Instructor, Philip Galinsky, Ph.D.
Director, Samba New York!

7:00 – 9:00 PM

The Collective
123 West 18th Street
between 6th & 7th Avenues
7th Floor, Theater
New York, NY 10011

Fee: $120 (cash only) for all 8 classes
No individual classes

This pioneering new course offers a solid grounding in the basics of the samba school bateria (drum section), while exploring up to 4 distinct bateria styles from Rio de Janeiro. We will cover both the main beats of each style as well as breaks and arrangements. All levels are welcome, though some percussion experience is encouraged, especially for snare drum (caixa) players. Instruments will be provided on a first-come-first-served basis. The tentative syllabus for the course is as follows (subject to change):

6/13 Introduction and Samba Bateria Basics
6/20 Mocidade Style
6/27 Mocidade Style, cont.
7/11 Mangueira Style
7/18 Mangueira Style, cont.
7/25 Império Serrano Style
8/1 “Caixa em Cima” Style
8/8 “Caixa em Cima” Style, cont.

All participants in the course are expected to attend at least 6 of the 8 classes and to provide a minimum of 3 days notice by telephone for any class they may have to miss.

Payment for all 8 classes ($120) is due in full on June 13. Please check in at The Collective reception desk before each class as the room may change on certain dates. All payments are nonrefundable. No credits will be granted for missed classes.

Instructor, Philip Galinsky, Ph.D.
Director, Samba New York!

Mondays, May 7, 14, 21
Mondays, June 4, 11, 18, 25
Monday, July 2

8:30 – 10:00 PM

The Collective
123 West 18th Street
between 6th & 7th Avenues
7th Floor, Theater
New York, NY 10011

Fee: $120 (cash only) for all 8 classes
No individual classes

Do you aspire to play samba with a fun, high quality group? If so, our Bateria Rehearsal is just the right opportunity for you.

This course is the formal rehearsal for the Samba New York! Bateria, an all-percussion ensemble that has two distinct layers. At the core of the Bateria is the Show Group, a professional troupe that performs at numerous public and private events throughout the New York City area and beyond. This professional core expands to include a second layer of advanced students (known simply as “Bateria members”) for some of our bigger performances such as the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade on October 31.

Show Group members begin rehearsing at 7:00 PM and are joined by the Bateria members at 8:30 PM. The entire Bateria rehearses together until 10:00 PM. Bateria members who are particularly dedicated and who have achieved an appropriate skill level may be eligible to join the Show Group and are encouraged to discuss this possibility with the Director.

Participation in the course and in the Bateria is at the discretion of the Director. All participants in the course are expected to attend at least 6 of the 8 classes and to provide a minimum of 3 days notice by telephone for any class they may have to miss.

Payment for all 8 classes ($120) is due in full on May 7. Please check in at The Collective reception desk before each class as the room may change on certain dates. All payments are nonrefundable. No credits will be granted for missed classes.

We look forward to having you join our Bateria!

Inspired by the famous escola de samba parade associations of Rio de Janeiro, Samba New York’s professional Show Group brings the joy and energy of Brazilian Carnaval to events of all kinds, public and private. We have performed at many of NYC’s most prestigious venues — from the Best Buy Theatre (formerly Nokia) in Times Square to Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater — and can put together the optimal show for your next event!

Our percussion courses taught by Samba New York’s founder and Director, Philip Galinsky, Ph.D., provide exceptional training in the art of Rio-de-Janeiro-style samba school drumming. And our seasonal Open Rehearsal in September and October prepares percussionists and dancers alike to perform with Samba New York! in the popular Greenwich Village Halloween Parade. A unique opportunity to experience the vibrant Rio Carnaval culture in the heart of New York City, our Open Rehearsal features a samba dance practice session led by top instructor Danielle Lima, accompanied by the exhilarating live drumming of our Bateria.

But Samba New York! doesn’t stop there! We also offer a cultural immersion trip to Rio de Janeiro during Carnaval, guided by Philip Galinsky, who has over 15 years of experience as an ethnomusicologist and percussionist in Brazil.

A musician his entire life, he was the lead guitarist and principal songwriter of the band The Sting Rays from age eight to sixteen. After two-and-a-half years studying studio/jazz guitar and drum set at the USC School of Music in Los Angeles, he returned to New York to receive his BA in Music from Columbia University, which he graduated magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa.

It was at Columbia that he discovered his passion for Brazilian music, especially the samba. After working for the late folklorist Alan Lomax for one year, he entered the world music program at Wesleyan University, earning a masters and Ph.D. in ethnomusicology.

He has been conducting music research in Brazil for 19 years, having published pioneering work on both the pagode samba and mangue beat movements. His doctoral dissertation, Maracatu Atômico, was selected for publication in Routledge’s Outstanding Dissertations series. He has held teaching positions at Wesleyan University, UC Davis, and Hampshire College.

He has studied with numerous master Brazilian drummers. His many teachers of Brazilian percussion have included Jorge Alabê, Jonas Oliveira, Odilon Costa, Miguel do Repinique, Wagner Bezerra (aka Boca Rum), Anderson Bezerra, Maninho Costa, Justino Rogers, Ivo Araújo, Eddie Rosenthal, Marcos Ferreira, Fernando Ébano, Gamo, Kristina Kanders, Jorge Martins da Silva, Neide Alves, and Dudu Fuentes.

