Northern Illinois University
School of Music
College of Visual and Performing Arts

Our steelpan program has a long history of great students who have gone on to do great things after graduation. Here are just a few notable examples, and if you are an alum we’d love to hear about what you’re up to.

Mia Gormandy

• Assistant Professor of Music, The University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT)

David Aarons

• Assistant Professor Ethnomusicology, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Seion Gomez

• Senior Instructor of Music (Pan), The University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT)

Akua Leith

• Artistic Director, National Steel Symphony Orchestra of Trinidad and Tobago (N.S.S.O)

Satanand Sharma

• Lecturer in Music and coordinator of the Music Unit of the Department of Creative and Festival Arts and faculty of Humanities and Education, University of the West Indies

Angela Gay Magnus

• Lecturer, Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts at The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Kingston, Jamaica

Khan Cordice

• Director of Culture, Cultural Development Division of the Ministry of Sports, Culture, National Festivals and the Arts in Antigua and Barbuda

Scott McConnell

• Steel Orchestras Director, Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras (C.Y.S.O)

Daron Roberts

• Associate Director for the Rhythm Project, The Virginia Arts Festival

Josanne Francis

• Executive Director, Cultural Academy for Excellence (C.A.F.E) in Mount Rainier, Maryland

Kenneth Joseph

• Director, St. Luke’s Steelband in New Haven, Connecticut

Barry Mannette

• Adjunct Lecturer, University of the West Indies
• Director, Mannette Academy of Music

Dajhumbay Russell

• General music teacher grades K-6, Ridge Circle Elementary School and Hawk Hollow Elementary School

Khion De Las

• Instructor in Music at the Department of Creative and Festival Arts, University of the West Indies

Adam Duym

• K-5 Music Educator and Chorus Director, Spring Brook Elementary School, Indian Prarie School District #204

Tyler Smith

• Instructional Technology Coach, Diamond Lake School District 76

Adam Grise

• Data and Systems Analyst, School of Music at the University of Maryland

Charlton Alfonso

• Lecturer, School of Music at the Edna Manley College of Visual and Performing Arts