‘Panhandlers’ bring sounds of steel drums to Lansdale retirement community

LANSDALE —Thanks to the Brittany Pointe Panhandlers, the signature steel pan rhythms of the Caribbean have become a familiar soundscape at one Lansdale retirement community.

In fact, the Panhandlers have evolved from drumming dabblers to committed “pannists” who play almost daily, either in-house or during occasional outside gigs like their recent performance for the Senior Group at Christ’s Lutheran Church in Oreland.

According to resident Maryanna Keller, a veteran Panhandler, “the whole thing started in late 2019” when Brittany Pointe’s activity director invited a professional steel drummer to perform at the site.

“She thought this would be something fun for us to do,” Keller says.

She and a number of her neighbors agreed.

“After that (visit), the community’s executive director decided to fund the project and purchased around 10 drums – they’re 16 inches in diameter concave pans with eight notes – and posted a sign-up list for people who were interested in playing them. The original plan was to leave the drums in the auditorium, and for us to go there once a week for a practice lesson with the drum provider who had performed for us…just this very elementary music.

“So, that went on for a couple of months. Then COVID happened, and that was actually an accidental blessing because outsiders weren’t allowed on the campus. So, we each took the drums to our apartments and taught ourselves. We weren’t supposed to meet in big groups, but I suggested that we break into two small groups, put on our masks and meet, and that’s what we did.”

Keller – who describes her music background as “limited to taking violin lessons in middle school and guitar lessons as an adult so I could play in a church group with my daughter” – “kind of took over by default.”

“We had gotten together this one day, and we were just sitting there with our drums waiting for the activity director, and I just blurted out, we’re all here; why don’t we play something,” she explains. “So, that’s what we did.”

And continued to do with their activity director’s blessing.

Initially, the group had “very few songs” so Keller began researching music for steel drums in books and online, transposing what she could into “arrangements that worked for the eight notes on our drums.”

“We eventually accumulated quite a bit of music that we enjoyed playing,” she says. “Most of the people in our group had no musical talent at all, which was fine because – you know what painting by number is – we play music by alphabet because the notes are written right on our drums.”

The group continued to acquire music, met in the laundry room for additional practices, picked up a few more drummers and “spent most of 2020 like that.” Their early headcount included “several gentlemen.” That has dwindled to one, “but let me tell you, he is phenomenal,” Keller says.

“Since the steel drum originated in the Caribbean (and is actually considered the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago), our original music was of that calypso style, and Harry Belafonte was our inspiration,” she says. “But we quickly branched out, and now we play all styles – country, patriotic, Americana, religious, classical and Christmas tunes.  All told, we can play about 150 songs now.”

In a nod to the Super Bowl, the Panhandlers have also mastered a spirited version of the Philadelphia Eagles fight song, which they performed on the Feb. 6 edition of Fox TV.

“Now, we play here in the community every day, Monday through Friday – in the main lobby or the entrance to the dining room or the auditorium…wherever there is space,” Keller says. “Once a month, we go to the medical wing. We go to assisted living when we’re invited, and we play for special functions. We’ve also played at the Lansdale Y, the senior center in Harleysville, the church in Oreland and a number of other places.”

The Panhandlers gave their first concert on March 1, 2021, Harry Belafonte’s birthday, and they’ve been marking the occasion ever since (on March 3 this year). Their Christmas concert has also become an annual event.

Keller calls 2023 a Panhandlers “turning point.”

“So, we’re merrily going along, and in the middle of 2023 a professional music teacher – Richard Karschner, who taught music at Upper Dublin High School for over 30 years and was the band director there – moved here,” she says. “One day, he walked into our session and offered his help … said he would make real musicians out of us. Since then, he’s given us something like 36 new songs with challenging harmonies – beautiful stuff, including classical music and music that’s suitable for church – and he’s adapted it all to our eight-note steel drums.

“He’s taught us how to keep the beat and be in sync with each other, which were our biggest problems. He’s made such a difference, and we’re very fortunate to have him. Now, Richard conducts at least two sessions a week, and I lead six. Some people come every day. Others come once or twice a week. Nothing is mandatory, and our main goal is still to have fun, socialize and play some songs the best we can. As you can probably tell, this group is very important to me. It’s the reason I get out of bed every morning.”