You play?!

When people ask me this question when they hear i am a member of UWI Panoridim Steel Orchestra i am always a bit hesitant to say yes. Yes i am a member, even though on my current sabbatical, but hesitant to say i am a pannist. You see, a pannist is one that plays the most difficult run with ease, a pannist is one that looks forward to a new challenge, a pannist is one that has no problem playing the same part of an 8 minute song for HOURS, a pannist is one that enjoys playing more than ..almost anything else in the world. I have fulfilled only one of those criteria and that is enjoying myself when i play.
As i spoke with a fellow Double Seconds player from Skiffle Bunch, i realised that our 4 hour practices of 12 songs a night is nothing compared to their sometimes 7 hour practices for 1 song. But that is how they get it right, that is how they can say they haven't played a song in a long time but still make it sound tight. If i don't play in a couple days, i better practice before any big playout or it will be a disaster.
Bands from Trinidad always put a new focus in my mind, this time being on the outside i accept the challenge to step up my game, hope by the next time a band comes out here i can say i am bit more than just a budding pannist.