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Stephen F. Austin State University

THE ARRANGING TECHNIQUES OF LEON “SMOOTH” EDWARDS AND THEIR APPLICATION TO CALYPSO-STYLED CLASSICAL MUSIC ARRANGEMENTS FOR STEEL ORCHESTRA

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

<p>The steelpan was invented in the 1930s in Trinidad and Tobago. It has evolved over the past eighty years. Although steelbands are now found across the globe and at all levels of music education, academic research regarding the music of the steelpan and its composers and arrangers is scarce. This paper examines six works for steelband by Leon “Smooth” Edwards, a prominent arranger of indigenous steelband music for the Panorama competition in Trinidad and Tobago. Music scores for four of the works have been notated for the first time. The paper documents Edwards’ variation development techniques, voicing, and orchestration. The analysis then guides the creation of an arrangement for steelband of J.S. Bach’s Orchestral Suite in D major: Air, in the rhythmic calypso style of the Panorama arrangement, similar to the pieces performed for the Carnival Bomb competitions of the 1950s and 1960s.</p>

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Music
Level thesis:degree_level
Thesis
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
School of Music
Year dc:date.available
2021

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Rudder, Michelle A
Contributors dc:contributor
  • Dr. Samantha Inman
  • Dr. Stephen Lias
  • Dr. Bradley Meyer

Subjects

dc:subject × 10

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Repository record dc:identifier
https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/386
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:scholarworks.sfasu.edu:etds-1392

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Stephen F. Austin State University
Base URL
scholarworks.sfasu.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Rudder, Michelle A. THE ARRANGING TECHNIQUES OF LEON “SMOOTH” EDWARDS AND THEIR APPLICATION TO CALYPSO-STYLED CLASSICAL MUSIC ARRANGEMENTS FOR STEEL ORCHESTRA. Thesis thesis, 2021. https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/386