#192 Brian Potts- Percussionist for PRD Mais, Educator & More!
This week’s episode features Brian Potts. Brian is a versatile performer and dedicated educator with a passion for Brazilian percussion. Under the tutelage of Dr. Ney Rosauro at the University of Miami, he became enamored with the sound and capabilities of modern pandeiro techniques. His degrees culminated with a doctoral essay based on an interview with the great Marcos Suzano, which has become an invaluable reference for pandeiristas the world over. Also, Brian works closely with the Pandeiro Repique Duo, comprised of Bernardo Aguiar and Gabriel Policarpo, with whom he founded the Brazilian percussion supergroup PRD Mais in 2016. In addition to his love of Brazilian music, Brian has sought to help make the pandeiro an international and limitless phenomenon by adapting the instrument to a wide variety of styles, including jazz, funk, soul, Latin, and classical music. In his clinics, Brian strives to relate the versatility of the pandeiro by utilizing modern techniques that allow students to approach the instrument in a creative and interactive fashion. He also teaches at Barry University in addition to online (i.e. Skype, Zoom, etc).
You can stream some fo the concerts the NY Philharmonic recorded and watch them perform from the comfort of your bedroom.
Unable to open its concert hall, New York Philharmonic brings its music to the streets. The concert locations aren't announced ahead of time, in an effort to keep crowd size low and social distancing possible. Similarly, the concerts are kept short: 15 minutes at most, to keep large crowds from gathering. Each week's musicians and staff members are supposed to travel together to limit potential exposure to the virus. They also get tested. Brooklyn Bridge park was one of the locations they have performed in the past. -Article
Educational Spotlight
UPDATE: The Mike’s Lessons Camp talked about on the podcast, has been sold out for all the remaining available dates. Bookmark the website for future camp info.
Friend of the show, Carter Mclean has a new educational website (Carter Mclean dot com). Go check it out!
Pasic is launching some new updated info on Thursday September 3rd. Go to their website for more news. For other Percussive Arts Society news and info, go to the PAS website.
Product Review
Jefferson and the team at Sugar Percussion are doing another give away. It is a Mahogany Bop Kit. You can see Aaron Sterling play it below. It is being raffled off to help out one of our own (a percussionist) whose family is in trouble.
If you want to help please join us. Thank you very much.
To participate:
Optional $20 per entry.
Donate any amount in increments of 20. $20=1 entry, $40=2 and so on.
Send via PayPal (friends) to js@sugarpercussion.com with your name and IG or FB handle.
Please spread this around so we can help as much as possible.
Thank you for participating.
If you can’t donate and want to help support Jefferson, you can also share this post and comment and message FedEx for destroying two kits.
The pandeiro mentioned in the episode by Brian is the one made by the Cooperman Drum Company.
Iconic Recording
The iconic recording is by Lenine and Marcos Suzano. The song and album are both called “Olho de Peixe”. You can listen to the whole album, but the title track is track number 4 and comes in at 12:16 into the youtube link.
Music News
Artist Rights Alliance officials voiced their criticism of the “secretive agreements” this morning, and the corresponding statement was shared with Digital Music News. Delivered in response to the Copyright Office’s Unpaid Royalties Study (and “Notice of Inquiry” requesting expert opinions and feedback), the ARA’s statement arrives exactly four weeks after questions surfaced over whether the overarching “Black Box” initiative is doomed to fail. -Article
These are the Bill of Rights proposed by the ARA for musicians moving forward after the pandemic.
A number of United States music venues and live event professionals are rallying behind the #RedAlertRESTART campaign, which aims to prompt congressional action on the RESTART Act. -Article
Here is the proposed bill if you would like to read the “fine print”.
Just last week, projections pointed to the delivery of a second stimulus check in October — at the earliest. But emergency discussions between Democrats and the White House over the weekend could be accelerating that timetable. That represents a needed development for millions of Americans struggling financially, including everyone from sidelined musicians and producers to laid-off staffers and executives across numerous industries. -Article
Bandcamp started Bandcamp Fridays back in March to support artists impacted by the pandemic, and in the past few months the music community has come together in a huge way: in just four days, fans put more than $20 million directly into the pockets of artists and labels. Because the pandemic is far from over, They’ll continue to hold Bandcamp Fridays on the first Friday of every month until the end of the year. All from midnight to midnight Pacific time. For time zone demystification, check out: http://isitbandcampfriday.com/
Damon has an album on Bandcamp and his birthday was last Friday August, 28th (hint hint, wink wink).
