EARL   LA    PIERRE,   SR.
DATE OF BIRTH: ......, 1945
PLACE OF BIRTH: St Clair, Port of Spain, Trinidad
EDUCATION: Newtown Boys' RC School
STEELBANDS:
  • Invaders
  • Metronomes
  • Starlift
  • Phase II Pan Groove
  • Southern Marines
  • Harmonites
    • SPECIALTIES:
  • Player
  • Arranger
  • Ambassador
    • CAREER:                                        La Pierre began playing the steelpan with the Invaders Steelband and, in 1962, was part of the Metronomes Steelband that placed 2nd at the biannual Steelband Music Festival. He relocated to Canada in the late-1960s and taught steelpan music at the University of Toronto, North York Board of Education, and the Toronto Board of Education. He was instrumental in getting the steelpan offered as a credit course in the North York schools and for starting several steelbands. Over the years, he arranged for the following Canadian steelbands: Toronto Symphony Steelband; Impacts; Harriet Tubman Survivors; Trinidad Average Steelband; and Afropan.

                                                             In 1986, he travelled to the Cayman Islands for the Pirates Week Festival and ended up staying there for the next 18 years teaching pan at the primary, middle, and high schools in Grand Cayman. He opened the Cayman School for Pan but would return to Trinidad occasionally to arrange for several steelbands including Invaders, Southern Marines, and Harmonites. He retuned to Toronto in 2004 after all his possessions were destoyed by Hurricane Ivan. However, he was back in the Cayman Islands by 2010 arranging for the Panoramers, Prep Pantastic, Pan People, Tripple C Steel Breeze, Grace All Star, and Pandemix steelbands.

    AWARDS:
    • 2002 - Pioneer In Pan Award, Pan Arts Network, Toronto, Canada
    • 2008 - Diaspora Award for Excellence in Culture and Community Development Through the Promotion of the Steelpan, Trinidad & Tobago Consul General in Canada
    • 2010 - Gold Caribana Tribute Award, Toronto, Canada
    • 2010 - Cayman Islands Gold Cross Award
    • 2014 - Pioneer of Steel Pan, City of Barrie, Ontario, Canada
    • 2014 - Contribution to the Art of Steel Pan in Canada, Ontario Steelpan Association, Canada
    Compiled by Ronald C. Emrit