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, February 6th
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 fourth line 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 9-12
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
No One Knows by Queens of the Stone Age (please print)
–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***p. 39 “Exercise 2″*** please print if you don’t have it
Spanish Joint by D’Angelo: main groove and fill
Francisco
Warmups (30sec/ea., find goal speed):
–8 on a hand (140bpm)
–Singles (sixteenths at 140bpm)
–doubles (eighths at 160)
–Paradiddles (eighths at 160)
Drumset Musician p12* ex 8-11* a) *
AC/DC: Back in Black***up until the end of the guitar solo + following chorus
–feel free to print the chart to help you remember everything
–make sure the “3+4+” bass drums are at the right time before the “Back in Black” crashes
Saturday, April 27th
Jack
Working on 4 and 8-counts
Repeat-after-Me game
Boys are Back
Nova
RECITAL PREP
Alouette
Daft Punk: Lose Yourself to Dance
Koel
Good luck on your exam! Review the exam passages this afternoon and tomorrow to make sure they’re fresh in your memory for Monday. You’re gonna do great!
Tracie
Warmups
–Triplet Exercise 80bpm (1min) — dribble the basketball
–Rhythm Ex 60bpm (quarters->eighths->quarters->triplets->…)
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
–Iconic chorus fill! **
Josh
RECITAL PREP
Another One Bites the Dust
–practice with the recording, making sure to listen carefully
Alfred Lesson 6 combination study
–Work on playing this entire thing on your own
Preferred Books for TCHRNAME Students
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