The song leading into the interview is called “Bora Bira” by PRD Mais, from the album, "Rittenhouse,” out now on GroundUP Music.
Brian Potts Interview
Brian is the featured guest, but friend of the show Dani Markham is the guest host for this week. Shout-out to Mark Small for helping to make this happen as well. Damon tells a brief story about another Miami musician, pianist Martin Bejerano who plays with the great Roy Haynes.
Brian talks about the merger of two pandeiro styles of playing. Pagode on a 12’ head (where the hand does most of the moving), and the Choro style usually on a 10” head (where the pandeiro does most of the moving). One of the people Brian mentions that mixes the two styles is Netinho Albuquerque. Brian talks about how Marcos Suzano was one of the first to detune the pandeiro and amplify it. Brian tells a summer story about how Marcos Suzano was inspired to revolutionize the way a pandeiro was played.
Brian started playing drumset with Todd Strait in Kansas City. Todd hipped Brian to the Sergio Mendes album “Brasileiro”. Later he attended the University of Miami and studied with Ney Rosauro. He mentions the Concerto for Marimba a lot of people have played that Ney wrote.
Damon and Brian talk about the cross-pollination of Brazilian music and its roots in West Africa with Angola and even some of the Yoruban tribes.
Miami is a melting pot of many Caribbean cultures and more from Cuba to Venezuela, Haiti to Gospel and Funk. Dani mentions Afro-Beat as another style that gets overlooked. Tony Allen was one of the innovators of that style while playing with Fela Kuti. Brian gives a shout-out to Dave Chiverton.
Damon mentions the company Amplified Timber for being able to mic your pandeiro, frame drum or cajon. Brian talks about the mounts and clamps for the mics by Bill Bowen of Bowen Audio.
Damon’s first introduction to Brazilian music (other than Sambas and Bossanovas) was from his professor, and friend of the show, Eduardo Leandro. He starts to ask Brian about picking the right pandeiro. Brian talks about the Cooperman Pandeiro that he uses as well as the CONTEMPORÂNEA products. Brian also talks about the Bira pandeiros out of Rio and mentions that Meinl, and Remo also have some models that may work for you.
Brian is a member of the Pandeiro Repique Duo Mais. He and Dani talk about past podcast episodes and Brian mentions the Chino Nunez episode.
Dani and Brian talk about how Ney led a great percussion studio and the many lessons they learned aside from playing music. Brian now teaches at Barry University.
Brian has a new educational website with Bernardo Aguiar called Groove Arte and a modern Pandeiro course called Pandeiro Moderno.
Brian mentions the layering of many folkloric styles of percussion playing and brings up Dani’s time with the group Tune-Yards.
Three styles that Brian traces music in North America back to the African diaspora are 2nd Line in New Orleans, Go-Go in the Washington D.C. area and North Mississippi fife and drum corps.
Damon draws the correlation between the North Mississippi fife and drum corps with Forro music in Brazil. Brian mentions the group he always has to go see in Rio is Sexteto Sucupira on Wednesday nights. Brian also talks about Jorginho do Pandeiro and his techniques.
Dani and Brian talk about the Tamiami Trail and the everglades, specifically Loop Road. Brian talks about his one other job outside of music and his run ins with alligators.
Brian talks about Naná Vasconcelos and his mastery of the berimbau. Damon and Dani watched the Projeto Arcomusical Berimbau Ensemble at Pasic in 2019. Brian brings up Ramiro Musotto.
Damon and Brian get into talking about education and educating for the future with new modern demands.
Brian picks the iconic recording of the week (see above) and teaches Damon how to pronounce it.
Brian uses Cooperman Instruments. and CONTEMPORÂNEA instruments, he leads the Miami Bloco samba school, and is a member of PRD Mais. Definitely check out his new educational website with Bernardo Aguiar called Groove Arte and a modern Pandeiro course called Pandeiro Moderno.
The last part of the conversation is how to teach rhythms and using the voice to help. The book Damon brings up is called Teaching Rhythm: New Strategies and Techniques for Success by David Newell. It is a unique, innovative, and comprehensive textbook devoted exclusively to the teaching of rhythm. This book presents traditional, as well as non-traditional, 21st century, outside-the-box concepts, and strategies relative to the teaching of rhythm.
You can follow Brian on his Website, Facebook, and instagram.
The song leading out of the interview is called “Portal” from the PRD Mais album "Rittenhouse," out now on GroundUP Music.
