What actually is musical time? In this episode, Steve kicks off 2026 with the first four days of his “12 Days of Listening” mini-series — all about pulse, groove, and how our brains latch onto patterns (sometimes to our advantage, sometimes not).
Then we jump to Wilton’s Music Hall (January 2025) for a live guest spot from Aluá Nascimento — Brazilian percussionist, multi-instrumentalist, and former STOMP cast member — starting with a trumpet + pandeiro duet on “Brazil” and expanding into body percussion, Afro-Brazilian rhythm traditions, and the wonderfully low-tech joy of making music out of whatever’s around.
Along the way, Aluá talks about growing up around capoeira, how culture and history shaped these sounds, and demonstrates instruments including berimbau (musical bow), caxixi (shaker), and pandeiro — with a bit of audience participation thrown in too.
In this episode
A practical listening upgrade: pulse vs rhythm (try it while walking)
“The pocket”: groove as micro-timing, not just the pattern
Why your brain is basically a pattern-hunting drummer
Shared time / entrainment: why humans sync up (and why it matters in music)
Live at Wilton’s: trumpet + pandeiro on “Brazil”
Aluá’s story: capoeira roots, Afro-Brazilian traditions, and the STOMP years
Instruments you’ll hear: body percussion, pandeiro, berimbau, caxixi (and more)
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