Senior Recital

7-String Acoustic Guitar – Found in Brazilian choro and Russian folk traditions, adding a low string for extended bass and harmonic richness. It allows a single player to cover bass lines and chords simultaneously.

Piano Accordion – Developed in 19th-century Europe, using bellows, piano keys, and chord buttons. Provides melody and harmony in French, Italian, Balkan, Brazilian, and Latin folk. The bellows control allows expressive phrasing similar to a wind instrument.

Clarinet – Developed in Germany, with wide range and flexibility. Prominent in klezmer, Balkan, Brazilian, Turkish, and Middle Eastern folk. Its ability to bend pitch makes it highly expressive in modal music.

Acoustic Bass – Acoustic bass guitars are used in unplugged folk settings for low-end support. It blends naturally with acoustic ensembles without amplification.

Tamborim – A small, high-pitched Brazilian drum played with rapid stick patterns. It contributes intricate syncopation.

Agogo – A double bell of African origin used in Brazilian samba. It plays repeating patterns that lock the groove.

Pandeiro – A Brazilian tambourine with tunable head and expressive techniques. It can function almost like a full drum kit.

Triangle (Brazil) – Brought by Portuguese influence, the triangle became essential in northeastern Brazilian styles like forró and baião. A metal instrument struck with a beater, it produces a bright tone and plays fast, syncopated patterns that drive the groove. It interlocks closely with accordion and zabumba, adding a crisp high-end rhythmic layer.

Reco-reco – A scraped idiophone of African origin, widely used in Brazil, especially in samba. Made of ridged bamboo, wood, or metal, it’s played by scraping a stick to create a rhythmic rasp. It provides steady subdivision and texture, reinforcing the groove without dominating the ensemble.

Flute (Brazil) – The transverse flute was brought to Brazil through European influence and became a leading melodic instrument in styles like choro and samba. Typically wooden or metal, it is played with agile phrasing, ornamentation, and rhythmic precision. It often carries the main melody, weaving around guitar and cavaquinho with expressive, improvisatory lines.