THE ROLL-UP DIGITAL STEELPAN

The steelpan (steel drum) is the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago. Over the years, there have been various innovations in the design of the steelpan, including new electronic versions. This paper presents an addition to the family of digital steelpan instruments in the form of a low-cost roll-up digital steelpan (similar to a roll-up piano or roll-up drum kit). The idea as conceptualized is to have a flexible surface with solid steelpan notes following the traditional circle of fifths pattern. The playing surface could then easily roll up for transport and storage. The design of the roll-up digital steelpan is presented together with results on initial testing with musicians. Plans for further development of the product are also discussed.

Learning method preferences in a steel drum classroom: Exploring a learner-centered pedagogy through composition, peer teaching, and student-led Modern Band projects in a middle school setting

This action research discovers the learning preferences of middle school students enrolled in an advanced steel drum class in central Florida, specifically their attitudes toward the learner-centered approach while composing and learning music. Sixteen participants compare the traditional teacher-led formal instruction to student-led informal learning across three projects: composition, peer teaching, and student-led small group with the introduction of Modern Band instruments. Students are given creative freedom to choose their own friendship groups, instruments, and songs. Ease, enjoyment, and success rates are measured through questionnaires, video recording, field notes, and interviews. Student preferences toward teacher-directed and peer-directed learning change throughout the study, from student-led learning to teacher-led instruction as the tasks become more difficult. In addition, preferred learning techniques of the steel drum are found to be reading notation, listening to the music, and demonstrating how to play the instrument through kinesthetic means. Music teachers can successfully implement a more learner-centered classroom by planning lessons that are in line with student ability and background knowledge, while incrementally increasing challenges.

Development of an Oscillating Drum Granulator Prototype for Cassava Pearl

This paper presents an oscillating drum granulator prototype for cassava pearl. Effects of filling degree and oscillating speed on cassava pearl granulation were investigated. A stainless steel drum granulator with 50 cm diameter and 16 cm length was developed. The stainless steel joints with a cotton-transmitting belt were used to connect the drum to an oscillator arm to simulate the flexibility of a traditional cloth cradle granulator. The filling degree and oscillating speed were varied from 1, 2 and 3 kg and from 87 and 100 rpm, respectively. During granulation, samples were taken at 4, 8, 12 and 16 minutes to determine the particle size distribution, mass mean diameter, granule density, hardness and sphericity. The results indicated that both the filling degree and oscillating speed played an important role on cassava pearl granulation. The filling degree of 3 kg and oscillating speed of 100 rpm was suggested since it yielded similar properties of cassava pearls to those obtained from the traditional process. This prototype granulator could successfully produce 2.4-mm pearls with comparable characteristics to the standards. Comparing to a traditional granulator, the oscillating drum granulator is easier to clean and more GMP compliant.

Study on Grain Storage Facilities as Food Security Measure in Flood Prone Areas of Bangladesh

The present study aimed at obtaining the existing grain storage facilities - their problems and prospects at farmers, commercial, common and co-operative levels on some selected flood prone areas of Bangladesh. The study was conducted at Belkuchi upazila under Sirajgonj district. A total of randomly selected forty farmers and ten traders were surveyed from four villages under four different unions through structured questionnaire. Farmers and traders were classified as small, medium and large on the basis of their total land ownership and annual income status. The farmers used traditional storage structures such as Dole, berh, Motka, Jala, steel drum, gunny and plastic bags and Gola. On the other hand, the traders used gunny and plastic bags and privately owned godowns for storing food grains for short time basis. Average production, consumption, sale, farm use, labour wage, storage volume, cost, durability and losses of different storage structures for major grain crops like paddy, wheat and mustard were identified by farmers and traders category. Considering the capital cost, expected life and storage loss steel drum, gunny and plastic bags and Motka/Jala were found more economical for the farmers. The advantages and disadvantages of farmers, commercial, common and co-operative level storage structures were also identified. As the study area was a flood prone one, average 60% farmers were affected and average 8% stored grains were damaged by the flood of 2007. A total of 73% farmers and traders expressed their interest on co-operative storage system at the time of flood to store food grains with paying cost as they have no alternative storage facilities other than the proposed safely constructed co-operative storage structures. On the basis of the opinion of farmers and traders, the suitable location and type of storage structure were also proposed. A layout design and the cost of an operational storage structure for storing 60 metric tonnes of paddy and the possible management of the co-operative storage system were also proposed.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/pa.v18i2.18244 Progress. Agric. 18(2): 223 - 233, 2007

The Analysis of the Automatic Steel Drum Tilter

In order to meet the requirements of a steel drum manufacturing plant on steel drums flip using traditional design methods design the steel drums flipping machine. The finite element analysis method to flip the frame and the strength of the drive shaft. Flip frame analysis results obtained displacement, the stress distribution diagram, the maximum stress of 41.361MPa, and the stress concentration point to flip the frame and at the connection of the link plate. Analysis the shaft torsional displacement, stress and its former fifth-order natural frequencies and mode shapes, after optimization analysis of the shaft, the quality of the drive shaft is reduced by about 13.49%, and to identify the best hollow radius R1 = 15.035mm.

Playing-related Musculoskeletal Disorders and Stress-related Health Problems Among Percussionists

This cross-sectional study examined the prevalence of self-reported playing-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMDs) and stress-related health problems among percussionists. Data for the present study were extracted from the University of North Texas Musician Health Survey (UNT-MHS) data set. Subjects (n = 279) were included if they identified auxiliary percussion (i.e., tambourine, triangle, bells, rattle, wood block), drum set, marimba, steel drum, timpani, vibraphone, xylophone, or other percussion as their primary instrument. Prevalence rates for PRMDs and stress-related health problems were determined for the total percussion group and for separate instrument categories. Of the total group, 77% reported one or more PRMDs. The keyboard percussionists (marimba, vibraphone, xylophone, and steel drum) reported the significantly highest prevalence (89%), followed by auxiliary and other percussionists (79%) and membranophone percussionists, including drum set and timpani (74%). The highest region-specific prevalence of PRMDs for the whole group was found in the bilateral hand and low back regions. Stress due to work environment was considered moderate to high by 75% of the respondents. Regarding stress-related health problems, percussionists reported primarily problems with fatigue, depression, and stage fright. The overall findings of this study show that PRMDs and stress-related health problems are a major concern for percussionists and warrant further research.