The dissertation of Dr Zahra Lake, one of Antigua and Barbuda’s newest PhD graduate, explored the transformative power of steel band education in fostering empowerment, cultural identity, and social justice.
Dr Lake, who graduated last week from Western Illinois University, completed her doctorate in Educational Leadership with a focus on the impact of steelband education beyond traditional music instruction.
“My research was focused on steelband education and the impacts that it has pertaining to empowerment, cultural identity and social justice,” she told Observer AM’s Dr Jacqui Quinn during a recent interview.
Her ground-breaking study positions steelband education as a culturally grounded transformative force that creates spaces of belonging within and beyond traditional classrooms.
According to Dr Lake, her findings revealed that the panyards function as socially inclusive spaces where participants gain benefits that transcend music education.
“What you find in these spaces is that you have persons of all types of abilities, but at the end of the day, we have one goal, which is to make music together,” she explained.
Lake emphasized that steel band participation helps individuals develop resilience, confidence, and leadership skills through collaborative musical experiences.
“You put all of that to the side – class, gender, religious beliefs – and you collaborate in these large spaces with persons from different socioeconomic backgrounds,” she noted.
The newly minted doctor brings extensive experience to her research, having served in leadership roles with multiple local steel orchestras, including Shadow Music Academy, Hellsgate Steel Orchestra, and Panache Steel Orchestra.
Dr Lake made history as the first female arranger to compete and win a panorama competition in Antigua and Barbuda with Panache. She currently serves as captain and musical director for Pandemonium Steel Orchestra, a new band in the Nut Grove community.
“We started in October, and we won the 25-a-side competition hosted by the Gemonites Steel Orchestra. We also recently entered the Original Steel Orchestra’s 50-a-side Pan Explosion competition and placed first runner-up behind Panache,” she said.
Lake’s dissertation adds valuable insight into an under-represented field, as she noted the challenges in finding existing research during her literature review.
“There’s not a lot of written works on steelpan, even more so steelband education, so it is adding to that gap in scholarship,” she stated.
“I think my research will help us to better acknowledge the impacts of steel band education so that we can pump some more resources into it in terms of changing the way we see our music curriculum,” DrLake said.
Currently teaching at Antigua State College and the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus, Lake plans to continue developing the Pandemonium Steel Orchestra as a “symbol of cultural pride” for Antigua and Barbuda.
Lake advised students to pursue their passions, reflecting on her own journey. “Whatever it is that you decide to do in life, it must be something that you love; it must be a passion of yours.”
Copies of Lake’s dissertation are currently available on ProQuest, with plans to make hard copies accessible in local libraries.
