Michael Kernahan Steel Drummer from Miami, FL

Michael Kernahan: Trinidadian pioneering steel pan artist and the director, tuner and arranger for 21st Century Steel Band in Miami, FL. Moved to the U.S. to explore the possibilities of disseminating pan music, history and culture. He toured with Liberace from 1968-1972 as part of the Tripoli Steelband. He has fabricated and tuned steel pans for many Steel Orchestras and private individuals, as well as for school bands in Illinois, Michigan, Mississippi and South Dakota, Kernahan is the resident tuner for Florida Memorial University, Redlands Elementary and Mast Academy, FL. He also continues to be involved in the pan movement in his native Trinidad and Tobago and is a founding member of the Florida Steelband Association. In 1996 he was awarded a fellowship by the State of Florida to teach pan tuning. In 2005 he was the recipient of the Florida Department of State Folk Heritage Award. The rights to one of his composition "What is a Pan?" have been acquired by SONY BMG for sale in colleges, universities, book stores and librairies across the U.S.