used by musicians and music educators throughout Brazil, and has been widely adopted as a main approach to musi- cianship and music education there. O Passo is also growing in France and the United States, because the concepts and mechanisms at work within O Passo ap- ply to a diversity of musical genres, from the Afro-Cuban salsa excerpt above, to Brazilian samba and Bach. The purpose of this article
is to
introduce O Passo as an approach for strengthening musical foundations. A single definition of O Passo can be dif- ficult to deliver, despite any O Passo teacher’s finest attempts. This is because O Passo is alive, organic, and constant- ly evolving. In Rio de Janeiro, O Passo teachers meet regularly with Lucas to re- fine and expand upon O Passo musician- ship and pedagogy. Several teachers in France and the United States are part of this dialogue as well. Furthermore, en- actment of O Passo is multidimensional. It includes movement, body percussion, singing,
drumming, group activities
and individual practice exercises. Addi- tionally, professional Brazilian musical ensembles like Bloco d’O Passo, Bloco do CEAT, and Bloco do Sargento Pimenta are constantly discovering new musical possibilities through the use of O Passo in rehearsal and performance. Conse- quently, O Passo is, but is not limited to: (1) an approach toward strengthen- ing musical foundations in rhythm and sound to increase musical autonomy, (2) a specific tool to use for solving
musical problems, and
(3) a musical philosophy that val- ues specific concepts as essential compo- nents of good music making. A thorough written description of O
Passo, here within this article, is impos- sible. A discussion of O Passo Principles and Pillars alone would require much more space. More importantly, the es- sence of O Passo is not in words, but in bodily action. In O Passo, embodied cognition (the notion that the body can learn on its own, separate from intellec- tual processes) is essential. First we do
JANUARY 2013 37 TEMPO
things with the body, then move toward naming and writing (which reflects the same Pestalozzian principle of sound be- fore sight that anchors other methodolo- gies such as Orff, Kodaly, and Suzuki). You can learn more about O Passo
by visiting the website at www.opasso.
com.br/. The entire method is con- tained in the Portuguese text O Passo: Music and Education, 2nd
edition. Lucas
will bring the English translation of the book with him on his visit to the United States in July, 2013. The book will be available through OPUS (O Passo in the United States), the organization dedi- cated to the practice and advancement of O Passo in the United States. OPUS currently meets in Princ-
eton, NJ. Meetings consist of training in O Passo musicianship and pedagogy, organizational planning, and SKYPE conferences with Lucas. OPUS is spon-
soring several workshops in 2013. These include presentations at the NJMEA State Conference in February, 2013, and the NAfME Eastern Division Con- ference in Hartford, CT in April 2013. Additionally, OPUS is co-sponsoring Lucas’ trip to the United States in July, 2013, when he will teach Summer Seminar courses through the Office of Continuing Education at Westminster Choir College of Rider University, in Princeton, NJ. For more information about OPUS, email OPUS Head Con- tact Tom Mullaney at
tom@opasso.com. br.
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