As the Love City Pan Dragons prepare to wow St. John with their Caribbean Christmas Concert, the culture-keeping youth group hopes some generous local Santas can help overcome a funding shortfall.
With a dearth of federal grants available and a general lack of recent philanthropic giving, the concert at the St. John School of the Arts Sunday will be especially important, said Andrea Milam, the Pan Dragons’ executive director.
The Pan Dragons rely on local funding, Milam said. Some from individuals and charitable organizations, and some from the Virgin Islands Council on the Arts, as well as the Sports, Parks and Recreation Department. But the federal grants that often filled in the gaps have evaporated.
“It’s just the availability of grants in general. There’s not as many. So, of course, competition is stiffer, so we are applying for what’s out there. But so far, we’ve been rejected for everything we’ve applied for this season,” Milam said Monday. “Without additional funding, we will be unable to take our young musicians on their customary educational travel experience, and we are currently short of the resources needed to complete the 2025–2026 programming year.”
While the need is dire, the numbers are relatively modest. The steel pan orchestra needs about $4,000 a month to pay for its instructors and staff. There’s also the traditional $1,000 scholarship given to each of the group’s graduating seniors.
The Pan Dragons is more than teaching kids how to play steel pans. It’s about creating good citizens eager to be a bigger part of their community. “The other bit, of course, is keeping this element of the culture alive,” said Milam, who started as a parent volunteer in 2017 and then, through grant funding, took over as the group’s executive director in 2023.
“The band is really important on St. John. It is the only steel band that’s open to anybody. Our registration fee is $35, and that’s all that parents pay,” she said. “And for that $35, the kids get about six hours of engagement a week, practicing with the band, learning music. They bond with one another. It’s just a very it’s very sweet to see them together.”
Membership numbers vary, but usually hover around 20 students, Milam said.
The group’s scope of activities has expanded in recent years. In May, the Love City Pan Dragons traveled to Virginia Beach to compete in the Virginia International PANfest. It went well.
“That was the Pan Dragons’ first competition and our first win. So that was a pretty amazing experience,” she said.
The next stop was a performance in the Antigua Carnival parade.
“The joy is just definitely the kids. I love to see their relationships with one another. I love to see how they grow while they’re in the band. The camaraderie that comes about from playing music together is amazing,” Milam said.
The challenges?
“Money is the big one. That’s really the biggest challenge right now. It’s just finding money. You know, I feel like there’s so many amazing things we could do with this program, but at the moment, we’re just trying to survive,” she said.
The Love City Pan Dragons perform their annual Caribbean Christmas Concert on Sunday at 5 p.m. at the St. John School of the Arts.
Milam and the Pan Dragons invite backers of cultural preservation, music education, and opportunities for St. John youth to attend the concert. Additionally, supporters can make a contribution to the real and immediate needs of the Love City Pan Dragons by donating via Venmo (@Lovecitypandragons), PayPal (lovecitypandragons@gmail.com), or by mailing a check to Love City Pan Dragons, PO Box 1537, St. John, USVI 00831.
