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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September 15th Assignments
Lucas
How many minutes to practice: 15-30
What to practice: This week Lucas I want you to play the first four beats of Lesson 5 8 times each without looking at the music the whole time, I know you can do it!
How to practice effectively: First look at the beat, see if you can figure out how it might sound just by looking at it. Then give it a shot playing it and counting out loud. If its too tricky, then slow it down and try the limbs separately. First start by playing the hi-hat and counting. Then figure out what beats the bass drum plays and then try playing the bass drum with the hi-hat. Then, once those are good together, try adding the snare drum! Once you’ve played it at least 8 times really well, try looking at the beat once before you play and then close the book!
Ella
How many minutes to practice: 30
What to practice: Play Paranoid Android at tempo with the song up until the bridge. Here is the transcription and a link to the music
How to practice effectively: Good work today! Try working on these practice beats for Paranoid Android. And check here for a video of me playing the beat that I’m going to post soonThe practice beats will help you work on relaxing your bass drum foot and iron out the kinks. This beat is pretty linear, which means that not a lot of your limbs are playing at the same time, so you want the rhythm to sound as fluid as possible.
Jonah
How many minutes to practice: 30
What to practice: This week Jonah I want to play through Rock With You, Gallop, and this new exercise Accent Tap
How to practice effectively: Really good work with Rock With You today Jonah! That transition is hard but not too hard for you! You started getting it towards the end, so keep working on this exercise to help with it. I’m also going to post a video here of me playing what we covered this week shortly, so keep checking the assignment. For Gallop take a look at this video I made. Here the goal is good, solid doubles without too much tension. For Accent Tap, think about playing the accented notes (the ones with this marking >) loudly, with the stick nice and high, and then the non-accented notes really soft, with the stick only about an inch off the drum. This exercise will help you relax on the beat for Rock With You.
Samson
How many minutes to practice: 15-30
What to practice: Get Rock With You up to tempo through the prechorus.
How to practice effectively: Things sounded pretty solid today Samson, now just keep the 16th notes on the hi-hat relaxed so that you can start getting closer to the tempo of the song. Work on the beat in the pre-chorus and the transition into it so next week we can try and play up to there with the song!
Sylvie
How many minutes to practice: 30
What to practice: This week Sylvie I want you to practice So Much to Say with the new fill and the new section at the bridge.
How to practice effectively: You’ve done some great work on this song so far Sylvie, now I want you to internalize things a little bit more and see if you can get through the stuff you already know without counting. Try listening to the song more than you’re listening to yourself right now. For the fill, work on it slowly by itself, and then faster within the context of the beat. The section at the bridge is a bit tricky but if you take it slowly you can get a good start on it for next week!
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.
