Christopher Hull is a percussionist and ethnomusicologist whose work focuses on tensions between tradition and innovation in contemporary music. As a passionate performer of solo, chamber, and orchestral percussion, he seeks to ground his work in his classical training while simultaneously transcending the conventions of the conservatory. With classical percussion degrees from Wilfrid Laurier University and University of Alaska Fairbanks, a performing arts certificate from the Arts Institute of Indonesia Denpasar, and his current studies in ethnomusicology at the University of Toronto, Christopher’s genre-defying work exhibits a world of experience.
As an orchestral percussionist, he frequently works with the National Academy Orchestra of Canada, the Hamilton and Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestras, and Sinfonia Ancaster. He has appeared as a chamber musician and soloist in festivals such as Open Ears, International Gamelan Festival Munich, Young Artists Niagara, and Sacred Rhythm Jakarta, and can be heard playing drums, vibraphone, and synthesizer on commercial recordings by Call Me Moon and Treephones. He is also Associate Artistic Director of Toronto-based Evergreen Club Contemporary Gamelan, commissioning and premiering new works for Sundanese degung, and director of the University of Toronto’s Balinese gamelan ensemble, Dharma Santi.
Get to know Chris…Beyond the Bio!
Hobbies: Reading, cycling, and synthesizers
Musical influences: Jojo Mayer, Benny Greb, David Garibaldi, Gary Burton, Tony Miceli, Steve Reich, Glenn Gould, Bill Evans, I Dewa Made
Favourite food: Noodles
Least favourite food: Quiche
Favourite music: R&B, hip-hop, funk; Western modernism and minimalism; Balinese gender wayang; Sundanese degung; Orchestral; beatsce Favourite song:!
Favourite movie: The Departed
Favouirite movie music: Old modern romantic soundtracks (eg. Spellbound)
Favourite musical theatre/opera: West Side Story/Turandot
Best quote from your teacher: “When we perform, we smile. If we make a mistake while performing, we smile bigger.” -Dewa Suparta
Favourite quote: “I’m a man who leaves nothing to chance.” -Maestro Boris Brott
Favourite book: Dance, Dance, Dance by Haruki Murakami
Best thing about teaching at ABC: The lovely students
Latest Homework from CHRIS
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Tuesday, March 26th
Myles
Xylophone
–C major scale
–identifying the musical alphabet
–up to p16 in the pno book
ACDC: Back in Black–DONE!!!
Livin’ On A Prayer by Bon Jovi
–everything up until verse
–BONUS: go ahead and learn the verse (it’s mostly the same beat)
**Please bring a binder/duotang for handouts on this one. I’ll be writing it out for you by hand
Jonah
Warmups (1min/ea)
–Triplet Exercise (Goal tempo=120)
–Sixteenth-note exercise (goal tempo=100)
–Stick Control: ex. 57-64 (160bpm)
Joel Rothman Book: Lesson 17**
Dance, Dance by Fall Out Boy: everything up until Chorus
PRACTICE CHALLENGE: Re-establish your practice routine by making sure to practice every day this week (1 freebie allowed). Aim for 30min per day, but if you can’t do 30, 10 will be fine! It’s more important to do at least some than it is to do lots!
Noah
Warmups:
–New triplet choreography worksheet (on the google drive)**
–Double-stroke progression: Natural rebound–>”pick it up” after 2 bounces–>drags/ruffs–>double-strokes
–Flams, Flam accents (careful that the LH flam doesn’t get reversed!), Flam Taps, Flam Paradiddles**
No One Knows by Queens of the Stone Age
–Beginning of Coda** “I don’t want to go to school today I really don’t”
Robbie
Warmups (30sec/ea):
–8 on a hand exercise
–Single Stroke Roll (L-R-L-R….) playing smooth, even, controlled strokes
–Double Stroke Roll (L-L-R-R…)
–Paradiddles (L-R-L-L R-L-R-R…)
AC/DC: Back in Black
–End of guitar solo: good
–Add in the following Chorus
–Four-on-the-snare section (Bridge)***
Will
Pad Exercises (1min/ea):
–Triplet Exercise (goal tempo=135)
–Sixteenth-note exercise (goal tempo=110)
–Roll Exercises (90bpm)
–Flams, Flam Accents, Flam Taps
–Rhythm exercise 40bpm
Syncopation Ex. 2 lines 1-5
Spanish Joint by D’Angelo: full song, focusing on transition out of choruses
Saturday, March 23rd
Jack
Counting Exercise: “1 2 3 4”
–Put the “1” and “3” on the bass drum
Fruit Salad Game (pear, apple, pineapple, watermelon)
–Practice saying & playing the fruits, matching your rhythm to the syllables
Nova
Warmups (1min each) **keep thumbs on sticks–no boxing mitts
–8 on a hand
–Singles; doubles; paradiddles
–Roll exercise (apple-apple-watermelon-watermelon)
*Alfred Solo #2
–Working on first two lines, paying close attention to dynamic markings (f, p, etc)
Daft Punk and Pharrell Williams: Lose Yourself to Dance
–Adding variations to the main groove (chicka-chick on hihat; tom bomb before snare)
–Building drum solos on top of “four on the floor” bass drum
Xylophone: Alouette p33
Koel
Warmups (1min each):
–Triplet Exercise 120bpm
–Sixteenth-note Exercise 100bpm
Syncopation Book: Lesson 4, Ex. 5-8 add 9-10 **(10-15min)
–If it’s tricky, learn it in steps:
–Step 1) LH only
–Step 2) LH + RH only
–step 3) add in feet
Lenny Kravitz: Are you Gonna Go My Way
–Learn everything up until the end of the Guitar Solo
Preferred Books for TCHRNAME Students
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