Courses of Vocal Arranging of Brazilian Popular Music
	Choral Workshops
	Lectures
	Custom-made Vocal Arrangement

This course is offered in two different formats: Regular and Intensive.

The Regular Course was initially ministered in 2000 at Pro Arte Seminary of Music.

Since 2003, it has been offered as an Extension Course at the Villa Lobos Institute of the University of Rio de Janeiro.

Please see below a detailed description of the course.


The Intensive Course follows the Regular Course program and it was designed for those students that cannot attend classes in Rio de Janeiro. Therefore, it is possible to adjust its length according to the time availability of the students.

As an example, in 2002, the Intensive Course was ministered in the city of São Paulo during three weekends. All topics of the regular course were discussed during the lectures. Between classes, the students had sufficient time to write arrangements on their own and, when necessary, discuss them with the instructor via e-mail.

In the same year, the Intensive Course was ministered in seven daily 2-hour classes during a choral workshop in the state of Paraná. In this case, the program was adjusted to the available time, covering the most important topics. The students wrote an arrangement in class and presented it during the workshop Closing Concert.

Send us an e-mail to find out how to organize a course in your city. Just click on "Contact"

This course is applied to musicians that work or would like to work with popular vocal music. It will approach different vocal ensemble (2 - 4 parts writing, mixed voices, male and treble voices choruses) and different textures of vocal arranging (harmonization, polyphonic, countermelodies, vocal rhythmic accompaniments and special techniques). Each topic will be illustrated with scored and recorded examples. Each student will write his/her own vocal arrangement and, in class, the group will write another arrangement using writing techniques and different textures discussed during the course.

Primordial subjects for vocal arranging like conduction voicing, choral balance and planning arrangements will also be presented. Parts of arrangements in different styles of Brazilian popular music (samba, bossa nova, maracatu, baião, etc) will be analysed and written in class.

The student should be fluent in music writing and reading, have good knowledge of harmony and, of course, play a harmony instrument. The applicants will respond a quick writing test that may be sent by e-mail. A certificate will be given at the end of the course.


Duration: 30 h

Minimum: 10 students / Maximum: 20 students

Material: each student will receive a booklet with writing techniques, exercises and Brazilian vocal arrangements, and a CD with Brazilian vocal arrangements recorded. The classroom should have a piano or keyboard, a board with staves and a CD player.

In Brazil, there are intensive workshops with the goal is to prepare a repertoire with a guest conductor. Normally, the choir is formed by singers who have attended these courses. After one week of intensive rehearsal, there is a great concert of vocal music and a unique experience in the baggage of each singer. This conductor may also be invited to work with a specific group and we can see many examples of these activities in a regular work of an orchestra. Below, you'll find a list of workshops that I have participated. If you want to know a little bit more about these workshops, click on "contact".

XIV and XV Choral Laboratory of Itajubá - MG - July, 2001 and 2002

I and II Choral Laboratory of Piracicaba - SP - April, 2002 and 2003

I Brazilian Congress of APARC - Santos - November, 2002 - Open singing

III Fórum Rio a cappella - Rio de Janeiro - June, 2003 - Workshop of Brazilian Popular Music with the Swedish Group Amanda

	II Vivência Coral de Piracicaba

A list of lectures and mini workshops that held during the last three years follows below. If you want to know details or hold a lecture in your city, send us an e-mail ("Contact").

I Fórum Rio a cappella - Rio de Janeiro - June, 2001 - Vocal Arranging

I Curso de Verão (Summer Course) Rio a cappella - Rio de Janeiro - January, 2002 - Vocal Arranging

II Conducting Panel of UERJ - Rio de Janeiro - April, 2002 - Popular Music - Dynamic of Rehearsal

II Fórum Rio a cappella - Rio de Janeiro - June, 2002 - Recording Choirs and Vocal Groups

IX Encontro de Corais de Ibiporã - October, 2002 - Workshop of Recording Choirs - 6 hours

IX Encontro de Corais de Ibiporã - October, 2002 - Workshop of Dynamic of Rehearsal - 6 hours

I Brazilian Congress of APARC - Santos - November, 2002 - Vocal Arranging

III Fórum Rio a cappella- Rio de Janeiro - June, 2003 - Conversation of Vocal Arranging with Amaury Vieira

Would you like to order an exclusive vocal arrangement to your choir or vocal group? Contact us. We work with a cappella arrangements or with accompaniments. After a conversation with the musical director to know characteristics of the group, a "custom-tailored" vocal arrangement is written. To foreigners, who have some difficulty to understand our language and "accent", we may record the arrangement with a Brazilian vocal group and send a "package" that includes:

1) The vocal printed arrangement
2) A briefing of the chosen song and its composer
3) A CD with the original recording, a full version of the vocal arrangement and all voices in separated tracks to help you with no doubts the correct pronunciation.

Examples of Ordered Arrangements

Acústico - Piracicaba - SP - Dir. Ana Foizer - "Cantador" (Dori Caymmi e Nelson Motta), "Brigas nunca mais" (Tom Jobim e Vinicius de Moraes), "Eu sei que vou te amar" (Tom Jobim e Vinicius de Moraes), Anima (Milton Nascimento e Zé Renato)
anafoizer@yahoo.com.br

Grupo Candimba - Cuiabá - Dir. Carlos Taubaté - "Blues da Piedade" (Cazuza e Frejat)
carlostaubate@terra.com.br

Trato no Tom - São Paulo - Dir. Valter Satomi - "Pro dia nascer feliz" (Cazuza e Frejat) , "Que maravilha" (Jorge Ben), "Exagerado" (Cazuza)
Maria Yamauchi - mauchi@matrix.com.br

Coral Unifesp - São Paulo - Dir. Eduardo Fernandes - "Alegria, alegria" e "Divino maravilhoso" (Caetano Veloso), Sinal fechado (Paulinho da Viola)

Mulheres de Hollanda - Rio de Janeiro - Dir. Karla Boechat - "Ela desatinou", "Não sonho mais", "Biscate", "Suburbano coração", "Mil perdões", "Samba e amor" "Estação Derradeira" (Chico Buarque)
mulheresdehollanda@uol.com.br