B.Mus (Oberlin)
M.Mus (U of T)
Louis “Pino” Pino is from Dix Hills, NY and is a recent graduate of Oberlin Conservatory, having studied percussion with Michael Rosen and computer music with Aurie Hsu and Joo Won Park, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in percussion performance at the University of Toronto with Aiyun Huang. Pino began his musical career playing drum set and hand drums with several local ensembles, and moved on to study at the Juilliard Pre-College, where he received the Commencement Award upon graduation. When arriving at Oberlin, Pino had the opportunity to collaborate with many students at the conservatory and has come to premiere over 50 new chamber and solo works written by himself and his peers.
In addition to performing, Pino teaches a small studio of students and is an active composer of electroacoustic music. He often writes music for instruments and interactive electronics, and collaborates in creating interdisciplinary works with dancers and film artists. Outside of music, Pino likes to spend time cooking, hammocking outdoors, and competing in food challenges.
Get to know Pino…Beyond the Bio!
Hobbies: Cooking, Hammocking
Musical influences: Chet Baker, Bela Bartok, Olivier Messiaen, The Strokes
Favourite food: Sushi
Least favourite food: Peanut butter
Favourite music: Hip-Hop, Contemporary Classical
Favourite song: Alvin Row – Animal Collective
Favourite movie: Taxi Driver
Favouirite movie music: Taxi Driver OST
Favourite musical theatre/opera: Saint François d’Assise – Messiaen
Best quote from your teacher: “Play pretty.”
Favourite quote: “ Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” Master Yoda
Favourite book: The Stand – Stephen King
Best thing about teaching at ABC: Watching young minds grow a bit more every week.
Latest Homework from Pino
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Assignments for the Week of Aug 6-12
Hi everyone,
For the next two weeks, I will be away on vacation. Pino will be subbing for me during those weeks and I have filled him in on what each of you have been practicing. I will be back the last Thursday in August. Here are your practice assignments for this week:
Koel
Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 minutes per day
What to practice: Practice the first eight 16th-note open hi-hat beats from the new page as well as the intro and verse to “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door”: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1SCS8WVjfR1OZVlYmt8a1r2LTxo2NJOpN?usp=sharing
How to practice it most effectively: Great work this week with the 16th-note open hi-hat beats! Keep working through them slowly and pay close attention to the timing of your left foot. It needs to be coordinated very carefully with with what your other three limbs are doing. With Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, review the intro and then take a look at the verse. Most of it is pretty straight forward, but the fill at the end of the verse will take some work.
Elliot
Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 minutes per day
What to practice: Practice beats #21 and 22 on the Lesson 3 sheet: https://drive.google.com/open?id=10YGpSqgr9Z2SExyhXz7k1evG3C0t2VEc
How to practice it most effectively: Good job today working through the beats in the Lesson 3! Keep working at it the same way we did in you lesson. Take it 4 notes at a time and make sure you’re reading the bass and snare rhythm as you play. Be careful not to skip any notes or to add any extras. Once you’ve gotten four notes, then move on to the next four, then play all eight together. Then move on to the next bar. These exercises should be played repeatedly in order to really solidify the rhythm.
Jonathan
Recommended minutes to practice: 20-30 minutes per day
What to practice: Practice playing beats in a 12/8 groove as well as a simple shuffle beat. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1GxopIaGPN0UhwG3zk4gQWTnEaDDL7TWP?usp=sharing
How to practice it most effectively: Experiment with different syncopated rhythms in the context of a 12/8 beat. This means that the basic subdivision of the beat on the hi-hat is three (not two or four). You can play around with polyrhythmic syncopation by playing subdivisions of two on the bass and the snare against the three on the hi-hat. Also, practice the basic shuffle beat that I showed you this week.
Samson
Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 minutes per day
What to practice: Practice the first 6 open hi-hat beats as well as the first three lines of rhythm from “Syncopation page 29” as drum fills: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1x_PwofJ3uGhPIMOcJLsgEwb51g3kTCeu?usp=sharing
How to practice it most effectively: With the rhythms from Syncopation page 29, practice them the same way we did in your lesson this week: first identify the rhythm and practice playing it steadily on the snare drum. Then, once you feel confident with the rhythm, then come up with a few different ways to play it around the drums (like a drum fill). Be sure to maintain the steadiness of the rhythm. Finally, play a simple drum beat for a bar or two leading into the drum fill and then go back to the beat. Try to practice this without pausing or hesitating in order to maintain the rhythm.
