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, January 30th
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)
–This week, work on adding the Guitar Solo and following Chorus to your playing
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
***I’ll scan and upload this tonight — 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
***New Song*** No One Knows by Queens of the Stone Age (please print – I’ll upload it tonight)
–This week, just work on the main beat to the song (2-beat)
–Get the song in your ear: listen to the song, pay attention to what the drums are doing
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 until the end of the guitar solo (2:32ish)
–Pay attention to the extra crashes
— “+ 3 … + 1” crashes
Will
20240123
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. 38 COMPLETE***polish off this week
***New Song*** Spanish Joint by D’Angelo: main groove and fill
Francisco
20240116 Tuesday
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 p11 ex 1-7 a) and 1-7 b) **
–BONUS: go on to 8-15 a) on the next page
AC/DC: Back in Black–play til end of 2nd chorus** Two new details:
–add an extra SD note to the fill before each chorus
–Add in “3+4+” bass drums before “Back In Black” crashes
–Feel free to print the chart (click here)
Saturday, April 20th
Jack
Working on 8-counts:
–Assign different instruments to different counts
–Finishing with a crash
–Adding different fruits on different numbers
Repeat-After-Me Game
Nova
Warmups (1min each)
–8 on a hand
–Singles; doubles; paradiddles
–Roll exercise (apple-apple-watermelon-watermelon)
*Alfred Solo #2
–First five lines
New Song
Xylophone: Alouette p37
Koel
Upcoming Music Exam:
–Around May 12th
–xylophone music: please send me a copy, and remember to bring home for next week!
Warmups (1min each):
–Triplet Exercise 120bpm
–Sixteenth-note Exercise 100bpm–Great job with wrist control!
Syncopation Book: Lesson 4
–Work on making the Swing Shuffle (ex. 11) feel good with the accents
Lenny Kravitz–All done! Great job.
New Song! Jump by Van Halen!11 ****
–This week, try learning the first bit of the song through the first verse
***Decide about playing in the recital on May 5th
Josh
Warm-ups (tips of sticks)
–8 on a hand
–Singles, Doubles
–Single, Double, and Triple Paradiddles ***
Say It Ain’t So
–Add in the chorus beat (bass-bass Crash!)**
Alfred Lesson 6: Combination study, line 1
–Try to learn this without having to write the counts in (but you can do if necessary)
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
–Up to the end of page 3*** (except for last line)
–Drill the five different variations of the fill (starred)***
——Identify what is tricky about each one, and focus on that as you read**
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
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COMING SOON
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