Toronto Drums & Percussion Teachers • Chris Hull • ABC Academy

BMus (Wilfrid Laurier University)

MMus (University of Alaska Fairbanks)

Darmasiswa Certificate (Arts Institute of Indonesia Denpasar)

MA Ethnomusicology (University of Toronto)

PhD Ethnomusicology (University of Toronto) in-progress

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
Saturday

Tuesday

Tuesday, Dec. 19th–Enjoy the Break! See you on Jan. 2nd

MYLES

-Warmups (try at three speeds)

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

Drumset Musician Worksheet p. 12 ex. 8-11

ACDC – Back in Black – up to gtr solo** add 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

Triplet Exercise (Goal tempo = *120)

Sixteenth Note Exercise (goal tempo=100*)

*Stick Control Ex. 57-64 (***160bpm)

Joel Rothman Lesson 16**

*Memphis soul stew–all, focusing on drum fill at top of page 2

Xylophone *Pno book pg 48

JOSH

-Warmups (slow, med, fast):

8 on a hand

Singles, Doubles, and Paradiddles

Roll Exercise

Double Paradiddles

Alfred Lesson 5: Combination Study

**John Mayer: Gravity — learn the 6/8 beat in this song! count “1 2 3 4 5 6” BD on 1, SD on 4

Thinking of new songs:

Last Night by the Mar-Keys

Under Pressure

NOAH

Warmups:

*Stick Control page 11, ex 1-2 –> focus on the rebound

Flams, Flam accents, Flam Taps (keep flam integrity when adding new strokes)

*New Song: Under Pressure – all **be sure to keep the solo section steady

WILL

Pad Exercises (1min/ea):

Triplet Exercise (goal tempo=130*)

Sixteenth-note exercise (goal tempo=100)

Roll Exercises (80bpm)

Flams and Flam Taps (80-90bpm)

Rhythm exercise 40bpm

***Syncopation p. 38

Brushes: swish-and-2 3 4 pattern (rlr r r ) *and* 1 swish-and 3 4

*Steely Dan: Peg (up until Verse 2)

December 19th, 2023|

Saturday

Saturday, March 9th

Jack

Congrats on your first lesson! Here’s what we covered:
-Basics of Grip: how to hold the sticks
-Basic strokes
-Names of the Instruments
-Working on our first drum beat: bass drum on “1” and “3” while filling in the gaps
GOOD WORK!

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 Lesson 6 Comination Study(10min)
–Work on writing the counts out above the notes! Ask for some help from your parents
Daft Punk and Pharrell Williams: Lose Yourself to Dance
–Adding variations to the main groove (chicka-chick on hihat; tom bomb before snare)
–Building drum solos on top of “four on the floor” bass drum

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 (Click here to print)
–Print and work on exercises 1-6 on this worksheet** (RR. 14-15) –I”M SORRY I thought I had uploaded this. I finally did.

Koel

Warmups (1min each):
–Triplet Exercise 120bpm
–Sixteenth-note Exercise 100bpm
Syncopation Book: Lesson 4, Ex. 5-8 (10-15min)
–If it’s tricky, learn it in steps:
–Step 1) LH only
–Step 2) LH + RH only
–step 3) add in feet
Lenny Kravitz: Are you Gonna Go My Way
–Learn everything up until the Interlude section
–Bonus: go up until the Guitar Solo

Tracie

Warmups
–Triplet Exercise 90bpm** (1min) — dribble the basketball
–PAS Rudiments Chart: Single Stroke Roll, Single Stroke Four, Double Stroke Roll, 5-str Roll
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

March 9th, 2024|