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
Is Chris Your Teacher?
Sign up now to get your weekly assignments delivered, and never lose your homework sheet again!
Tuesday, Nov 5th
Aleksander
Warmups (30 sec each) ***at metronome=120:
–Single strokes (R L R L…)
–Double Strokes (R R L L….)
–Paradiddles (RLRR LRLL…)
–Basic Beat level 3.5
—-Make sure that when two instruments play together they land precisely at the same time
Drumset Musician p12 ex. 8-15 a)
ACDC: Back in Black–everything up until 2:49
–Bridge section
Josh
20241105
See new visual drums page in Google Drive
ACDC: Back in Black
–We need to review the guitar solo (ca. 2-2:30)
–Use Visual Drumming ex. 24 (in personal folder) to help you prepare for the Bridge!
Myles
Drumset Musician p81 ex. 9-12**
NEW SONG Weezer: My Name is Jonas
–Drill the intro and main groove on p.1
–Today, we muddled our way through the WHOLE SONG. It’s not super complicated, but we’ll continue to work on the details each week
Xylophone:
–Review of C Major scale
–***Simple Steps to Keyboard Percussion “Step Six” p. 12-13 (in google drive). Use “Step 5” exercises to help you find the notes
Finn
Warmups (30sec each):
–Single Strokes
–Double Strokes
–8 on a hand
–This week, practice putting a count (“1+2+3+4+) overtop of the Singles and Doubles.
NEW SONG*** White Stripes: seven Nation Army
–Going through this song’s “procedure”: sit out for bass–>bass drum on the beats–>add snares on 2 and 4–>crashes on one w/ bass drum–>BBlvl1 on crash–>back to crashes on one
–Next week, we’ll learn the variation in the basic beat during the chorus
Robbie
Warmups:
–Gminor and Bb Major arpeggios (G-Bb-D-G; Bb-D-F-Bb)
Canticum:
–Second melody is slower. Make sure to READ the notes, and not just try to rely on your memory
Halloween:
–Good work. Not too slow! Make sure to READ the variations in the snare drum part
Third Planet:
–“I don’t have a pen” rhythm at the end: be consistent
Francisco
Warmups (30sec/ea.):
–8 on a hand (80bpm***)
–Singles (sixteenths at 145bpm**)
–doubles (16ths at 100**)
–Paradiddles (16ths at 100**)
Stevie Wonder: Superstition–up until the middle of page 2 (big fill)
–Drills: R-L-K triplet rolls
—-Floor tom, Snare, kick, repeated
—-hi-tom, med-tom, snare, as written in the fill
–See video in google drive for fill demonstration
Noah
Warmups (1min each per practice session):
–Triplet Exercise (1mm RH, 2mm LH) @ 95bpm
–Sixteenth-note Exercise 75bpm
–Rhythm Exercise (60bpm)
***Next week we’re doing paradiddles
NEW SONG*** Paul Simon: Late in the Evening
–Watch legendary drummer, Steve Gadd, explain this legendary groove here
–This week, get the hands and feet really solid (see handout). Next week, we’ll orchestrate it on the drums like in the chart
Saturday, November 9th
Jack
Benny Greb Rhythmic Alphabet
–Learn each letter in the “binary” part of the alphabet (counting 1-2-3-4)
–try building small words!
Using these words, play along to Sum 41: In too Deep
Tragically Hip: 50 Mission Cap
–Learning the beat (Bass-Snare-Bass-Snare) and playing along with the song while I play piano
Xylophone
–Learning the musical alphabet (ABCDEFG)
–Visually identifying C on the keyboard
–Spelling “Dad” and “Egg” on the keyboard
Aleksander
Warmups (30 sec each) goal tempo 160bpm:
–Single strokes (R L R L…)
–Double Strokes (R R L L….)
–Paradiddles (RLRR LRLL…)
Drumset Musician p12 ex. 8-15 a)
ACDC: Back in Black–everything up until 2:49
–Bridge section: use the worksheet to practice this beat
–Once comfortable, listen to this recording and try playing along to this section
Jared
Warmups:
–Stick Control ex 14-23** (70bpm)
—-Play each exercise 4 times
Bruno Mars: Locked Out of Heaven
–Use the Half-Time Groove Primer worksheet (handout) to help build up to the new beat on the last page. Sorry I left ex. 5-1/2 out. It’s at the bottom
–Drill all the small transitions (eg. end of chorus back into verse)
Jonah
Warmups (1min/ea)
–Triplet Exercise (Goal tempo=115)
–Sixteenth-note exercise (goal tempo=100)
New Song! Bruno Mars: Locked Out of Heaven
–Good work. Remember to read along!
–Tom-tom groove in the chorus: make sure to nail the transition back to the verse
–Use the handout to practice the halftime groove from the end of the song
Mario
Warmups (1min/ea; slow, med, fast speeds)
–8 on a hand
–Single Stroke Roll (R L R L…)
–Double Stroke Roll (R R L L…)
White Stripes: Seven Nation Army COMPLETE
–Follow the “roadmap” of the song. You know it all now, so it’s just a question of playing the correct parts at the correct times in the song
–LISTENING is the key skill to playing in time with the recording
–Use listening to help you adjust when accidentally playing too fast/slow
Drumset Musician p11, ex. 1-4*
–Good work
–Also practice 1 b) to help with the White Stripes song
Mateo–WOOHOO great first lesson!
Required materials: notebook/binder/duotang, sticks, metronome
Recommended materials: hearing protection (ear plugs or otherwise), practice pad, method books (I’ll let you know when/what to buy)
Also, please visit this link and bookmark it. Mateo will use resources posted in the “Frequently Used Resources Folder” as well as his personal folder (Hull, Chris>Student-Specific Resources>Mateo Zalamea) throughout his drum lessons.
Holding the sticks (“The Grip”):
–With the backs of your hands facing the sky, hold the stick between your thumb and index finger. It should be kind of like how you’d grip a key to open your front door
–Let the rest of your fingers wrap comfortably around the stick
–When playing, use the flexion and extension (or up and down motion) of your wrist to make a stroke, kind of like bouncing a basketball
–Allow the stick to bounce freely from the drum
–Remember: flying V, key grip, basketball
Warmups (30 sec each):
–8 on a Hand
–Single Stroke Roll (RLRL…)
–Double Stroke Roll (RRLL…)
FIRST DRUM BEAT (Basic Beat exercise, Level 1)
Step 1) Count “1 2 3 4”
Step 2) With your Right Hand (RH), play the hihat cymbals on all counts
Step 3) With your Right Foot (RF), play the bass drum on “1” and “3”
Step 4) With your LH, play the Snare Drum on “2” and “4”
–if it gets tricky, slow things down! Give your brain more time to think
–Be careful not to crush the strokes: sticks should bounce freely from the drum
You can find sheet music for these beats in the Frequently Used Resources folder. They are from Drumset Musician, p11 (ex. 1 a and b). Please download and print. :)
Preferred Books for TCHRNAME Students
Click to buy them here, and they’ll come right to your house! What could be easier?
BOOK TITLE
COMING SOON
BOOK TITLE
COMING SOON
BOOK TITLE
COMING SOON
BOOK TITLE
COMING SOON