M.Mus (UofT) in-progress
B.Mus (Eastman)
Gordon is a percussionist and educator interested in performing, creating, and engaging within a multitude of musical styles, invested in how music might be embodied in a variety of forms through joyful exploration.
From Tampa, Florida, Gordon became acquainted with music through piano lessons, eventually moving on to drum set and marching percussion in high school. In 2019, Gordon completed his undergraduate studies at the Eastman School of Music under the tutelage of Michael Burritt. At Eastman Gordon performed and premiered works with the Eastman Wind Ensemble, Eastman Percussion Ensemble, and Musica Nova in addition to serving for two years on the board of the student-led new music ensemble, Ossia.
He is also interested in the intersection between music and technology and has contributed to creative projects with the Eastman Audio Research Studio and the University of Toronto Percussion Ensemble.
Gordon is currently working towards completing his Master’s degree at the University of Toronto under the instruction of Aiyun Huang.
Get to know Gordon…Beyond the Bio!
Hobbies: Spending time with family and friends, watching movies, reading, spending time outside, tossing a frisbee and playing Spikeball
Musical influences: Rush, Mutemath, Max Roach, My Brightest Diamond, Son Lux, Rachel Podger, Michael Burritt, Steve Schick, Paul Rennick, Sarah Kirkland Snider, Jess Ray, Mark Andre…
Favourite food: Kanafeh (Middle-Eastern dessert)
Least favourite food: Brussel sprouts
Favourite music: Rock, Jazz, Contemporary Classical, Indie-folk, Electronic
Favourite song: One favorite is Humble Heart by Jess Ray
Favourite movie: Another favorite is Tree of Life by Terrence Malick
Favourite movie music: Bernard Herman in Vertigo, Ennio Morricone in Once Upon a Time in the West
Favourite musical theatre/opera: Hamilton, Invisible Cities by Christopher Cerrone
Best quote from your teacher: “Listen…”
Favourite quote: Romans 8:37-39
Favourite book: The Giver by Lois Lowry
Best thing about teaching at ABC: Sharing music with the students.
Latest Homework from Gordon
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December 1st Assignments
Lucas
How many minutes to practice: 15-30
What to practice: This week Lucas I want you to play through all of the song with the music! Here is the UPDATED TRANSCRIPTION of Seven Nation Army and a link to the song.
How to practice effectively HERE IS A VIDEO OF ME PLAYING THE PART. Really awesome job today! You’re doing really well. This week focus on playing with the music, listening for the beat, and keeping the timing consistent. Be sure to count where you need to but try to work towards just being able to listen to the song and be able to tell when the next section is coming. Also don’t forget to hit the drum! Its easy to play softly but don’t be afraid to play with a bigger sound! I’m hoping to hear the whole thing next week and then we can start transitioning into learning some newer rhythms and beats in Lesson 6.
Great work, can’t wait to hear it next week!
Jonah
How many minutes to practice: 30
What to practice: This week Jonah I want you to write in all of the counts for the accents on the Peters IV accent exercise and work on High Hopes by Panic! at The Disco. Here is a link to the song.
How to practice effectively: Good job today Jonah, this week I want you to start off by writing in all the counts for the accents in the Peters IV exercise. Take a pencil and just write in small what count is on each of the accents and then next week you can show me your sheet and we’ll go over it.
Samson
How many minutes to practice: 15-30
What to practice: This week Samson I want you to work on Todd Rundgren’s It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference. Keep an eye here on the assignment page for the transcription, I’ll be posting in a couple days.
How to practice effectively: Good work digging into some of the beginning of the song! Like I said today, the biggest thing for you to focus on is keeping consistent time so make sure you’re always counting at a steady pace! Obviously you don’t have to count out loud forever but for now until you get things more under your belt, be sure to count. As you get better at counting and playing the timing will start coming more automatically.
Good work today, I appreciate the effort!
Preferred Books for Gordon’s Students
Click to buy them here, and they’ll come right to your house! What could be easier?
STICK CONTROL
George Lawrence Stone’s Stick Control is the bible of drumming. In 1993, Modern Drummer magazine named the book one of the top 25 books of all-time. In the words of the author, it is the ideal book for improving: control, speed, flexibility, touch, rhythm, lightness, delicacy, power, endurance, preciseness of execution and muscular coordination, with extra attention given to the development of the weak hand.
Reading, Rudiments, and Rock Drumming
This beginner book contains the basic 3 R’s of drumming-Reading, Rudiments, and Rock, in an easy to learn format.
Intermediate Snare Drum Studies
The Art of Bop Drumming
The definitive book on bop drumming—a style that is both the turning point and the cornerstone of contemporary music’s development. This comprehensive book and audio presentation covers time playing, comping, soloing, brushes, more jazz essentials, and charts in an entertaining mix of text, music, and pertinent quotes.
