I - Brazilian Music

1. Brazilian Music Styles

For inquiries about workshops, lectures and masterclasses,  please contact Fernando


• A survey on the most important styles of Brazilian Popular Music


Brazilian music has become recognized worldwide for its unmistakable poignant melodies and syncopated rhythms. In this lecture-demonstration you will learn about the evolution of Brazilian music and its social history.  From Choro and Maxixe, from Baião and Maracatu, this is a chance to learn what is beyond (and behind) the samba and Bossa Nova musical styles that most people know about. You will learn the differences and similarities among these styles, their origins, and the influences they received and contributed to jazz, pop, funk, and rock. Instrumental and vocal music recordings featuring various arrangements will be presented in traditional and contemporary versions. This lecture will open your ears (and mind) to a thorough understanding of Brazilian music and culture.

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2. Brazilian Music Rhythm Section I

• Southeastern most important styles: Choro, Maxixe, Marcha, Samba, odd-meter Sambas, Partido Alto, Samba-Choro, Samba-Funk, and Bossa Nova.


Topics covered include how to choose comping patterns and how they work and apply to drums, bass, and melodic instruments; typical bass lines, drum set patterns (hi-hat, cymbals, snare), common mistakes and misconceptions about these styles, and tunes for varied ensemble levels. Repertoire include vocal and instrumental music by most important Brazilian composers.
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3. Brazilian Music Rhythm Section II

• Northeastern most important styles: Baião, Galope, Xote, Maracatu, Ijexá and Frevo


Topics covered include choosing comping patterns, typical bass lines, drum set patterns, baião modes, phrasing, frevo melodies, and tunes for varied ensemble levels. Repertoire include vocal and instrumental music by most important Brazilian composers.

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4. Brazilian Music Ensemble

• Southeastern and Northeastern most important styles in traditional and contemporary versions: Choro, Maxixe, Marcha, Samba, odd-meter Sambas, Partido Alto, Samba-Choro, Samba-Funk, Bossa Nova, Baião, Galope, Xote, Maracatu, Ijexá and Frevo


Whether you are a vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist, bassist, drummer, percussionist or a wind player, you will learn about the role each instrument plays in an ensemble and how they fit together.


Topics covered include how to choose comping patterns and how they work and apply to drums, bass, and melodic instruments; typical bass lines, drum set patterns (hi-hat, cymbals, snare), common mistakes and misconceptions about these styles, ensemble balance, dynamics and interaction, articulation, phrasing, harmonic, improvisation analysis, baião modes, phrasing, frevo melodies, and tunes in regular and odd meter time signatures. for varied ensemble levels. Tunes feature 2-, 3- and 4-part voices, as well as rhythm section arrangements. Repertoire include vocal and instrumental music by most important Brazilian composers: Pixinguinha, Jacob do Bandolim, Cartola, Tom Jobim, Toninho Horta, Chico Buarque, Milton Nascimento, Hermeto Pascoal, Egberto Gismonti, and many others.


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5. Phrasing, Interpretation and Improvisation in Brazilian Music


In this workshop we will examine the essential elements that define phrasing in various Brazilian music styles: articulation, accents, rhythmic interpretation and variations. We will take a close look at notation, interpretation of syncopated rhythms, melodic characteristics and improvisational elements of selected pieces and  styles. Through practice, score and audio examples, we will analyze the melodic interpretation of Choro, Samba, Partido Alto, Samba-funk, Bossa Nova, Baião, Ijexá, Xote and Frevo.  Students will learn to differentiate and use appropriately jazz, urban and folk articulations. They will be able to improve their technique and improvisation skills that relate to those styles.

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  1. 6. History of Vocal Brazilian Popular Music 
     
• A survey of Brazilian singers and composers, the Brazilian Portuguese language, its sounds and diction.


This workshop will explore the various periods of vocal music in Brazil, starting in 1900 and covering the Golden Era of Radio, Bossa Nova and MPB (Brazilian Popular Music).


It will chronologically cover the history of Brazilian singers and we will listen to some of most popular and important compositions from last century and now. Sessions might include additional time for a coaching session with students. Topics will include Portuguese language, phonetic sounds, phrasing and style.

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  1. 7.The Music of Hermeto Pascoal

• A chronological study of recordings and scores by one of the most important and influential composers in Brazil


One of the most influential and creative contemporary Brazilian composers, multi-instrumentalist Hermeto Pascoal has been praised by Miles Davis and Gil Evans as a musical genius. His compositions often borrow from traditional folk material and styles like Samba, Choro, Baião, Frevo, and Maracatu.


