelpan Festival comes to Crystal Lake

The annual Great Lakes Steelpan Festival returns to Crystal Lake.

The largest event of its kind will be at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 9, at Hannah Beardsley Middle School, 515 E. Crystal Lake.

GLSF16 is the only music festival in the Chicago area specializing in the steelpan, the musical instrument from the Caribbean countries of Trinidad and Tobago, also commonly called the steel drum.

Throughout the day, attendees will hear music ranging from classical to calypso and even original compositions that were commissioned specifically for this festival. The event is hosted by the Woodstock-based 501(c)(3) organization, Culture, Arts & Music, www.cultureartsmusic.org.

The 2016 Great Lakes Steelpan Festival will bring together performers and educators from six states across the U.S., Trinidad and Tobago, and Denmark. Guest artists include Ellie Mannette, Gary Gibson, Gregory Boyd, and Potts & Pans Steelband. GLSF16 is packed with free performances and educational workshops starting at 9 a.m. and an evening concert starting at 8 p.m.

It is for steelpan aficionados to casual music lovers alike. No matter what prior exposure audience members have had to the steelpan, the festival will make every person in the room think a little differently about the instrument.

The Great Lakes Steelpan Festival was created to fill the void in top level steelpan performances and educational events in the Midwest. Imagined by two Midwest pianists, who decided to start the festival in order to create a closer option for bands like theirs, after meeting in Virginia for a different festival.

For more information about the festival, contact information or to purchase tickets at a reduced price, visit www.steelpanfestival.com.