Artist Initiative

My focus is Brazilian roots music. The opportunities for study within Minnesota are extremely limited. With the funds from this grant, however, I was able to learn and study a form of music called Pagode with a group of about 20 people. I evaluated this experience in two ways. First, I asked all of the participants for feedback at the end of each of our workshops to assess how the learning experience was going for them. The response was overwhelmingly positive and people were appreciative of the opportunity. Second, the clearest evidence of success is the fact that we are now a Pagode ensemble. I have learned the music and the particular band leadership needed for this music. Not to mention, I have a core group of about 12 people who are able to play this music on the traditional Brazilian instruments and provide the required backup vocals (call and response). We continue to play out on an ongoing basis. 2: I learned many skills during this project through having to book a large group (7 - 10 players), record this music with a sound engineer, co-implementing workshops, and working with a web design on my own website. I would evaluate my work as a success based on my ability to work with a range of contractors and musicians to help me complete the project.