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 4th
Lila
Warmups:
–8 on a Hand
–Single strokes
–Double strokes
–Paradiddles
Basic Beat Level 3.5 same as level 3, but RH plays on the Ride Cymbal
Step 1) Count “1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + ”
Step 2) Play the Hihat with your Right Hand (RH) on all the counts
Step 3) Add in the Bass Drum with your Right Foot (RF) on “1”, “2”, “3”, and “4”
Step 4) Add in the Snare Drum with your Left Hand (LH) on “2” and “4”
Visual Drumset Method: exercises 10-12***
–Aim for four repetitions of each exercise without hiccups or hesitations
White Stripes: Seven Nation Army
–Great job! We finished learning all the parts to this song today
–This week, work on polishing it off, and next week we’ll start with a new one
Josh
Warm-ups:
–Learn to sing along to Teddy Bear’s Picnic. Then, play along to the melody on your snare drum while keeping the beat on your bass drum, just like you came up with in today’s lesson!
Groove Essentials Rock Groove 5
–This week, add drum fills in every fourth measure
–See handout for fill examples
The Beatles: Ticket To Ride
–Yay! You’re nailing this. Just make sure that you switch to the Main Beat Variation (on handout, and your mother’s phone) for the last half of the song
Finn
Warmups (30sec each, counting aloud):
–Single Strokes
–Double Strokes
–8 on a hand
Visual Drummer: p19 ex 16-18**
Nickelback: How You Remind Me
–Awesome job! polish off the last details this week, and next week we’ll start a new song
—-Tempo – crash during chorus – stops in chorus
Begin to think of new songs you might like to learn. Pick two suggestions for next week
1)
2)
Noah
Warmups (1min each per practice session):
–Paradiddle combo exercise with bass drum on quarter notes
Paul Simon: Late in the Evening
–Practice the four fills you know from this song (a) on their own (b) in the context of the groove every fourth bar
–I’ve sent links to the google drive folders
Jared
Warmups:
–Stick Control ex 14-23 (80bpm***)
Igoe’s Groove Essentials – Groove 1 slow (track 1)
–Same assignment, but now move the RH to the ride and put LF hihat “chick” on a) “2” and “4” (b) “1 2 3 4” and (c) “1+2+3+4+”
Funk Groove Eleven FAST (in google drive)
–Learn the beat up to speed
–use fills handout to practice fills at this speed
–begin looking at groove variations
Caravan???
Aviva
Warmups (1min ea) goal tempo = 150bpm, playing two notes per beat (aka eighth notes)
–Single strokes (LRLR…)
–Double Strokes (LLRR…)
–Paradiddles (LRLL RLRR…)
Accent Exercises worksheet
–Play these exercises with accents on the toms, building up your speed
Drumset Musician p12, ex. 11-15
–polish these off for next week
–feel free to go on to the following page
Groove 1 FAST
–Try playing along to this MUCH faster track using a quarter-note cymbal pattern (use the starred examples from your folder)
Groove 2 Slow (chart and track in your personal folder)
–Learn the main groove and variations for next week
–Ignore the left-food hihat “chicks” for now, we can add those in later
Hole: Celebrity Skin
–Good work on this! Keep drilling the opening
–Begin learning the Chorus groove at the bottom of your handout
Saturday, April 5th
Jack
Continued working on Jam by michael jackson, try to stay in time with kick snare pattern, We will be adding in cymbal and hi hat as a next step
Tova
Cupid by 50/50: now up to pre chorus. Doing great with counting the off beat, if struggling use the play the on beat on a random note method.
Will be doing some chamber music next class (I will play the chord)
Tracie
Warm-Up:
Turnstile Blues by Autolux
Familiarise yourself with the rhythm through paradiddle, then move over to the kick and snare to play the rhythm, L=snare, R=kick
Right now we are at 120 for eighth notes the goal is 95 for quartet, 190 for eighth notes
Always use metronome
Add in hihat(LH) next
Jared
Warm-Up: work on Stick Control Page 9
Variation: first bar triplet, second bar 16th notes, practise with metronome (TIP: throw the 16th and relax for faster rhythm!)
building solo! Use the roadmap that was given in lesson, explore cymbal sounds, try to time yourself doing each section, explore snare drum rhythms that you want to do the third section of the solo on
Start Bring me to life for next class
Mario
Warm Up:
Grab and throw motion for the triplet exercise!
My Friend by RHCP
work on transition from hihat(open) to ride on my friend by rhcp
Use the drumset musician p11 ex to warm up brain —> one bar ride one bar hi hat —> then to the song
Do it slow!
Always aim to the end of second bar, if uncertain dont play yet! Avoid learning the wrong thing!
Aleksander
Warm-Up: work on Stick Control Page 9
Variation: first bar triplet, second bar 16th notes, practise with metronome (TIP: throw the 16th and relax for faster rhythm!)
great work with playing intro to Living On a Prayer, already at speed, but gotta make sure we can do it after the 7 previous repetition. Next step the pre chorus triplet lick!
Preferred Books for TCHRNAME Students
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COMING SOON
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COMING SOON
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COMING SOON
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