Will
Recommended minutes to practice: 15-20 minutes per day
What to practice: Practice the 16th-note open hi-hat beats and the first two beats from “Watermelon Man”. https://drive.google.com/open?id=17pjkCZ1jfMdjwRqFBMaPIG_hKMb3gQGz
How to practice it most effectively: Take it slow with the 16th-note open hi-hat beats. These beats are challenging so don’t try to go through them quickly. Focus on the movement of your left foot and how it needs to be coordinated with your other limbs. Same thing with the beats from “Watermelon Man.” Take the 16th notes slowly and make sure that the snare drum and bass drum are lining up with the hi-hat precisely. Also, work on playing the ghost note on the snare drum as softly as possible.
Jonah
Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 minutes per day
What to practice: Practice the rhythms from “Syncopation page 28” as drum fills. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xgENtr7–sAhgC9zceezlfeYJwA6JWlY?usp=sharing
How to practice it most effectively: With the rhythms from Syncopation page 28, practice them the same way we did in your lesson this week: first identify the rhythm and practice playing it steadily on the snare drum. Then, once you feel confident with the rhythm, then come up with a few different ways to play it around the drums (like a drum fill). Be sure to maintain the steadiness of the rhythm. Finally, play a simple drum beat for a bar or two leading into the drum fill and then go back to the beat. Try to practice this without pausing or hesitating in order to maintain the rhythm.
Noah
Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 minutes per day
What to practice: Practice the intro and verse to “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door”: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Dga1ZBRWaN_Ka4O1G009w-74c4VaZCj7?usp=sharing
How to practice it most effectively: Review the intro and then take a look at the verse. Most of it is pretty straight forward, but the fill at the end of the verse will take some work. Break down the rhythm into sections and practice each one slowly. Once you feel comfortable with it, then put the whole fill together, but still take it slowly. Finally, try playing a full bar of the beat before the fill and work on playing the transition into the fill as smoothly as possible. Remember that you don’t need to go fast!
May 27-June 1 Practice
Hi everyone, thanks for coming in prepared this week! Here is what I would like for you to work on this week so we can continue this progress.
Ella- This week, take some time to learn the Breezeblocks beats. Try to have the first page learned for next time, but break it down so you can play the harder parts slower and the easier parts faster. Here is a link to the music (https://drive.google.com/open?id=1yxZt6ZHSYxf9SiGdJpA9JNblIYdnqSbH).
Jonah- This week, try to learn all of Lesson 2. Make sure you try slpowly first and you will get it! Also, this article will show you how to share sound so I can hear your song! https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362643-Sharing-Computer-Sound-During-Screen-Sharing
Noah- This week, try to get up to dicso beat number 9 with 70 on the metronome (to the quarter note, so 4 notes per click). Make sure you are locked in with your hi hat before playing the rest of the beat, and stay locked in when you do play it! In addition, listen to the songs linked at the bottom of this post and pick one you would like to learn (or think of a different song you like).
Sylvie- This week, try to get the entire disco page to 80 with fills. Bonus points if you can play through the whole page without stopping! As always, try to find new sounds to improvise with! In addition, listen to the songs linked at the bottom of this post and pick one you would like to learn (or think of a different song you like).
Samson- This week, try to finish Lesson 7. To help with timekeeping, use the metronome at a comfortable tempo on each 16th note so you can line up every note you play. Then cut the tempo in half so it only plays the eighth note. This is great practice for playing in time!
Back in Black, ACDC – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAgnJDJN4VA
Basket Case, Green Day- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUTGr5t3MoY
Mr. Blue Sky, Electric Light Orchestra – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuJIqmha2Hk
Take on Me, a-Ha – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djV11Xbc914
When the Levee Breaks, Led Zeppelin – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwiTs60VoTM
Preferred Books for Pino’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.
4-Way Coordination
Rockin' Bass Drum, Bk 1
Written in two volumes, these books include 2- and 4- bar rock and jazz-rock beats designed for the modern drummer. Both books are designed to develop the drummer’s skill in coordinating their hands and feet. The books also offer the drummer a repertoire of exciting rhythmic patterns.
