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The Daily OrangeBrazilian beats
After humble start, Brazilian Ensemble to spice up Setnor Auditorium
By Mallory Creveling
Posted: 4/7/08, 11:56 PM EST Section: Feature
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With five students and few instruments, which the Dekaneys bought themselves, they began a Brazilian ensemble class in fall 2001. About two years later, they received a $2,000 grant from composition professor Joseph Downing, to buy more instruments.
Now in a large class of 44, it's like a scene out of Carnivale. Students play instruments like the caixas, a kind of snare drum and the abes, a kind of large maracas with beads on the outside.
"I feel so, so honored that people enjoy the music of my country and that I have a place here, that I can share my culture," Dekaney said. "I'm teaching at a place where people are accepting and receptive and really open to the kind of music that I have to teach."
Tonight at 8 p.m. in Setnor Auditorium in Crouse College, the Brazilian Ensemble, called Samba Laranja, will display each type of music it's learned in a free concert celebrating the release of the group's new self-titled CD.
"This semester, right now, we have enough (instruments) that everybody seems to be happy playing whatever they had chosen," Dekaney said.
Brazilian Ensemble meets every Tuesday and Thursday, a time when students enrolled can practice their instruments and learn songs they sing in Portuguese. Since the class began, it has been open to anyone, even those without previous musical experience.
Katherine Dee, a music education graduate student, has been in the Brazilian Ensemble for three semesters, but never played Brazilian instruments before she took the class. Now she plays several instruments and describes the exotic music as rhythmic and energetic.
While several music education and music majors do attend the class - the class also has students from the Newhouse School, the College of Engineering, the School of Education and even the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. The idea of opening the class to anyone at SU follows the lifestyle of Brazilian music Dekaney teaches.
"It is intended to represent the music making that happens in Brazil that is done by community," Dekaney said. "This kind of music is not performed, is not rehearsed, is not intended for only musicians. It is really a social kind of gathering in which you practice and you learn it, but you don't have to have a musical background to participate."
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