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, February 4th
Lila
Warmups:
–8 on a Hand
–Single strokes
–Double strokes
–Paradiddles
Review of grip: good. Keep skin contact with stick
Basic Beat Level 3** same as level 2, but BD plays all four beats (1, 2, 3, 4)
Step 1) Count “1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + ”
Step 2) Play the Hihat with your Right Hand (RH) on all the counts
Step 3) Add in the Bass Drum with your Right Foot (RF) on “1”, “2”, “3”, and “4”
Step 4) Add in the Snare Drum with your Left Hand (LH) on “2” and “4”
Visual Drumset Method: exercises 5-7**
–You can find this in the google drive>Frequently Used Resources (please bookmark for future use)
–Aim for four repetitions of each exercise without hiccups or hesitations
Fruit Salad Game
-Create three of your own fruit salads using the four fruit-rhythms (in your notebook)
Josh
Warm-ups:
–Hand and foot coordination (see handout): playing steady beats on the bass drum, play singles, doubles, and paradiddles with your hands on the snare drum. There should be two snare notes (ti-ti; eighth notes) to every bass drum note (ta; quarter notes)
Groove Essentials Rock Groove 5
–Play the VD ex. 10 beat for this one!
–Let’s work on getting some fills together for it
White Stripes: Seven Nation Army: DONE!
Myles
20250204
Drumset Musician p81 ex. 9-12
–Polish these off this week
Weezer: My Name is Jonas
–Finishing page one beats
Drumset Musician p83 Twelve Bar Blues playalong
–We used this as a way to learn drum fills
–Next week let’s learn about the 12 bar blues as a form
==Xylophone==
Warmups (***F Major):
–Scale, one octave, ascending and descending, saying the note names as you play them (F-G-A-Bb-C-D-E-f)
–Arpeggio (F-A-C-f-C-A-F)
–Broken thirds (F-A G-Bb A-C…), ascending and descending
Cirone Book: “Step Six” ex. 5-8
Eartraining: identifying thirds and fifths
Francisco
Warmups:
–Stick Control first page ex. 14-18 (4x each, 120bpm goal tempo)
–Play eighths ca. 120-160 bpm (gradually building up the speed) using accents on the beats to help with the push-pull strokes
Tommy Igoe Groove Essentials book: Groove 1 FAST
–This week, we’re trying to get used to playing these grooves up to speed
–In your practicing, add in crashes on the “push” shots
Noah
Warmups (1min each per practice session):
–Paradiddle combo exercise with bass drum on quarter notes
Paul Simon: Late in the Evening
–Use a metronome (I use the Tempo app by Frozen Ape) to help you lock the sixteenth-note
Mozambique pattern into the grid
–the fill before Verse 1: needs to lock in. But, because of all the space, it’s hard to do. So, make sure to drill it slowly, counting along.
–Make sure the beat three BD-LH line up perfectly
Aviva
Warmups (1min ea)
–Single strokes (LRLR…)
–Double Strokes (LLRR…)
–Paradiddles (LRLL RLRR…)
Drumset Musician p11, ex. 1-7 a)
–Find the PDF for these in the “Frequently Used Resources” folder linked below
–This week, keep polishing these off. Practice playing them along with the play-along track below
Igoe Groove Essentials Groove 1 Slow (backing track and chart in Frequently Used Resources folder)
–Learn basic beat (at top of page) and play along with the backing track
–Add in the drum fills we learned (on the handout) at the end of four-bar phrases
–Once comfortable, begin learning Variation A. Careful to count the sixteenth notes as “1e+a 2e+a…”. So this beat will be counted something like “1 + 2 +a 3 + 4 +”
Bookmark the following google drive links:
—Your personal folder
—The “Frequently Used Resources” folder
Saturday, May 10
Jack
Great job concentrating and keeping time this class! We created a cool drum pattern to play with Thriller today and we will look to get familiar with the pattern next class!
Nova
We have now fully learnt Cupid and our goal is to record a video next week with myself on accompaniment! If stuck on a tricky rhythm, count out loud and get comfortable with the syncopation!
Aleksander
Great progress on Living on a Prayer! We played through until pre chorus. Practise it under tempo and when you feel more comfortable with the transition, go a little faster and eventually try play it at original speed with the recording.
You also grasp the triplet rhythm nicely, but make sure you play it in time! Give chorus a read, and we will aim to play through that next lesson!
Jonah
The Simpson
The tune is very very tricky and Jonah you did a great job nailing the notes! You also showed great understanding on how to practise tricky licks through repetition and practising step by step BUT you need to have the dedication to do it at home as well! In order to do your best on your performance coming up, try to familiar yourself with many of those licks as possible, and always remember to count!
Jared
Bring Me To Life
Bar 24 and 25 have been your nemesis of late! BUT you are closer than you think! The third and fourth beat of bar 24 and first two beats of bar 25 are super similar, which is the reason why you have been confusing them. Subdivide! Practise the RIGHT pattern, repeat! We will aim to go on next week, and play till bar 45.
Mario
Warm Up with triplet and 16th notes exercise, go for evenness and relaxation!!!
Great great progress on My Friend as we played through first page. We are now at 65 bpm right now and original speed is at 84. When possible practise with metronome at home and crank up the speed when you feel comfortable! We will read through till Guitar Solo next week!
Preferred Books for TCHRNAME Students
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