Spree - The boy who made steelpan sing - Celeste Mohammed & Cory Thomas

When Winston “Spree” Simon and his family move to the city of John-John on the island of Trinidad, he quickly picks up on the rhythm of the bustling town. But as World War II makes its impact, factories close, people lose their jobs, and everyone fears what might happen next. Luckily, music remains to offer comfort, companionship, and joy.

For Spree, loving music means inventing new sounds. One of his favorite sounds is that of the steelpan, an instrument made from discarded pans, tins, and steel drums. And on Carnival Tuesday 1946—after a lot of practice, innovation, and trial and error—a teenage Spree leads his band in a parade throughout the city, playing an old steel pan with fourteen distinct notes, performing (among other things) Schubert's Ave Maria and God Save The King. This young pioneer musician and inventor was the first person to play a recognizable tune on a pan—producing a remarkable level of music from so called industrial waste.