By Rae Wiltshire
Devonte Renaldo finds that making music takes him to a good place inside himself. As a conga player and budding pannist in the Ansa McAL Parkside Steel Orchestra, he gets to go there often, though initially, he found playing music challenging. He revealed that when he doesn’t excel at something, he tends to lose motivation. In this case, however, his fellow band members believed in him, which encouraged him to persevere.
Renaldo shared that he discovered his passion for playing music during his time at the Bishops’ High School. He was watching a group of steel pan players and they invited him to try his hand at an instrument. He opted for a pair of maracas and quickly felt a deep connection to them, describing it as “relaxing and his thing.”
This newfound interest led him to return and soon he found himself participating in the local Panorama competition at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. Renaldo emphasised that being part of the band has taught him valuable life lessons. He recounted a specific incident where he was playing the maracas and suddenly halted. In that moment, he realised that even the smallest action can have a significant impact and teamwork is exceedingly important. If one person doesn’t pull through for the band, then the entire thing can collapse, he explained. He now uses this lesson in his life.
Renaldo graduated from maracas to playing the congas for the band while also learning the steel pan. This has become a delightful aspect of his life. In his words, “I do it for self-expression. I do it for the freedom. I do it knowing that when I am on stage and I close my eyes and I play, it feels like I am entering a whole new world, and for me, nothing is more joyous than when you feel the music yourself and you are 100% excited about it, and then you look at the crowd’s reaction…
“It’s golden. It is like I made somebody enjoy the moment, and that person will now remember that.”
Being part of the steel pan group has also aided him in dealing with moments of anxiety. He mentioned that he tends to overthink a lot and has a fear of failure; he would often leave room for disappointment. He still considers himself inexperienced with the pan and expressed a willingness to seek help, despite feeling ashamed that he has not yet mastered the craft. He has begun to realise that asking for help is perfectly acceptable, indicating a genuine interest in self-improvement. This has helped him to come to terms with failure and enjoy the process of getting better.
While Renaldo pursues his passion for pan, he also explained that he is exploring other art forms, which he couldn’t partake in as a child due to family members who held stereotypes about males in the arts being too effeminate. Renaldo dances and is currently practising his skills as a stage actor. These have all become integral to his development as an artist and a person.
He said, “I am learning the importance of expressing myself. I am learning how to express myself. I am giving myself the space to express myself and not thinking for one minute about how society is going to perceive me.” This expression serves as a form of therapy for him, providing a sense of grounding.
Renaldo added that when he arrives for band practice, his mind must focus on the task at hand and the music. This focus allows him to channel positive energy and improve his mood. He noted, “Even if that mood lasts for ten minutes, one hour, two hours, it relieves my mind of unnecessary tension because I know in this space I can just let go of everything and be myself. I don’t have to be an adult for the working world. So when I am in my creative space, I get to be Devonte.”
