Steel Drum History
Steel drums, also known as pans, originated on the Caribbean twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago in the 1940s. They are considered the world's newest musical instrument. All of Clemson's instruments were built by native Trinidadian, Cliff Alexis, one of the world's leading builders, tuners, and arrangers in the United States and Professor of Music at Northern Illinois University. All pans are made from 55-gallon oil barrels and are formed by using a 40 pound sledge hammer, heated over a fire, and cooled (in Trinidad) by throwing them into the ocean.
