Monthly rehearsals in Birmingham from September to June
A typical rehearsal at Muthers Studio.
Our rehearsal space.
Cafe, bar and chill out area at our rehearsal space.
A typical rehearsal at Muthers Studio.
Monthly Rehearsals in Birmingham
Be part of a bateria of great players, learn and perform music from world-class tutors and performers led by JP Courtney. Join us at our monthly rehearsals.
Sessions are aimed at musical directors, instrumentalists, experienced players, aspiring and talented musicians and enthusiasts.
What's included in the price?
Attendance at all rehearsals, videos, administration, and loan of any instruments for rehearsals and performances.
Free t-shirt to wear for performances.
Location
Muthers Studio, 14 Rea St South, Birmingham B5 6LB
Fees
£366 for all 11 sessions. If paid in instalments.
10% discount £329 if the total is paid on registration (less than £30 per hour session)
Special price of £228 for students or self-employed musicians. (£20 per session)
Please read our full terms and conditions here
Rehearsal Dates
2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|
Sept 28 (Open Day) | Jan 04 |
Oct 12 (Open Day)
| Feb 01 |
Nov 09 | Feb 28 / Mar 01 |
Dec 07 | Apr 12 |
May 10 | |
Jun 07 | |
About the rehearsals
At these rehearsals, we prepare a 60-minute show. Led by JP Courtney and a team of section directors, the sessions move along at a good pace. Members are expected to practice the material in the weeks between rehearsals.
Rehearsals are held monthly on Sundays from Sept - June 1200-1730. The February rehearsals will be a Saturday and Sunday weekender. We will have a social or gig on the Saturday night.
Held at professional rehearsal studios in Birmingham. Some rehearsals will be attended by our singers and string players. Band members will be invited to be part of any necessary social media groups to share information. Limited spaces are available in each instrument group. Therefore we cannot guarantee that you will get to play your first choice of instrument. But whatever you play there is loads to show you and we will endeavour to work best with your skill set so you get the most from the course. There are loads of great arrangements, rhythms, choreography and songs which participants will need to learn. The result is a very tight, powerful, well-tuned, contemporary bateria.
Past performances
Womad, Glastonbury and Rio Carnival. We are aiming for some large-scale events for 2024 and 2025.
We are already planning events for the year ahead.
Rhythms and styles covered
Samba (done a few different ways), Coco, Quadrilha, Xote, Ciranda, Funk, 12/8, Ijexa, Cabula, Maculelê plus a few of our own rhythm inventions, lots of breaks, stops, calls, responses, songs, choreography and great arrangements. Plus the bonus of being tapped into the wider Brazilian percussion community in the UK, Europe and Rio.
Carnaval Transatlantico at Hitchin Carnival
Carnaval Transatlantico at Hitchin Carnival
Carnaval Transatlantico singer and string players at Hitchin Carnival
Carnaval Transatlantico at Hitchin Carnival
More info
Places are limited and are sold on a first-come first-served basis.
Existing members can sign up right away. For new members, please note that if you register and pay, but have not been invited to register, you will be charged a £7 admin fee and we will return the rest of your payment to you. Get approved here.
What level do I need to be?
The rehearsals move at a medium to fast pace with participants expected to learn the material in a short space of time and study it in-between rehearsals. We are looking for musicians who play professionally or unprofessionally, music teachers and talented music enthusiasts. This band is not suitable to people who are new to music.
Instruments
We use - Surdo 1st, 2nd, & 3rd, Caixa, Repique (comun and mór), Tamborim, Agogô, Chocalho and Triangle.
Drummers are asked to choose one instrument to play for that year. Some arrangements may mean that you will be asked to play a second instrument. Rehearsal videos are made where possible and a link to them can be found in our members area.
Gigs
News on these will be given to members as soon as we have some bookings. We will also aim to do a gig early in the year.We will provide members of the bateria with a t-shirt to wear for gigs.
Members area
There is a dedicated members area You will be given a password when you sign up. There, you will find links to rehearsal videos, written notation of the rhythms, and a sign up form for gig attendance. Please do not share the videos and notation with people outside the band.