Through this enterprise proposal I’d like to explore the technical aspects of managing a Brazilian samba percussion group both as a gigging band and as part of a larger didactic organization. I am currently part of the percussion group Pulsar Percussion which began in Florence and has recently expanded to London. Having had previous experience bandleading in this group I would like to venture into making my own Pulsar in Leeds.

Pulsar Percussion is a pre-existing band and cultural organisation That aims to teach and communicate rhythm through accessible and immediate means. It started 9 years ago in an Italian school out of a common passion for traditional Brazilian rhythms and has since evolved into an international project. Because of the group’s philosophy the project encompasses various aspects of life adjacent to music, especially on an intellectual and occasionally political level. As a Batucada band that uses instruments made entirely of recycled materials with a distinct didactic aim, it has a good potential to be recreated away from its birthplace.

 The group is largely composed of musicians, but it has started just as many on their musical journey because of its infectious teaching philosophy that provides the tools for an instinctive understanding of rhythm in relation to one’s body. This is at the core of connecting with music and is a great tool to introduce beginners to key musical concepts through intuitive means. The musical workshop is usually held by a leading figure, referred to in Brazil as “Mestre” who is in charge of giving signals to the band to switch between different rhythms. In a practical sense, this figure is essentially a conductor/musician who must both coordinate and seamlessly transition between the grooves played originally

The focus of sessions is divided between body percussion and instrument playing. The first aims at improving a strong mind-body connection along with fine motor skills and rhythmic sensibilities. By associating rhythm and physical movement, players can develop better time feel and coordination and familiarise themselves with steps and rhythmic phrases. Instrumental playing aims to combine set patterns from multiple instrumental sections to create grooves. Players can familiarise themselves with a wide range of instruments and learn to apply rhythm as a general concept.

Instruments are made from common objects such as scrap steel, buckets and rain collector bins. These somewhat crude materials are ingeniously modified and turned into instruments that have a specific and defined sound. Refining this process through the years has allowed us to massively improve the quality of the instruments while maintaining a near-zero cost for materials. Our most effective improvement comes from the use of beer caps, which when flattened, threaded through a bolt and attached to a bucket provides a texture akin to the steel wires on a snare drum.

Given that the organisation already has two groups it is no surprise that there is already a solid legal infrastructure and a rich database of musical reference material. Players have access to a drive containing official versions of all the Pulsar tunes, which serve as great teaching tools to give the stylistic foundations to the students and provide shared original repertoire through all groups. The group is officially registered to an Italian cultural organisation called Chirilù in musica, which organizes musical workshops in Italy (Chirilù, 2025) through which it organises workshops and gigs internationally. It is also registered to copyright collectives in both Italy and England, respectfully SIAE and PRS.

From a financial standpoint, Costs for running an outfit of this type is low, and the resources needed are proportionate only to the number of players in the band. A baseline group would be composed of 8-10 musicians spread through five types of instruments. The cost of these instruments varies, but being usually made from junk or scrap material the material cost could potentially be negligible. What is required is access to basic tools and a simple workshop space to make necessary modifications to the instruments. This process could potentially be turned into a teaching opportunity by creating interactive workshops to teach others to make their own recycled instruments. This sort of initiative works well in school settings but would require qualifications that can be obtained by the members in the next few years.

Organizationally, the group has a couple of defined roles that are crucial for the smooth maintenance of its needs: Aside from a musical director, section leaders’ positions are assigned to the most active and confident members of each instrumental section. These players act as reference points/additional teachers for new recruits. Each band also has a treasurer to maintain the funds, and a social media manager to deal with editing and uploading content. The roles are typically quite flexible but having a clear reference point greatly streamlines interactions especially from a task efficiency standpoint. It also gives newcomers the opportunity to be responsible and resourceful.

The biggest expense is usually related to finding the right space for workshops and practice sessions. Leeds has a few practice rooms capable of holding enough people comfortably. Practice sessions can get loud and without sufficient ear protection and room dampening can be unsafe for your ears. For now, access to practice rooms in Leeds Conservatoire would mitigate the costs of renting out practice spaces, allowing us the time to set up funds through our project initiatives. An alternative solution to the financial and more importantly the acoustic issue would be to set up in outside areas when the weather permits it. Leeds has a lot of open spaces where a percussion band could practice. Parks tend to “absorb” and disperse sound, and by having our sessions outside they would effectively double as advertisement for the project. This could feasibly be done under the busking code, as long as we’re not obstructing traffic and shift location every few ours to avoid making repetitive noises in the same area.

One main point of strength for this sort of group is visibility. Outdoor initiatives tend to be the most important type for us, as it gives widespread visibility and if done consistently familiarises a whole area with the project. Council events such as parades markets and fairs tend to work best for this king of group. Local organisations often program more grassroot events which also work great to connect with the right organisations.

Having two preexisting groups gives us access to extensive quantities of media materials. The pages pulsar_percussion and pulsar_percussion.uk are actively curated and contain many clips from performances and workshops, giving new ensembles plenty to represent themselves with. We also have colourful uniforms with personalised shirts, bags and accessories, which can be remade using the budget from the other two bands, as we did for the one in London. This gives us a distinct and unique look that people are quick to recognise.

Financially, Pulsar has had more experience as a performing band than a teaching group. The minimum fee charged by the Italian group for an engagement is 700 euro, typically split 50/50 between the band pot and individual musicians. Having a dozen players at every show on average, this comes to around thirty euros a concert per person. Festival dates are usually higher in price, ensuring at least 50 euro per diem with no expenses for the band. The band pot is used for Uniforms, instruments, travelling costs and other complications.

Pulsar Italy Operates in a very niche market with few competitors. Offering a unique approach to the tradition and teaching above all the resourcefulness and a more instinctive and physical approach to music. In England, music education has focused more on this aspect in the years, so the market niche is not as ample. More percussion workshops tend to showcase the immediate instinctive aspect of percussion, as it is a useful tool for teaching especially young musicians. From my experience, pulsar percussion works best in the teenager/young adult age range. Pulsar percussion Florence has a sister group in London, based in Trinity Laban conservatoire. It started in 2024 after a workshop event created by the conservatoire brough us to London to teach a week-long course to the students. By having the same setlist shared between two countries we’ve effectively doubled our outreach and have since played together in multiple festivals. I believe that adding a third chapter in Leeds would consolidate the groups presence in England and help to promote the group here as well.

Starting this sort of group is always a large undertaking, but the beauty of it is in finding a community that’s ready and truly passionate to support the project.

The research done to write this essay was mostly based off previous experience with the band, but through the feedback given in class I was able to gain some specific insight as to how this project might function in England. I was given some direction as to the types of grants available for musical workshops, along with some basic legal guidelines for busking. Most of the feedback I have comes from members of the pulsar groups practical tips on how to structure rehearsals and organise the communication aspects to find venues and events to play in. The band is constantly changing and many of our initiatives are just starting to come into full swing now, after 9 years of the band existing.