Are students at Cornish College hungry to learn Brazilian music?
How do you structure your class? I teach Latin Jazz Ensemble at the undergraduate level. Basically, I use this class to explore a variety of rhythms, and since it is a good size, I can try out all sorts of arrangements and orchestrations. It is very rewarding to see people who were not born in Brazil begin to understand and feel Brazilian rhythms such as baião, samba, maracatu, and frevo and be able to incorporate these patterns into their everyday playing. We are all excited about an upcoming performance in December at the College. I also teach students on a private basis, and here I go into other areas such as composition, arranging, and the basic concepts about being a musician. Your philosophy of music and its role as a tool for transformation reminds me of the 1+1 theory of language acquisition. When you are able to see music as a tool for transformation, you can put yourself on a never-ending path of evolution. I study music every day, and every day I find new aspects of it I had
