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, Feb. 13th
Reminder: I’m in England for the next two weeks. Lessons will continue as usual (Gordon will fill in) and I’ll be back in March.
Myles
Warmups (1min ea, as fast as comfortable)
–8 on a Hand
–Single Strokes
–Double stokes
Four kinds of paradiddle: Single (LRLL..) Double (RLRLRR..) Triple (LRLRLRLL..) and Paradiddle-diddles (RLRRLL or LRLLRR)
Alfred, Solo #2: *add lines 5 and 6 to your practice routine
–focus first on the notes, then we’ll add more detail together
Drumset Musician Worksheet p. 12 ex. 8-11-please print**
ACDC – Back in Black – please print the chart (click here)
–add in the extra crashes at the end of the guitar solo
–learn the Bridge groove (on the handout)
Xylophone
Basics of grip, playing position, identifying middle C, C Major Scale
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 16
**1/8 note triplets with rests on the downbeat
**Hand ex. 7-8
**Rock beats 9-12s
New Song: Dance, Dance by Fall Out Boy: everything up until Chorus
***Please Print***
Josh
Warmups (30sec/ea, as fast as comfortable)
–8 on a hand
–Singles, Doubles, and Paradiddles
–Roll exercise
Alfred Book: Lesson 5 combination study
Xylophone: The musical alphabet; finding “C”; the C-major scale; Mary Had A Little Lamb
Noah
Warmups:
–Triplet Exercise (1mm RH; 2mm LH) for 1 minute goal tempo=90 **wrist strokes!
–Stick Control: p.11 #1-2
–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
–Drill the three fills from the verse: make sure you can play them comfortably in isolation and that when you play them in context you don’t lose track of the beat
–This week, work on everything up until the chorus
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**everything up until the Bridge (2:50ish)
–Think about the Guitar Solo section as four “lines”, “+ 3 … + 1” crashes at the end of each line
–There’s a weird fill into the last chorus. We’ll learn this next week! for now just continue with the chorus
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 linjes 1-5**
Spanish Joint by D’Angelo: everything up until chorus
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***up until the end of the guitar solo + following chorus
–Check out the weird double “Back In Black” crashes at the transition to the last chorus
–Feel free to look/listen ahead if you like
Saturday, May 4th
Jack
Working on 4 and 8-counts
Repeat-after-Me game
Boys are Back
Working on two parts at once:
–LH plays “1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +” while RH plays on “2” and “4”
Nova
RECITAL PREP
Alouette
Row, Row
NEW SONG SHORTLIST:
–Conan Gray: Maniac
–Weezer: Island in the Sun
–Michael Jackson: Billie Jean
–Queen: Another One Bites the Dust
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…)
Dani California
–Add in chorus (RH on the ride)
–New post-chorus fill (4e+)
–Make sure to count these fills
Koel
Congrats on the playing test!
Warmups (1min each):
–Triplet Exercise 120bpm
–Sixteenth-note Exercise 100bpm–Great job with wrist control!
Syncopation Book: Lesson 4
–20 Bar Exercise
Van Halen: Jump
–This week, try learning the first bit of the song through the first verse
Tracie
Warmups
–Triplet Exercise 80bpm (1min) — dribble the basketball
–Rhythm Ex 60bpm (quarters->eighths->quarters->triplets->…)
SOCA BEAT!
–Sound out the rhythm slowly; make sure the beat matches your counting
–Working to get things faster by drilling the “boom-chicka”
Josh
RECITAL PREP
Another One Bites the Dust–Playing with recording, listening carefully. :)
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
–Use the new worksheet to help build bass drum speed
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