UNC adjunct professor contributes to Grammy-winning album

Rebecca Kleinmann was at home hosting a rehearsal of her Brazilian Choro group, Noites Carolinas, when she stopped mid-song to unmute the 2025 Grammy Awards show playing on the television.

Taylor Eigsti had just won his second Grammy for “Plot Armor” in the Best Contemporary Instrumental Album category.

Kleinmann, director of Charanga Carolina and adjunct professor at UNC, played the flute on several tracks in “Plot Armor.” Eigsti flew her to New York City to record three pieces he composed. 

“A handful of pieces on this album were kind of ‘custom fit’ for her to contribute,” Eigsti wrote in a written statement to The Daily Tar Heel. 

He said that she came in for a day of recording and “aced” the flute parts. 

He then allowed Kleinmann to play freely and decided to use the recordings in multiple places throughout the album. Her improvisations became an essential part of the story, Eigsti wrote. 

“Sometimes she’s nearly invisible on a few tunes, but having her in there added an extra, almost subconscious, layer of emotion that tied things together in a beautiful way,” he wrote. 

Kleinmann has been a flutist for 35 years, beginning her journey playing in a gospel church which did not use music sheets, forcing her to learn all of the songs by ear. 

“I started with this intuitive, natural approach toward improvising,” she said. 

Kleinmann attended the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University Bloomington, and became the first jazz flute major to graduate in the history of the school’s Jazz Studies program. 

Rahsaan Barber, UNC assistant professor of Jazz Studies and Saxophone, was in the program with Kleinmann. 

“All of the things that make her an incredible colleague now, those seeds were already planted by then,” Barber said. “And just particularly, I think she had the respect of a lot of people in the program.” 

Kleinmann was mentored by the late David Baker, an American jazz musician who founded the Jazz Studies program at Bloomington.

“I think there’s something of his spirit that is in Rebecca as well," Barber said. "As far as being proactive and making opportunities for yourself."

During her time at Bloomington, Kleinmann joined the Latin American music ensemble, where a guitarist from Brazil introduced her to Brazilian Choro. 

“I’ve been in love with it ever since,” she said. “I’ve been playing it for 20 years.” 

Originating in Rio de Janeiro, Choro is a style of music known for its improvisation and virtuosity. Songs are purely instrumental and played at varying speeds, some quick and upbeat, others slow and mellow. 

After graduation, Kleinmann moved in order to start her career, continuing to play Latin music, like Choro, at shows across California and globally with various ensembles. In 2022, Kleinmann moved from Oakland, Calif. to Durham, N.C. 

“When I moved here from Oakland, I was sad because I thought I was leaving my whole Choro community and wouldn’t have anyone to play with,” she said. 

With encouragement from Barber and other colleagues, Kleinmann accepted the director position for UNC’s Charanga Carolina.

Charanga Carolina is a class open to all students, regardless of major. Students play in a Cuban Charanga ensemble that features various instruments, including flute, brass, violins, bass, piano and Latin percussion. 

“It’s really exciting because these students are very devoted and focused, they’re serious about wanting to learn and deliver a great performance,” Kleinnman said.

Barber said that Kleinnman helps her students be “citizens of music” rather than “tourists."

“She is very energetic and passionate about what she does,” Cecilia Nobles, one of Kleinmann's students, said. “And another thing that I like about the way she teaches is she likes to incorporate movement into what we do.”

During the fall 2024 semester, Kleinmann took members of Charanga Carolina to put on a community performance in Raleigh. This semester, the group is performing a concert at Hill Hall on April 10. 

“I think Rebecca as a trailblazer makes her an absolute role model for all of our students who recognize that,” Barber said. “Our faculty is richer for all of the experiences that she brings as a band leader, as an educator, but also as an incredibly accomplished female instrumentalist.”

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