They are often embedded in deceptively simple melodies and contemporary ear twisting harmonies and rhythms. Through audio and score examples this lecture will examine some of Hermeto’s most important compositions and his writing style.

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8. Contemporary Vocal and Instrumental Brazilian Music

• A survey on the most important Brazilian composers and performers in the last decades (through recordings and videos)


Composers covered include Hermeto Pascoal, Egberto Gismonti, Guinga, Rosa Passos, Dori Caymmi, Chico Buarque, Lenine, Milton Nascimento, Djavan, and many more.

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9. Compositional Elements in Brazilian Music

• A study of the evolution of melody, harmony and form in vocal and instrumental Brazilian music.


In this course students will study the richness of melodies and how they work with various and unique harmonic progressions and form. We will take a close look at various styles and selected compositions by Pixinguinha, Jacob do Bandolim, Noel Rosa, Ari Barroso, Cartola, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Edu Lobo, Gilberto Gil, Djavan, Toninho Horta, Dori Caymmi, Guinga, Hermeto Pascoal, Eberto Gismonti, and many others.

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10. The History of Choro


• “The History of Choro, then and now”, a concert-lecture about one of the first authentic Brazilian music styles and one of the foundations of Brazilian music. 


Choro is one of the first music styles that developed in Brazil, spanning more than one hundred years. Many of the most important composers and performers were either shaped, schooled or influenced by its improvised counterpoint lines, intricate rhythms, virtuoso melodies, smooth groove, complex form, and often surprising harmonic progressions.


From Antonio Callado (RJ, 1848-1880), to Ernesto Nazareth (RJ, 1863-1934), Villa-Lobos, Pixinguinha, Jacob do Bandolim (RJ, 1918-1969), Valdir Azevedo, Tom Jobim, Guinga and other contemporary composers, the workshop will show through recordings, videos, and slides the trajectory of choro, from its origins to nowadays. We will also take a look at the maxixe style, which is also a dance, and evolved around the same time of choro.


Choro has always served young musicians as a school of learning music. Like in Jazz, many musicians, especially the rhythm section players, learn the music by ear, and memorize hundreds of tunes. All instrumentalists are challenged by having to learn complex harmonies that modulate through its 3-part form, and to improvise counterpoint lines. Melodies are often very challenging and require a very high level of instrument skills. Media include audio, video and keynote slides.         

       

11. Lyrics in Brazilian Music: What They Talking About?

 • Brazilian music is mostly known and appreciated in the US for its lyrical melodies, often complex harmonies and especially the rhythmic feel and grooves that are so infectious. But, what are they singing about?! In this session, we will explore the meaning of the lyrics written by some of the greatest Brazilian poets of the last 100 years. We will see how they brought romance, protest, politics, sports, loss, joy, exile, history, betrayal, humor, metaphors, reality, timelessness, and much more to music. Come read out loud some of this poetry, bring and share your favorite lyrics, and learn about the composers and poets. Media include audio, video and keynote slides.         

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II - Flute Masterclasses


1. Interpretation of Classical Repertoire

From baroque through contemporary. Repertoire include major works by Bach, Telemann, Handel, Mozart, Schubert, Debussy, Ibert, Poulenc, Gaubert, Messiaen, Hindemith, Prokofiev, Martin, Varese, Copland, Villa-Lobos, Guarnieri, Guerra-Peixe and many others.

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2. Practice Routines for Flute Workshop


A workshop devoted to find solutions for technical problems, how to practice more efficiently, and how to improve one's critical sense and perception of his/her playing.

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3. Choro on Flute - History, Interpretation and Improvisation


Choro is one of the first music styles that developed in Brazil, spanning more than one hundred years. The flute was the first choro melodic instrument, back when choro was not yet a genre, and it is one of the most important instruments in Brazilian music history.


Composers and performers since then, has been either shaped, schooled or influenced by its improvised counterpoint lines, intricate rhythms, virtuoso melodies, smooth groove, complex form, and often surprising harmonic progressions.


Through analysis, recordings, videos, slides and live performance, we will explore topics like notation, articulation, interpretation of syncopated rhythms, melodic and rhythmic variations, ornamentation and improvisation in the choro genre. We will explore the compositions from Antonio Callado, Ernesto Nazareth, Pixinguinha, Jacob do Bandolim, and other great composers.


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  1. 4.Improvisation


A workshop about various aspects of improvisation with topics about what to play - modal scales, pentatonics, hexatonics, and other scales, lower and upper chord structures, tension and resolution, approach notes, syncopation, etc, and topics about how to play - time feel, pacing, accents and ghost notes, phrase lengths, dynamic shape, etc.