Brian Potts is a versatile performer and dedicated educator with a passion for Brazilian percussion. Under the tutelage of Dr. Ney Rosauro at the University of Miami, he became enamored with the sound and capabilities of modern pandeiro techniques. His degrees culminated with a doctoral essay based on an interview with the great Marcos Suzano, which has become an invaluable reference for pandeiristas the world over.
In 2016, alongside Bernardo Aguiar and Gabriel Policarpo he founded the Brazilian percussion-based group PRD Mais. In 2017, they signed with Snarky Puppy’s GroundUP Music label and released “Rittenhouse”, their debut album. In addition to his love of Brazilian music, Brian has helped make the pandeiro an international phenomenon by adapting the instrument to a wide variety of styles, including jazz, funk, Latin, and classical music. To this end, Brian and Bernardo produced the Pandeiro Moderno online method, a 7-hour course designed to teach students the world over how to approach this universal instrument—hosted on their Groove Arte website, an online school of rhythms.
An active member of the Miami music scene, Brian performs regularly with other musical acts affiliated with Nu Deco, such as Aaron Lebos Reality and Electric Kif.