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 Novmber 21st

MYLES

-Warmups (try at three speeds)

8 on a Hand

Single Strokes

Double stokes

*Paradiddles (LRLL RLRR…)

*Alfred, Lesson 6 starting next week

*Drumset Musician Worksheet p. 12

*New Song: ACDC – Back in Black

JONAH

Triplet Exercise (Goal tempo = 110*)

Sixteenth Note Exercise (goal tempo=90bpm**)

*Stick Control Ex. 51-56 (120bpm)

Joel Rothman Lesson 16**

Lenny Kravitz: Are You Gonna go my Way

Good work on the whole song. **The last two lines need work: count! Play the crashes on the correct beats

*Make sure the long fills start on the snare not hihat

Xylophone *Pno book pg 48

JOSH

-Warmups (slow, med, fast):

8 on a hand

Singles, Doubles, and Paradiddles

Roll Exercise

Double Paradiddles

New Beat: Bass drum on “1” the “and” of 2, and “3”

Alfred begin Lesson 5 ex. 1-8

Tom thing: 1 a2 3 & 4 (develop into beat next week?)

*Another One Bites the Dust

NOAH

Warmups:

Stick Control page 10, ex 1-12***

*New Song: Under Pressure (please print from Google drive) – up until first chorus (or more)

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. 37 (graduate to next chapter)

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

Dave Weckl Playalong Book: Chapter 2 Sixteenth Feel (please print)

*learn the basic grooves

*bonus: listen and play along

November 21st, 2023|

Saturday

Saturday, February 3rd

Nova

Warmups (1min each) **keep thumbs on sticks–no boxing mits
–8 on a hand
–Singles; doubles; paradiddles
–Roll exercise (apple-apple-watermelon-watermelon)
*Alfred Lesson 6 ex. 1-6 (10min)
Daft Punk and Pharrell Williams: Lose Yourself to Dance
–Focus on playing the main groove and switching between the groove and fills (3 times through the beat, once through the fill)
–Chad Kroeger Drum fill

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
**New Song: Give It Away by Red Hod Chili Peppers

Koel

Warmups (1min each):
–Triplet Exercise 110bpm
–Sixteenth-note Exercise 90bpm
Syncopation Book: good work, tidy these up this week (five-finger game)
Lenny Kravitz: Are you Gonna Go My Way
–Careful not to drop a beat when playing the crash (eg. at the beginning of the Verse)
–Make sure to follow all repeats (eg. first two measures of line 3)
–Play the groove with Hihat in the verse
–Last fill in steps: 1) speak the rhythm 2) play it on snare 2) play it on snare + hh 4) add in bass drum 5) add in crash

Tracie

Warmups
–Triplet Exercise 90bpm** (1min) — dribble the basketball
–PAS Rudiments Chart: Single Stroke Roll, Single Stroke Four, Double Stroke Roll, 5-str Roll
–Bass drum exercise: “1 + 2 3 + 4 ” working on speed
Nirvana: Drain You–main groove working on speed
–Play the SD and BD together, and then add in the Hi-hat
–Play RH and BD together
–Goal Tempo 105-110

February 3rd, 2024|