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 5th
Myles
Xylophone
–C major scale
–identifying the musical alphabet
–up to p16 in the pno book
ACDC: Back in Black
–GREAT!! you’ve pretty much mastered the whole song. Basically the bridge section needs work yet
—-the main thing with the bridge section is to get into that new groove on time, put the crashes in the right place, and get the fill at the end of the bridge section
–review the guitar solo section for next week
Josh
Review: Say It Ain’t So main beat and Lesson 5 combination study (can you do it without writing in the numbers?
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
–Keep working on the Chorus, add everything up until the coda
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
–Being learning four-on-the-snare groove from worksheet
Francisco
Warmups (30sec/ea., find goal speed):
–8 on a hand (140bpm)
–Singles (sixteenths at 140bpm)
–doubles (16ths at 90*)
–Paradiddles (16ths at 90*)
Drumset Musician p12 ex 12-15** a)
AC/DC: Back in Black
–Focusing on the Bridge Section**
–Feel free to finish of the song in your practicing this week
*Begin thinking about next songs
Saturday, March 9th
Jack
Congrats on your first lesson! Here’s what we covered:
-Basics of Grip: how to hold the sticks
-Basic strokes
-Names of the Instruments
-Working on our first drum beat: bass drum on “1” and “3” while filling in the gaps
GOOD WORK!
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 Lesson 6 Comination Study(10min)
–Work on writing the counts out above the notes! Ask for some help from your parents
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
Jared
Padwork (1min/ea)
–Triplet ex. (Goal Tempo=130)
–Sixteenth-Note Exercise (goal tempo = 100)
–Flam Taps: try “breaking down” this rudiment (slow–>max speed–>slow)
–Singles, Doubles, Paradiddles – goal tempo: 130bpm
Give It Away by Red Hod Chili Peppers (Click here to print)
–Print and work on exercises 1-6 on this worksheet** (RR. 14-15) –I”M SORRY I thought I had uploaded this. I finally did.
Koel
Warmups (1min each):
–Triplet Exercise 120bpm
–Sixteenth-note Exercise 100bpm
Syncopation Book: Lesson 4, Ex. 5-8 (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 Interlude section
–Bonus: go up until the Guitar Solo
Tracie
Warmups
–Triplet Exercise 90bpm** (1min) — dribble the basketball
–PAS Rudiments Chart: Single Stroke Roll, Single Stroke Four, Double Stroke Roll, 5-str Roll
Drumset Musician: p. 15** ex. 1-4
New SONG***: Eye of the Tiger
–everything up until the Chorus
—-opening crashes (keeping in time with muting)
—-basic beat during the verses
—-Teacher-clap drum fill (3 + 4e+) at the end of first verse
—-Flam on “4” at the end of the second verse
Preferred Books for TCHRNAME Students
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