Formerly of St Clair, Port-of-Spain Trinidad, Earl La Pierre is one of many Trinidadians who have
made their mark in their various spheres of the world. While living in Canada he taught steel pan
music at the University of Toronto, North York Board of Education and the Toronto Board of
Education. Earl was instrumental in getting the Steel pan offered as a credit course in the North
Schools. Earl has won ALL Kiwanis Music Festivals in the Steel band category in Secondary, Junior
and Primary School from 1979 - 1986. During that time the bands under Earl’s tutelage (most
notably those from West View) received 29 wins at Secondary level (with 1 second place in 1983)
and 6 wins at the Primary level. In the Jazz and Pan category the West View Steel band received 3
wins from 1984 thru 1986. At West View Earl was instrumental in getting no less than 8 steel bands
started; at the Secondary level there was Pangroove, Pantario, the Senior Band, the Junior Band
and the Open Band, and at the Primary Level there was Topcliffe, Day Strome, and Firgrove.
It was in 1986 when Earl headed to Cayman Islands for the Pirates week Festival, an opportunity to
teach pan there arose. He ended up spending 18 years there and loved every moment of it. While
there he opened a school called Cayman School for Pan, has a Carnival Steel band named
Panoramers and teaches pan at the primary, middle and high schools, as well as Catholic Schools,
in Grand Cayman. At this time, as a result of Earl's contributions,
all the schools offer steel band as part of their educational program. Earl has won every School
Music Festival and every Carnival Pan Competition in Cayman Islands from 1988 - 2006.
As steel band teacher, and a performer, La Pierre performs at all the major hotels in the Cayman
Islands, but mainly at Treasure Island Resort. He is credited with introducing Trinidad and Tobago's
national instrument to this island to the extent
where it has become an indelible part of that country's culture.
Unfortunately, in 2004 Hurricane Ivan touched down on the island and took away all Earl's
possessions and since then he has been residing once again in Toronto.
La Pierre has always been active in the Trinidad pan scene. He is a former member of Metronomes
where he place 3rd as a soloist in the Trinidad Music Festival. He arranged for Invaders where he
placed 2nd in the bomb competition: placed 5th in Panorama Final, he was also a member of
Starlift Steel Orchestra and for the past 26 years has played as a member of Phase II Pan Groove.
In 1999, he arranged the panorama tune for Southern Marines and for the past several years he has
been arranging for Harmonites where Earl has also garnered several accolades. In 2002 he placed
1st in the East and 4th in the finals of the Pan in the 21st Century competition.
In the Panaorama competition with Earl as their arranger,
Harmonites were the People’s Choice in 2006, and received 7th place in 2007 and 10th place in 2008.
In the ‘Bomb’ competition, Earl and the Harmonites have also garnered several notable awards. In
2006 they received 2 first, 3 second, and 1 third place. In 2009, they placed 12th, Panorama. Pan In
The 21st Century: In 2007, Harmonites garnered 3rd place; In 2008, 5th place; In 2009, 6th place. In
2007 they received 1 first, 2 second, and 2 third place; and in 2008 they received 2 first and 1 second
place. Earl has distinguished himself as Canada's Top arranger, by being judged the winning of
Best Playing Steel band at Toronto's annual Caribana celebrations for the unprecedented 30th time.
To put this in perspective, it must be mentioned here that this feat was accomplished during 39-year
span from 1969 to 2008. Toronto Symphony Steel band - 1,
Impacts - 3, Harriet Tubman Survivors - 2,
Trinidad Average Steel band - 2 and Afropan – 27
Earl La Pierre Sr. has garnered 31 wins out of 40 times with 8 seconds and 1 third.
This is even more remarkable when one considers the
time, effort and energy required to maintain the quality of musicianship necessary to win one aware.
For this reason, in 2002 at the annual Snowflakes of Steel show, the Pan Arts Network made Earl La
Pierre their first ambassador of the Pioneer In Pan Award. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
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