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 9th
Myles
New Year’s Goals: bookwork 1 page per week, one song per month, warmups as needed
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: *learn the first three lines
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
Jonah
New Year’s Goals: bookwork 1/3 per week, one song per month, warmups as needed
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: all, foucsing on drum fill at top of page 2
–***I’ll upload new pages tonight for you to print. Click Here
Xylophone: pno book pg 48
Josh
Warmups (30sec/ea, as fast as comfortable)
–8 on a hand
–Singles, Doubles, and Paradiddles
–Roll exercise
Alfred Book: Lesson 5 combination study
John Mayer: Gravity
Thinking of new songs
*I’m Still Standing
—The main challenge is speed. It’s just Basic Beat level 1!!!
Noah
Happy New Year! 2024 goals: one song per month, warmups as needed, bookwork?
Warmups:
–**Triplet Exercise (1mm RH; 2mm LH) for 1 minute goal tempo=90
–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
–Don’t speed up on the chorus
–2nd ending fill on last page
Robbie–Welcome Back!!!
Warmups (30sec/ea):
–8 on a hand exercise
–Single Stroke Roll (R-L-R-L….) playing smooth, even, controlled strokes
–Double Stroke Roll (R-R-L-L…)
Basic Beat: Level 2 (countint “1+2+3+4+”)
Fruit Salad game (Pear, apple, strawberry, watermelon)
–Come up with your own fruit salads by combining four fruits
Review Alfred Lesson 1
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 – *Complete song, next week we’ll start on details
Click here to see the Syncopation book (please print page 36 of the PDF, entitled “Exercise One”)
Please bookmark the following links for Will’s Student Folder and the Frequently Used Resources Folder. Sorry about the confusion.
Francisco
Warmups (30sec/ea., find goal speed):
–8 on a hand
–Singles
–doubles
–Paradiddles
Drumset Musician p11 ex 1-7 a) and **1-5 b) **please print
**AC/DC: Back in Black: intro (click here to listen)
Saturday, March 30th
Jack
Counting Exercise: “1 2 3 4”
–Put the “1” and “3” on the bass drum
Listening and identifying fruits from the fruit salad game
Nova
Warmups (1min each) **keep thumbs on sticks–no boxing mitts
–8 on a hand
–Singles; doubles; paradiddles
–Roll exercise (apple-apple-watermelon-watermelon)
*Alfred Solo #2
–Working on first two lines, paying close attention to dynamic markings (f, p, etc)
Daft Punk and Pharrell Williams: Lose Yourself to Dance
**Make sure to keep the four-on-the-floor bass drum throughout
–Adding variations to the main groove (chicka-chick on hihat; tom bomb before snare)
–Let’s focus on building solos next week**
Xylophone: Alouette p33
Koel
Warmups (1min each):
–Triplet Exercise 120bpm
–Sixteenth-note Exercise 100bpm
Syncopation Book: Lesson 4
–Print out the next page and add in ex. 11 and 12**
Lenny Kravitz: Are you Gonna Go My Way
–Whole song!!!***
–Find out a way that you can play along to the recording in yoru lesson next week
Josh
**Bad habit correction: Make sure to play with the tips of the sticks!
Warm-ups
–8 on a hand
–Singles, Doubles
–Single, Double, and Triple Paradiddles ***
Say It Ain’t So main beat–good
–Practice putting a crash on the “and” of two of the fourth repeat (just like the intro to the song)
Alfred Lesson 6: exercises 1-3
–Make sure to use alternating sticking (L-R-L-R…)
Preferred Books for TCHRNAME Students
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