BLACKSBURG — “Hey! People! I’m teaching you!”

The sound of more than 20 musicians chasing their personal rhythms on drums of various sizes and depths comes to an almost immediate halt.

The leader of this ensemble — the members of which range in age from 6 to about 50 — begins weaving among the instruments as he passes out sheet music for the evening.

The weekly practice for the Pan Jammers, Blacksburg ’s steel drum orchestra, has begun.

About four years ago, Richard Rudolph, the Pan Jammers’ maestro, learned the history and craft of steel drumming under the tutelage of Ellie Manette, widely considered to be the “father of steel drumming” in the United States.

Matt Gentry | The Roanoke Times

Maggi Weiseman, 9, at rehersal, with director Richard Rudolph behind her.

The weeklong course with Manette in West Virginia satisfied Rudolph’s craving for a challenge and new direction for Quest Academy, his music school in Roanoke, and he returned from the camp with ideas for summer-long workshops for interested musicians in the area.

The nature of steel drumming makes it perfect for families to participate in together, and newcomers to the instrument find that they can master the drum with considerable ease.

Rudolph retained more than 15 drummers from his first camp in 2004, and he points to these attributes of steel drumming as being strong draws for new members.

“You can play everything from rowdy party music to very serious, beautiful melodies,” Rudolph explained of the versatility of the steel drum, which originated in Trinidad during the 1930s and ’40s.

After an equally lucrative camp in 2005, Rudolph had enough drummers to bring the show to the New River Valley . He now boasts four steel drumming ensembles in Roanoke and two in Blacksburg .

He purposely structured the Pan Jammers, the upper-intermediate level group in Blacksburg , to emulate a traditional symphony ensemble.

The smallest drums, called the leads, are placed in the front, followed by the double tenor and double second drums in the center two rows and everything is rounded out by the bass and tenor bass drums in the back.

The band

The Pan Jammers practice for about an hour and a half every Monday night at 6 at the Blacksburg Recreation Center , and they’re making good use of every second.

They had their first holiday concert in the gymnasium at Kipps Elementary School in December.

“Party,” their aptly titled first album, was recently completed and is now on sale. They also have their upcoming spring concert at the Lyric Theatre, as well as another appearance at the Steppin’ Out street arts festival in August and a November performance at Walt Disney World in Orlando , Fla.

For now, the drummers are already hard at work perfecting their repertoire for a national steel drumming competition that will take place in Virginia Beach on Mother’s Day weekend.

In 2005, they walked away with one silver and two bronze medals in the community group category of the same competition, a fine showing for a group making its first appearance in a competition of that magnitude.

They’re ready to storm the beach again this year, but don’t worry about them forgetting their real motivation for the music: sheer, unadulterated fun.

A lead drum, as played by Sean Olver, 10.

The bass drummers, who hold court over the gigantic drums that resemble overturned trash cans, are the resident boogie-masters.

Whenever they get a break during a song and aren’t required to play, they immediately start getting their groove on in the back of the room. This is clearly encouraged by Rudolph.

“Let’s spend a little more time moving our bodies! The least you should be doing is tapping a foot!” he yelled from his perch at the set of traditional drums in the center of the room, which are used to keep time and complement the orchestra.

He doesn’t have to ask twice.

As they run through “Soca Pressure” and “Symptoms of Carnival” at breakneck speeds, each drummer begins moving to the infectious beats.

Everyone is not only having a blast but also getting a workout. The twisting torsos, shuffling feet and flying arms of the drummers make this seem more like an exercise class than band practice.

Sweaters, pullovers and any other extra layers of clothing are quickly discarded once the heat from all the activity in the room starts churning.

Coincidentally, the ensemble tackled the popular Caribbean favorite, “Hot, Hot, Hot,” to add to their already lengthy list of learned songs. Although the beats were tricky, the drummers dove in with characteristic enthusiasm.

A base drum.

“Hey, you can be trained!” Rudolph exclaimed good-naturedly after the Pan Jammers got the hang of the opening after only a few attempts.

Although he is the maestro of the group, Rudolph gives plenty of credit to Leslie and John Gregg, whom he calls the “godparents” of the Pan Jammers, because they’ve donated considerable time and energy to recruiting new members and finding venues for their performances.

Rudolph and the Pan Jammers definitely have their work cut out for them for 2006.

But while they’ll be rigorously preparing for their upcoming performances, the members of Blacksburg ’s first steel drum orchestra should probably be patting themselves on the back a bit, too.

“They’re really a great energy ensemble,” Rudolph said.

“And, hey, these kids and adults are making history. That’s no small thing.”

To book the Pan Jammers or to become a member, contact Richard Rudolph at 472-3860 or quest.academy@cox.net. To learn more about the group, go online to www.panjammers.ourbandsite.com.