“Some of my favorite memories at CAFE include performing at Virginia Beach Panfest, Pan in the Park, and Trinidad & Tobago Embassy for DC Passport.  Being a part of CAFE afforded me the opportunity to play with other musicians and learn about the Caribbean culture and their music.  It also allowed me the opportunity to attend Birch Creek’s Performance Center two week camp in Wisconsin.  This was my first time visiting Wisconsin as well as my first time being away from my parents and family without knowing anyone.

My post high school academic plans are to pursue a degree in Music Technology at SAE Institute or the Atlanta Institute of Music and Media. I will continue playing the drums with my church and other musical gigs that come along.  I've learned a lot since joining CAFE and made so many good friends that make music too. I really grew as a musician and person and will continue to grow through every challenge I face. “

I've been in Cafe for about 8 - 9 years now to which I’ve started Cafe back in either 2013 or 2014. During those first few years of Cafe I learned Art, Music, and other activities. At first I didn’t really know what I was meant to do, but I did have fun….

When the pandemic hit the U.S hard it meant that almost everyone had to stay indoors and those who go out must wear a mask. Mostly everyone in Cafe got affected by this and had to stay home. Many of them were impacted by the sudden change of events that made them sad. I was not immune to the effect that the pandemic had on my life, and it really was the worst. I got more progressively lazy and ate a lot to the point where I didn't want to do anything. Even then I still went to Cafe virtually even though I didn’t participate in some of the activities in spite of my laziness. Moving forward to this year things start to be a little more fair, and it gets better simply because we can go back to Cafe in person. However, we needed to have a mask on and we needed to make sure that we aren’t positive of the virus.

It feels almost surreal that my full time career with CAFE is coming to an end. For the past decade, I have known nothing but steel pan. I remember my first day in CAFE when I joined the summer camp. Believe it or not back then I was not a very social person at first and found difficulty in making friends. I realized from an early age that I wouldn’t be carried to the top at this place. CAFE is not a place for the light. While they will treat you like family, respect is always earned…

When I first joined PV, I had no idea what was in store for my future. I knew that I was going to be dealing with harder music but more importantly, I did not know that I would be making a family for life. I met my best friends through CAFE and that is one of the many things I will forever be grateful for.