Family of Steel (Drums)

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An object once used as a signal among gangs in Trinidad may seem like an odd hobby for the family of a BYU music professor, but in the case of the Brough family that is exactly the case. Professor Ron Brough, his wife, and three children make up a band known as PanJam, a percussion group whose sound include modified oil drums, or "pans." They have performed in a variety of settings, from intimate gatherings to the Conference Center with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

BYU Television presents PanJam: Brough Family Steel Band, a special showcasing the family's musical talent and the power music has in our lives. For the Broughs, this power, in harmony with other considerations, is what prompted their familial foray into steel drumming.

According to Brough, the family "got involved in steel drums for several reasons. One, we kept getting calls for performances/engagements during the summer months when BYU students were gone for the summer. Two, my wife and family were tired of me being gone all of the time doing freelance work with other musicians on top of my busy schedule at BYU. Three, we thought it would be a great family activity. Four, we thought it might even be a way to provide income for our children to earn money and save for their missions or college expenses. We have been very fortunate to have it all work out and have enjoyed many years of a variety of performance experiences together."

These experiences as a family provide a unique opportunity for the Broughs to share their talents. "We have four children," Brough said. "Currently only three of them play in the band. Robyn (17) plays the lead or tenor pan, Roger (19) plays the triple guitar pans, Regan (23) performs on electric bass. My wife, Ralene, performs on the double second pans and I perform on drum set."

Join BYU Television for Pan Jam and experience the power of this unique musical experience. The program was sponsored by the Geraldine Swenson Watkins Endowment which, according to producer/director Steve Lowe, "thought that [Pan Jam's] performance was noteworthy and that the message they presented was in line with what the foundation is trying to accomplish: encourage the use of music to strengthen families and homes."

- Jake Black is a history major from Orem, Utah