2 Sundays, October 22 and 29, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm

In this two-part workshop, students will explore the connections between the pandeiro and other percussion instruments that influence rhythmic patterns in a wide range of musical styles. We’ll do a deep dive into the binary pattern of the tamborim “levada” or ride, sometimes mistakenly called the “Brazilian clave.” We’ll also learn how to apply ride variations to choro, samba, bossa nova, pagode, etc., playing and improvising with these patterns on the pandeiro. Additional topics include northeastern Brazilian rhythms, funk patterns, and potential subjects such as when to use a baião vs. côco pattern; when a maxixe is more like a Brazilian polca (polka) than a choro; what musical styles use reco-reco, triangle, caxixi, ganzá and more! Lastly, we will delve into the use of odd meters in Brazilian music and beyond.

About Ami Molinelli

Ami Molinelli is a professional percussionist and educator specializing in Brazilian and Latin percussion. Ami received her Master of Fine Arts from the California Institute of the Arts.  Her performance and recording credits include theater and television (NBC).  She is a freelance performing artist as well. She is endorsed by Latin Percussion (LP) and Rhythm Tech. Her last album, História do Choro with Duo Violão Brasl + 1, was released in 2019 and was celebrated as one of the best jazz albums from the Bay Area for 2019. (Andy Gilbert, San Jose Mercury News) She is a two-time San Francisco Arts Commission Individual Artist Recipient in 2018 and 2020. She co-leads the Brazilian and Jazz ensemble Grupo Falso Baiano with three albums to their credit: Depois released in 2017, Simplicidade – Live at Yoshi’s and Viajando em Choro e Jazz. Grupo Falso Baiano has been featured on NPR’s The California Report, Radio Latina, and Pandora LIVE!