“Francisco Marques is a brilliant musician, a great teacher, a consummate professional & an authority on the culture and vibe of many styles of Samba and Afro-Brazilian music. I’ve hosted him for multiple workshops in my capoeira school, and collaborated with him for numerous performances, festivals & cultural presentations in the Rocky Mountain region. He’s an easygoing partner - shows up on time, shares the spotlight, and leaves everyone in the room with a smile on their faces.”
Contra Mestre Beringela
"I started learning samba pagode from Fran in 2011 without much musical training, and through his classes I was able to turn my enthusiasm into regular performing in front of people. Learning and playing with Fran has been one of the greatest joys of my life, I highly recommend it to anyone. He seems to me to be a natural teacher, and capable of working with several students at once in an ensemble."
Dan Curtis
“He gave me a deeper understanding of Brasil rhythms that cannot be found in any method books. He's totally enhanced how I think about and play Brasil rhythms on percussion and the (drum) kit, and I now pass that knowledge onto my students. When Francisco is in town, I'll always grab a lesson with him!”
Ed Stalling
His performances and musicianship are truly awe-inspiring. His passion for Brazilian music emanates from his core and he enjoys sharing information about musical elements, musicians, culture and history during his dynamic performances. As a skilled music educator, Francisco has an admirable ability to connect with students of all ages and provides a variety of teaching methods with intention, patience, and care in order to meet the needs of each individual learner. Francisco is a compassionate and conscious community member providing access to high quality music instruction to individuals from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds and serves as an active and integral part of his community.”
Melanie Martin
"Francisco's percussion workshops are really masterful. They are inclusive to beginners while still offering challenges to more experienced musicians. They foster a feeling of connection, community, shared purpose, and most importantly, they are fun. Everyone always leaves smiling."
Joe Susnick
“I first met Francisco when he was teaching a guitar workshop. The first thing that I noticed, and felt, was his incredible energy. Throughout the years I have been able to take both percussion and guitar lessons with him. He has this unique ability to make you feel at ease, which allows you to learn in a relaxed and fun environment. He is so knowledgeable about what he teaches and every lesson felt like it was just hanging out with a really cool friend who could teach me lots of great stuff. He was able to break stuff down for me in ways that other teachers couldn’t. He made everything easy to understand. Learning from someone as supportive and enthusiastic as Francisco was one of the best experiences I’ve had in my musical journey. Muito obrigada! “
Shannon Stone
“Fran brings such great energy to the stage and to the classroom. His passion is infectious, and it helps bring everyone together as a community. I really appreciate how hard he works to find opportunities for his students to perform.”
Corey Garretson