Since 1999, Dr. Galinsky has performed as a percussionist in the Rio Carnaval in the official parades of various samba schools, including some of Brazil’s most renowned escolas: Mocidade, Salgueiro, Imperatriz, Cubango, Império da Tijuca, and Acadêmicos de Vigário Geral. He has also performed throughout the US, including at New York’s Radio City Music Hall and the Rainbow Room, Jazz Fest in New Orleans, and the San Francisco Carnaval.

He has held residencies in Brazilian percussion at the University of Michigan, Frederick Douglass Academy in New York City, and the Triple Hill Music Festival in Mount Vernon, NY. He has given samba workshops at numerous other institutions, including New York University, City University of New York Graduate Center, Stony Brook University, University of Southern Maine, and Drummers Collective.

He currently teaches Brazilian percussion at PS 234 in Manhattan and Cumbe Center for African and Diaspora Dance in Brooklyn. He has been on the faculty of the California Brazil Camp in Cazadero, California since 2009. A leading authority in the US on Brazilian music, he is available as an educator and specialist in Brazilian percussion for workshops, lecture-demonstrations, private instruction, and performances.

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Samba New York! on the Dr. Oz Show

Samba New York! Live at the Prospect Park Zoo

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Samba New York! Live at the Nokia Theater

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Samba New York! on the CBS Early Show

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Bahia Groove

Bateria No Caminho

Vem Dançar

Bateria Show

Samba New York! has sold out the acclaimed Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater and appeared at such other prestigious venues as The Brooklyn Museum for First Saturday, New York Botanical Garden, Prospect Park Zoo, Bronx Zoo, Sounds of Brazil, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Copacabana, and Sushi Samba. Samba New York’s clients have included Bloomberg, Pepsi Co., Starbucks, Kraft Foods, and Enterprise Rent-a-Car.

Our professional Show Group comprises an exceptional roster of samba drummers and dancers; singers; guitarists; players of the cavaquinho, the characteristic small Brazilian guitar; the acrobatic performers of capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art-dance; horn players; and whatever other type of performer may be required.

Distinct from other groups that hire percussionists on an event-by-event basis, our Show Group Bateria (Drum Section) — the heart of our organization — rehearses weekly with a consistent lineup of dedicated and talented players. It is precisely this commitment to quality and professionalism that has made Samba New York! the “most famous and active school of samba” in NYC!

Please contact us to discuss performance options.

Samba New York! has emerged as NYC’s premier training ground for samba percussionists. Our organization has graduated numerous players who have gone on to shake up the local Brazilian music scene. Director, Philip Galinsky, Ph.D. has served as the first samba teacher and mentor for leaders of such groups as Philly Bloco (Philadelphia), Frederick Douglass Academy’s Harlem Samba (NYC), and Mais Um (NYC).

Dr. Galinsky is personally responsible for the training of all the percussionists in Samba New York! from the beginner to professional levels. Many of the players in our professional Show Group were first introduced to samba as students in Samba New York!

One characteristic that sets Samba New York! apart is its professionalism. We only have one performance ensemble that is composed exclusively of professional players. Our students only get to perform with the professionals after successfully completing a rigorous training period — and only for select events.

Samba New York! features three levels of participation for percussionists. The entry-level workshop, Suíngue Carioca: An Immersion Course in Brazilian Samba Percussion offers a uniquely accessible method of learning the basics of samba drumming quickly, effectively, and in a fun, communal environment.

The third level — the Show Group — is the professional wing of Samba New York! Distinct from groups that hire freelance players on an event-by-event basis, our Show Group features a set lineup of talented in-house drummers (the Bateria) that rehearses weekly. This consistency contributes to the quality and refinement of the Samba New York! performance experience.

The second level is an opportunity to perform with the professional Show Group Bateria, which periodically supplements its ranks with additional qualified percussionists for select events throughout the year, such as the Dance Parade in May and the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade on October 31.

Prospective performers in the Bateria must have a command of the basics and an ability to play in the Samba New York! style — all of which is covered in Suíngue Carioca. They learn the current repertoire in the Bateria Rehearsal course, which is offered year-round.

Dedicated students in Samba New York! have a unique opportunity to move from the beginner course to participation in the Bateria and graduate as a professional samba percussionist. Many of the current members of our Show Group are living proof!

NOTE: Samba New York! is not currently offering group dance classes. We recommend the classes of Danielle Lima. Samba dancers of all levels are invited to participate with Samba New York! in the annual Greenwich Village Halloween Parade.

Please visit our Events page for a list of current classes. We also offer private lessons in samba percussion and dance for those seeking quicker progress. To schedule a private lesson or to reserve Samba New York! for a lecture or workshop, don’t hesitate to contact us.

with Philip Galinsky, Ph.D.
Dates TBA

Samba New York’s Director, Philip Galinsky, Ph.D., leads a cultural immersion trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil during Carnaval. The goal of the trip is to provide enthusiasts of Brazilian music and dance a unique opportunity to explore Rio’s rich samba culture first hand. The group visits several samba schools in rehearsal, has a workshop with a master Brazilian percussionist, experiences a night of top-level Samba School Parades in the Sambadrome during Carnaval, and much more!

The trip is open to musicians and non-musicians alike. Samba New York! will do its best to open doors for experienced drummers who wish to play in samba school rehearsals or in blocos (street Carnaval groups). Prospective participants interested in this possibility are highly encouraged to attend Samba New York’s Bateria Rehearsal and to take private lessons with Philip Galinsky prior to the trip. In addition, we may be able to schedule a special samba dance workshop as a separate activity.

For detailed information about our next Samba Study Trip, keep checking our Events page. Do not hesitate to contact us with any questions. We look forward to seeing you in Rio!