Morena Tropicana and País Tropical

The way forward with the Samba School

OK, let's try to keep this short & sharp: I feel we need to change the format of the classes a bit to keep it interesting for both beginners and advanced people, and for me as well. I haven't decided yet on this and would be really interested in your (constructive!) feedback.

What I'm considering:

• Making sure there's something new pretty much every night. That way people will keep coming else they'll miss out. Of course that also works the other way - if people don't come then they're holding up progress for the whole group (as is happening now a bit too) so that will need to be managed too.
• Songs, songs, songs. This would be a great way of adding much needed variety. I loved making the arrangements last year, that was a highlight in the 5 years of Primavera. Songs make it much more complex (set up PA, cavaco player, tamborim section, singers), but I feel it's worth it. I definitely can't do this all alone so I will need your help/ideas.
• Maybe have a lesson schedule, published on the blog, with info on what we do each night. Also, maybe dedicated classes (every 4, maybe 6 weeks) for beginners so that I can go through the basics with them. Posting a schedule on the blog hopefully will encourage more people to have a look at it.
  
• Having an 'advanced' group for certain songs/rhythms. That way the people with 'less talent' (not sure how to put this) won't hold up the more 'advanced' people. Very difficult this one.
• We experimented the last couple of weeks with pagode the first 30 minutes. Personally I am not convinced about this yet but appreciate any feedback.
• The money side of things. I'm considering making payment for classes optional, as in it's expected people that can afford the $8 they pay but if you can't then you don't have to. This of course will only work if there's enough paying people. I don't want people to stay away because they really can't afford it.
• Any other ideas? Please comment on this post. Keep it short & sharp & positive ("Remko, I'm bored" is definitely not encouraging me to think constructively).

Your feedback is very much appreciated. For what it's worth, I have to admit there's a chance that I'll quit with all this if we can't keep it interesting and positive enough... so please make the effort to think and comment about this.

If you want to post comments privately or if you again have lost your password don't hesitate to email me!

Yours in Samba,

Remko

Thanks Angus & Renata!

Just a quick message to Angus & Renata, thank you very much for organising a great party! I had a fantastic time, great food, and the caipirinhas and the cachaca, well, were just amazing. I also really enjoyed the little pagode and then the playing on the street was fun as well. Funny how again we saved the day for RioRhytmics, I didn't quite expect that we would be leading but hey it's more fun for us that way anyway!

Thanks very much!

Remko

Carnaval West end: pictures

Try the link below for the rest of the pictures. Let me know if you can't get through:

http://picasaweb.google.com/bdi12177/CarnavalWestEnd200902#

Carnaval, West End: . . . .the parade

Mike sums up people's feeling !

Boundary Street Parade

Rio Rhythmics is organizing a street parade this Saturday night, on Boundary Street, West End, to coincide with carnival in Brazil. I have been talking to Tarcisio about participating. For anyone who is interested, he could do with a few extra surdos, shakers, and tamborines, and a snare or two. If there is extra people, a few agogos. Dress is white. We are meeting at the back door of Rio Rythmics at 9pm.
For those who want a bit more action, come to my place at 5pm for a Brazilian BBQ, pagode, and carnival on TV (i have TV Globo, so it is live, but on Saturday, it will only be carnival from Sao Paulo). My house is just down the road from Boundary Street, so maybe at 8.30 we do our own little, much tighter, better looking and generally higher quality, parade while we walk down to Rio Rythmics. My office is conveniently next door to Rio Rhyhmics so we can leave instruments there and party on after if required.
Please let me know if you can make it to either the street parade or bbq or both. I will give address and so on Thursday.
Angus

Carnival West End

Sambistas, As you may be aware, carnival in Brasil starts next saturday. Rio Rythmics is having a street parade including bataria and dancers in boundary street, west end on Saturday night (21th) around 8.30pm. I have spoken with Tarcisio from Rio Rythmics and he is happy for members on GRES Unidos da Primaerva (us) to join in. He will let me know which instruments they have, and what they need. At this stage it looks like they need shakers, surdos, and snares, however I will confirm.
So preliminary plan is meet at 4pm at my house for a brasilian bbq (churrasco), carnaval on the tv (or a video if its not live), a bit a pagode, a few caparihas for those not driving, some dancing, and maybe some costumes for thise drinking a few caparihnas. Anyway, details to follow.
Angus

Note from Remko: note this in on the 21th, not today!

Earplugs

Just a quick reminder that I cannot always provide earplugs, and that it is everyone's own responsibility to protect your ears. You can buy cheap earplugs at your local Chemist. However I can really recommend 'musicians earplugs' that are specifically made for your ears. They are not cheap (over $100) but your ears are very valuable too.

If there is enough interest in musicians earplugs I can try to negotiate a group deal at a Brisbane based specialist? Let me know.

Update: I've only found one supplier here in Brisbane so far, to have ear imprints taken, earplugs made and fitted costs $240. They don't want to do group discounts. I'll have another look.

Re-introducing songs

For those of you who haven't followed the comments in the previous post, some of us will get together 6pm this Thursday 11 February at the Polish Club bar to discuss and hopefully improve the format of our weekly rehearsals, in particular by re-introducing songs in one way or another. Please feel free to join us, your input is very much appreciated.

By way of preparation, here are the main challenges that I can see that we need to overcome, your ideas would be appreciated:

1. We need a serious PA. From where, who will transport (it won't fit in my car), who will set it up in time for the rehearsal etc.
2. How can we make sure we cater for everyone, so both beginners and long-term members, and also (and this is not the same!) different skill levels.
3. How can we make sure that Remko won't get burned out on Thurday nights. When we previously did songs, even though I loved it very much, all the associated hassles on top of having to really work hard by singing, playing cavaco, concentrating on the bateria, dealing with Brian ;-) almost became to much for me.
4. How can we make sure the level of playing improves. When we step up there will be the requirement to learn songs etc, so people will need to start learning and practicing at home.
   

Your input is very much appreciated. Like Brian, I feel it's time to step up and do something different. I am excited and hope we pull through this important moment in the history of our samba school!

New Year , New Rehearsal Format ?

Remko, . . . . I'm bored !

Can we change our rehearsal format with a 30-45 mins pagode at the beginning of each session ?
I'd like to play something new .

It just dawn on me that the Samba school have a repertoire of only about 5-6 songs . And I've been playing these 6 songs over, over,...an over for the last 5 years since 2003 ( with a variety of breaks ) .

Each week, I'm willing to carry my small Mackie active PA sytem ( 100W RMS, 2 channels + 1 RCA input ), 1 x microphone for you to sing and play the cavacinho. I can bring my tan-tan as well.

The advantages of this format are:

* We can all learn something new while waiting for people who turn up late.
* Play samba with few people as possible. Improve our chance of paid gigs in smaller venues.
* People have a chance of really learn an instrument because people can hear your own mistake. No safety in number.
* Buddy system : experience players can stop and show beginners how to play.
* Those MPB songs are so nice .
* Brian will stop whinging because he's not bored.