MY EARLY STEEL-DRUM LIFE.

As I was growing up on the Island of Grenada in the town of Saint George's, and about at the age of nine. I formed my first (Juice-cans) steel drum band in my parent’s yard, with instruments that I made and tune myself. 

I attended The Roman Catholic Boys School (Palmer school) in the 60s, and performed with bands like, The Shell Angel Harps Steel Orchestra, City Symphony Steel Orchestra, and Panasonic steel Orchestras.  I also played the Xylophone in Mr. Maudsley Parks Combo band before moving to the US in 1970.  In the United States, my first 17 years I shuttled between New Jersey and New York, where I studied Electrical Engineering and attended the Jazz Mobile School of Music.  In those days I did not owned a Steel-pan, so I was force to learn music on the Xylophone and other percussion instruments.  I join my first band (First Galaxy) in New Jersey, with featured player Leroy Williams, (a top-notch, Pannist, and Pan maker), who played with Jaco Pastorius on his album, Ocus-Pocus.  As a Cofounder I performed with a Grenadian band (Spice Roots) in Brooklyn, New York as a keyboard player (Self-taught). We were the opening act for Third World band in the city of Norfolk Virginia, Spice Roots also performed as a back up band for a few International Reggae artists such as the Mighty Diamonds, Sister Carol, and I-Roy, to name a few.  The band then move to Florida in 1985.  After one year, I left and formed my own band (Zero Crew). We were the house band at the famous Clevelander Hotel in South Beach Miami, and the Hungry Sailor club in Coconut Grove Miami for a period of ten years. We did our first recording "Mr. Preacher man"  at Inner  Circle studio. They we famous for music like "Bad Boys Bad Boys" and "Sweat".  We also appeared in the movie "Moon Over Miami", performing an original song that I wrote called I-Rock.  I have traveled performing in places like Italy, Holland, Canada, South America, and the Caribbean,  and performed in numerous places  across the United States, such as California, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, South Carolina, Dever, Wyoming, Nevada, Michigan, Texas, New Orleans, Ohio, Maryland, and Georgia.  I also did an opening act for the world renowned “Earth, Wind, and Fire” a concert held in Charleston, South Carolina.  "One of the highlights of my career". rI started arranging music for Steel-drum bands back in 1986.  Bands like Rising Star, then later I arranged music for Miami Pan Symphony, Sacosa band and Tamboo Bamboo Steel Orchestra. I also formed the band "Safari".  We did a series of radio and TV shows, toured to Holland and performed in various cities our album “Little Reggae Music.” I spent four years performing at Orlando’s Disney World at the famous Bob Marley restaurant, and Jimmy Buffett Margaritaville restaurant. I performed on stage with the Marley Brothers, Erykah Badu, Burning Spear, and Black Uhuru. I did a series of tours with the late great Eddie Lovette and toured with one of Jamaica’s legend “Ken Lazarus). I was able to invite a great jazz, flutist (Nestor Torres) on stage doing one of my performances in Florida Keys, I also attracted the involvement of stars such as, the late great Rick James and Gloria and Emilio Estefan to my stage. "The Peter Bernard Band" also made two appearances at the Grenade Jazz Festival, one back in 2004 and the other in 2014.  My good friend from Italy, (Bass player and Songwriter) “Massimo Selvi” featured me in two of his songs on his Original album, and invited me to tour with him in Italy with his band on two occasions.  I also did a commercial for Fox Sports TV, where I performed the Fox Super Bowl Theme song on my steel drum for the 1999 Super Bowl, at the Miami Dolphin Stadium. I was   recognized as the Best Arrangement and Performance  at the Miami Panorama, West Palm Beach Panorama, and The Tampa Steel- band Panorama competition in 2005.  With lots of time spent practicing and developing my skills, I now elevated myself be amongst some of the more skillful and prominent Steel-pan players in the South Florida area today. I also performed for one of TV’s, most famous financial advisors, “Suze Orman” who took part in my performance I was once ask: Mr. Bernard how did your relationship with the Steel-pan began? and what motivated you to stay the course throughout your career? My answer was:  Growing up in the town of St. George’s, I felt my first big challenge was, having to do my daily routine at home, in regards to my household chores and doing my school homework,  It became difficult for me.  I would hear the guys in the neighborhood playing the steel-pan every day, and the unique sound of the pan would captivate me.  I would be at home in the body, but my mind and emotions were often traveling to the Panyard.  Back then, my greatest wish was always to join the action, but unfortunately for me, I was too young. However I did not allow those limitations to hold me back, so I decided to make my own steel-pan out of milk cans, juice cans, butter cans, or any other cans that I could find at the time. My first big break came when I played with "Bandit Steel Orchestra,"  my next opportunity came when I became a member of the  “Shell Angel Harps Steel Orchestra," and as fate would have it, in 1969 I played in the National Panorama Competition and won with the band “Panasonic Steel Orchestra.  Father Immanuel, (the Arranger) was a great role model and indeed a great mentor to me.  Not knowing the basic fundamentals of music, he was very instrumental in having me understanding the correlation between scales, chords, melodies and harmonies. That got me really interested in the theory of music, so I became devoted and committed to showing up for practice on time. He had a very good relationship with us.  We were more than Steel-pan players. We were like family.

In 1969 I was very heartbroken and with a great sense of loss, to learn the building where we rehearsed caught on fire.  As we stood there and watched a dream of ours went up in smoke.  it was indeed a traumatic experience of me.  Shortly after I left Grenada and came to the United States.