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 23rd
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–good, polish up 10 and 11
ACDC – Back in Black – up to gtr solo review three details:
1) Crash on each word of “back in black”
2) Lead into each “back in black” with bass drum on “3 & . &”
3) Add one snare drum to the last fill before each chorus
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 upbeat
**Hand ex. 5-6
**Rock beats 5-8
Memphis Soul Stew
–Make sure to use a rebound stroke to keep the SD with the HH
–We’ve learned the first three fills! Good work. Make sure to keep practicing them so that you don’t forget. Keep working on making the third one fast enough–>small motions will help with this
***Please Print (click here)***
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
Under Pressure: finishing up
–Building the bridge from both sides in the Drum Solo section: LISTEN carefully to the passage of the music, and try to stay at the right pace, worrying a little less about the notes
–Aim for the last two lines of the page, making sure to transition at the right moment. Listen for the vocal cue into each section
–Review the fill at the end of 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 end of the first chorus (1:15ish)
–The chorus beat is different! Play the basic beat with a crash on every beat “1”
–End the chorus by playing a crash with every word when the singer says “Back In Black!”
Will
Pad Exercises (1min/ea):
–Triplet Exercise (goal tempo=135)
–Sixteenth-note exercise (goal tempo=110)
–Roll Exercises (90*bpm)
–Flams, Flam Accents**, Flam Taps
–Rhythm exercise 40bpm
Syncopation p. 38 lines 1-4*
Steely Dan: Peg – Full song
–nail the transition after the first chorus
–add in ghost notes on:
—-1) the “e” of beat 3
—-2) the “e” of beat 1
***Purdie Shuffle (halftime shuffle):
—focus on getting the hihat shuffle pattern with the ghost notes
—add the bass drum flutters
Song suggestions: Babylon Sisters; Cold Sweat; Lovely Day; something latin?; Try Walk With Me
Saturday, April 13th
Jack
Working on 8-counts:
–Assign different instruments to different counts
–Finishing with a crash
–Adding different fruits on different numbers
Nova
Warmups (1min each)
–8 on a hand
–Singles; doubles; paradiddles
–Roll exercise (apple-apple-watermelon-watermelon)
*Alfred Solo #2
–First four lines**
Daft Punk and Pharrell Williams: Lose Yourself to Dance
**Building solos using Fruit Salad game overtop of steady bass drum
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
Tracie (welcome back:))
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
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
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