Dr. Mia Gormandy-Benjamin

Dr. Mia Gormandy-Benjamin’s life beats for Trinidad and Tobago’s national instrument, the steelpan and she shares her love for the instrument in everything she does. Dr. Gormandy-Benjamin educates others about the pan both in the classroom as an Assistant Professor of Music (Steelpan) at the University of Trinidad and Tobago and outside the classroom as the Chief Executive Officer for PanNotation, an online store and library for steelpan music scores and educational materials.

Mia’s academic credentials strongly underpins her work as she holds her Bachelor of Music (2009), a Master of Music degree (2011) in steelpan performance from Northern Illinois University (NIU). She then earned a Master of Music degree (2013) and a Doctor of Philosophy degree (2017) in ethnomusicology from Florida State University (FSU). Her doctoral research focused on the history and performance practices of steelpan musicians in Japan.

This pioneering educator is the co-founder of the global steelpan project called the Virtual Steelband where over 300 pannists from 22 countries are registered. The organization has connected pannists worldwide and collaborated to produce musical pieces since 2015. In response to the 2020 pandemic Dr Gormandy- Benjamin worked on the “Pan in Unity” project, which featured 691 musicians from 23 countries. Above all, she is a proud wife and mother to a vibrant three-year-old.

Recreationally, Mia is the Artistic Director for the world-renowned Trinidad All Stars Steel Orchestra and was recently appointed Chairwoman for the newly formed Trinidad All Stars Academy where approximately 100 persons are enrolled, building their capabilities with the national instrument.
She was also appointed to the Steelpan Steering Committee under the Ministry of Trade and Industry that is currently building a strategy to further develop a sustainable steelpan industry. Mia’s passion for the steelpan began at home in Belmont before she was not even five years old when an abandoned steelpan, originally gifted to her older brother, caught her interest and to this day the beat lives on.