About Us
Harlem Samba is a Brazilian percussion ensemble modeled after the samba school baterias of the Rio de Janeiro carnival. The group's members are students, alumni and friends of the Frederick Douglass Academy, a public high school in Harlem, New York City. The group was founded in 2005, as a non-traditional after school music ensemble. It has expanded to include over 300 students a year at the Frederick Douglass Academy and an evening community ensemble for adult players. Samba has become an important part of our community and the key ingredient in expanding active participation in music making. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to make music.
In 2017, we founded A Life with Drums, a nonprofit organization, to expand the samba-based music instruction that has been successful with Harlem Samba to other schools and community settings. Our organization is focused on expanding the role of non-traditional music education in our communities and improving access to the lifelong benefits of music participation. A Life with Drums supports music programs in public and private schools in New York City and provides workshops and training to community groups and educators throughout the United States and internationally.
