Tradition and Innovation in the Pedagogy of Brazilian Instrumental Choro
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TRADITION AND INNOVATION IN THE PEDAGOGY OF BRAZILIAN INSTRUMENTAL CHORO A dissertation submitted to the College of the Arts of Kent State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Eric A. Murray May, 2013 Dissertation written by Eric A. Murray B.M., Berklee College of Music, 1996 M.A., Kent State University, 2003 Ph.D., Kent State University, 2013 Approved by ____________________________________ Kazadi wa Mukuna, Ph.D., Chair, Doctoral Dissertation Committee ____________________________________ Theodore Albrecht, Ph.D., Member, Doctoral Dissertation Committee _____________________________________ Thomas Janson, Ph.D., Member, Doctoral Dissertation Committee _____________________________________ Richard Kelly Washbourne, Ph.D., Member, Doctoral Dissertation Committee Accepted by _____________________________________ Denise A. Seachrist, Ph.D., Director, School of Music _____________________________________ John R. Crawford, Ed.D., Dean, College of the Arts ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page TABLE OF CONTENTS...………………………………………………………………………iii LIST OF FIGURES………………………………………………………………………………iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………………………………….v CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………….1 II. WHAT IS CHORO?.………………………………………………………………….7 III. CHORO MUSIC COMMUNITY……………………………………………………24 IV. HOW CHORO IS TAUGHT AND LEARNED……………………………………..71 V. CHORO’S MUSIC STRUCTURES.……………………………………………….118 VI. SUMMATION AND CONCLUSIONS……………………………………………160 APPENDIXES A. Portuguese quotes with English translations………………………………………..166 B. Questionnaires………………………………………………………………………189 GLOSSARY………………………………………………………………………….………...192 BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………..…………………..196 SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY..………………………………………………………………..205 iii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Luciana Rabello and the author at a roda de choro. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 14 June, 2011. (Photograph: Dominique Pibrac)..........................................4 2. Back of the magazine Roda de Choro, January/February 1996.....................................................19 3. Back of Revista Musical e de Bellas Artes 31 (1879). From Biblioteca Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil..........................................................................30 4. First Contact With Choro. Data from author’s questionnaire.........................................................62 5. Comparison Between Respondents’ Amount of Time Playing Music and Choro. Data from author questionnaire......................................................................................................63 6. Other Music Played By EPM Students. Data from author’s questionnaire....................................64 7. Informal Choro Learning Contexts.................................................................................................78 8. Non-formal Choro Learning Contexts............................................................................................79 9. Formal Choro Learning Contexts...................................................................................................80 10. Choro Album Collection From Lucas Porto...................................................................................87 11. Roda de choro. Private home, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2007. (Photograph by author)....................99 12. Roda de choro. III National Festival of Choro, São Pedro, Brazil, 2007. (Photograph by author).................................................................................................................103 13. Music store Bandolim de Ouro’s roda de choro rules. From their website: http://www.aobandolimdeouro.com.br/ (accessed 23 November, 2010)……………..............…104 14. Possible beginning choro repertoire…………………………………………………..............…128 15. “Sempre” by K-Ximbinho. Digital file from Baú da Panda. Author unknown...........................133 16. Chord diagrams by author.............................................................................................................134 17. Common Chord Sequences Used In Choro..................................................................................148 18. Excerpt of pdf handout emailed to EPM students, showing common chord progressions...........................................................................................148 19. Contents of the III National Festival of Choro songbook (2007).................................................155 iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am indebted to many people, across two continents, for supporting and cooperating with me since I began this research in 2006. In many cases, the people I list here have gone above and beyond to accommodate me. In all cases, I am fortunate to have built friendships through shared interests in music and humanity. Mônica Leme introduced me to Portuguese choro literature and Escola Portátil de Música (EPM). Lucas Porto, my first choro guitar teacher, helped me buy my first seven-string guitar and brought me to many choro related activities. He, Ítalo Simão, and Diego Terra, helped me with Portuguese and taught me about Brazilian, and more specifically, carioca culture. Paulo Aragão first told me about the National Festival of Choro and eventually taught my advanced guitar class at EPM. While studying at the National Festival of Choro and EPM, I had many group guitar lessons with Luiz Flavio Alcofra. I have written five choro compositions and intend to continue writing more, inspired by composition classes with Jayme Vignoli. I was honored to have many stimulating group guitar lessons with Maurício Carrilho, who also dealt with the Brazilian visa bureaucracy on my behalf and made himself available for interviews. Luciana Rabello made herself available for interviews and impromptu conversations. The always-affable César Carrilho made sure I was taken care of and helped distribute questionnaires to students. I had many thoughtful conversations with Pedro and Anna Paes. Aline Soulhat introduced herself to me early in my fieldwork and helped me navigate the choro community in the initial stages of my research. She helped translate my questionnaires and was also a kind landlord. Through my struggles with communication, the entire EPM community was extremely welcoming. I would like to thank all of the teachers, students, and staff that responded to the questionnaires and/or took the time to sit for interviews. v Nathalia Santos offered major support through Portuguese lessons and affordable accommodations. She and Charles Zanol made me feel at home, becoming more of a sister and brother than just friends. My Brazilian brother and colleague, Rafael Velloso, gave me advice and helped edit one of my interview transcriptions. Cristhiano Kolinski transcribed all but one of my interviews conducted in Portuguese. Jason Little delved into Brazilian music and specifically carioca music and culture with me, and we shared many adventures living together for several months on Praia do Flamengo. He, Jon Mosey, and Sara Tamburro, along with a host of other participants, helped me learn and promote choro in northeast Ohio with Ohio Choro Club. I would like to thank the staff and professors at the Hugh Glauser School of Music at Kent State University, and specifically my dissertation committee. My advisor, Kazadi wa Mukuna, introduced me to ethnomusicology, African music, and Brazilian music. I will never forget to “always think,” and “everything is related.” Dr. Thomas Janson taught one of my music theory courses and has always been available to help me with administrative issues during my graduate studies. The musicology training I received from Dr. Theodore Albrecht has been a valuable asset to my formation as a scholar. Dr. Richard Kelly Washbourne taught my first Portuguese class and was extremely patient dealing with my ignorance of Latin based languages. He also provided invaluable advice regarding pedagogical issues. I may have never left northeast Ohio if it were not for my adventurous parents who moved our family overseas in 1982. Our traveling experiences ignited my passion for learning about different points of view. I am eternally grateful for their choice. Ben Harbert, my great friend and colleague has always given me advice I trust. Hopefully, some day soon we’ll be able to live near enough to one another to regularly play music and converse into the wee hours. vi Finally, my wife Concetta has been my best friend, travel companion, and the breadwinner over the past couple years. I am fortunate to have found someone equally enamored with the adventure of discovery and learning inherent with cross-cultural living. I dedicate this research to choro musicians throughout the world. Chorões do mundo uni-vos! Vamos fazer uma grande roda! vii 1 CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION I began participating in music at an early age. My family had a piano in our home and my mother would sing popular children’s songs with me. I remember being in the children’s choir at my parents’ church beginning at age four or five. Around this time I also began taking piano lessons. My parents sang in the church choir as well and my older sister played trombone in the school band. I began playing trombone at age ten and guitar at age thirteen. For high school, I attended Interlochen Arts Academy, studying guitar, and for college I attended Berklee College of Music, studying professional music. My life has always been filled with learning music. As a non-Brazilian and outsider to choro, my first contact with the genre was unconscious. Like many people from outside