#489 Sidney Hopson- Percussionist, Educator, Cultural Policy Consultant & More!
This week’s guest is Sidney Hopson. A member of the GRAMMY®-nominated ensemble Wild Up, Sidney Hopson is a consummate percussionist, composer, and cultural policy consultant from Los Angeles. In his hometown, he has appeared with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, LA Opera, LA Chamber Orchestra, and LA Master Chorale. An alum of the Academy Awards Orchestra, Spoleto Festival USA, Ojai Festival, Lincoln Center Festival, and Coachella Festival, he has recorded on over 100 film and television soundtracks, including: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Coming 2 America, Encanto, PRIDE (FX), and Avatar: The Way of Water. He has performed and recorded with a broad range of artists, including Adele, John Adams, Earth Wind & Fire, Danny Elfman, Chaka Khan, Ricky Martin, the New York Philharmonic, Rihanna, the Roots, Kaija Saariaho, John Williams, and Stevie Wonder. He has presented percussion masterclasses and arts policy lectures at the Juilliard School, USC, Butler University, and the Music Academy of the West.
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday to Brevan Hampden! Born in New York City in 1985, Brevan was born instantly a member of a high-level musical family; his father Ivan, who has toured with Luther Vandross, Vanessa Williams, Jennifer Lopez, Roberta Flack, Grady Tate, and Ashford & Simpson, and his mother Brenda, who has performed on Broadway, with Dizzy Gillespie, Angie Bofill, Marian Anderson, and Jazzmobile.
After moving to Durham, NC in 1988, Brevan began showing signs of talent in music from age 7. He began playing percussion in church with his mother and brother at age 9. Soon after, he began playing pick up gigs and at other churches in the Raleigh/Durham area. His older brother Brian moved to North Carolina when Brevan was 9, and introduced him to the world of Latin and World Percussion. Brevan learned how to read music in middle school, playing in concert band and jazz band, and participated in the marching band once moving on to high school. Although there were no high school programs that catered to Latin percussion or jazz/popular music in general, Brevan continued his study of percussion, by listening to and being influenced by percussionists Ray Barretto, Mongo Santamaria, Carlos “Patato” Valdes, Tata Guines, Changuito, Giovanni Hidalgo, Angel “Cachete” Maldonado, Tito Puente, Miguel “Anga” Diaz, Tomas “El Panga” Ramos and other artists such as Curtis Mayfield, James Brown, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Kool and the Gang, Parliament, Daryl “Munyungo” Jackson, Leon “Ndugu” Chancelor, Steve Kroon, Roger Squitero, Sheila E. and Luis Conte.
Twice, during his high school years, Brevan attended the Berklee World Percussion Festival in Boston, where he studied with Giovanni Hidalgo, Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, Eguie Castrillo, and Ernesto Diaz. This helped further his knowledge of percussion, and of music in general, which, upon his return to North Carolina allowed him to continue performing locally, with bands such as Junk in the Trunk, Samecumba, Carnavalito, and the North Carolina Central University (NCCU) Jazz Ensemble, with whom his other brother, Iajhi, was performing at the time.
Happy Birthday to Ben Hilzinger! Ben Hilzinger is a Los Angeles-based drummer and songwriter with 20+ years of performing, recording and teaching experience.
Currently the drummer for Eve 6 and cannons, Ben has also written, recorded, and/or toured throughout the USA/internationally with MXPX, Fitness, Mike Herrera, The classic crime, tapir, chevy mustang, Party Nails, We Shot The Moon, prxzm, Glorybots, Ever So Android, Jake Cummings, Josh Eacrett, rental 58, ray little, Jody ellen, young Professionals, Dave Cavalier, madhawkes and many more.
In addition to performing and teaching, Ben is the Director of Artist / Client Relations for Big Fat Snare Drum and hosts the ‘Drummers on Drumming’ podcast. Before moving to Los Angeles in 2016, Ben also taught drums/percussion/music theory both privately and at Off The Wall school of music in Seattle, WA.
Happy Birthday to Ed Choi! Edward Choi joined the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra in 2004 and became Principal Percussionist in 2007.
Mr Choi has performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra of London, Toronto Symphony, Sydney Symphony, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Malaysian Philharmonic, Singapore Symphony, and the Asia Philharmonic Orchestra.
As a chamber musician, he was a founding member of the Exit 9 Percussion Group, winners of the Chesapeake Chamber Music Competition.
He is originally from Canada and studied music at the University of Toronto, Northwestern University, and Rutgers University. Mr Choi holds a Doctorate in Musical Arts as well as a degree in English Literature. He studied percussion with Alan Abel, She-e Wu, James Ross, Michael Burritt, John Rudolph and Russell Hartenberger.
As an educator, he has held teaching positions at Sookmyung Women's University, Kyunghee University, Hanyang University and Seoul National University in Korea. Mr Choi has taught clinics and masterclasses in Canada, the United States, Australia, Japan, and China. He has also served on the Symphonic Committee of the International Percussive Arts Society and has presented an orchestral clinic at the PAS International Convention in 2014.
Edward Choi is a proud endorser of Malletech and Zildjian cymbals.
Happy Birthday to Ben O’Brien Smith! Ben is a Musician, photographer, videographer, and all around social media geek. He has fused these elements into the services that Cadence Independent Media provides. Having spent nearly seven years working with the top brands and retailers within the musical instrument market as well as some of the greatest musicians of all time, He has developed a methodology and a means of execution for marketing individuals and products both inside and outside of the social sphere. He is also the co-host of the Sounds Like a Drum video series on YouTube.
Gig Alerts
The FIFA World Cup final halftime show will feature headliners BTS, Madonna, and Shakira performing at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on July 19. -Article Friend of the show, Brendan Buckley will be playing drums with Shakira.
Journey has supersized its Final Frontier Tour with 40 new dates, thereby pushing the farewell concert series’ total show count past 100. -Article
The Greenwich Town Party in Greenwich, CT will take place on Saturday May 23rd.
Damon will be playing with Billy Ruegger at Cisco Brewery and The Brotherhood of Thieves on the island of Nantucket May 25-31st.
Educational Spotlight
In celebration of Mike’s forthcoming book, he’s launching a summer cohort, aimed at exploring how creativity in the practice room can help develop custom-fitting instrumental technique, perform well under pressure, and learn music more effectively and efficiently. Check out the Unsnared Studio!
You can also check out friend of the show, Mike Complitello on Episode #126, Episode #245, and Episode #465.
PASIC registration is now open.
You can also renew your PAS membership to get a discounted price as well as reserve your hotel room.
Iconic Recording
The iconic recording for the week is, “Duruflé: Requiem, Op. 9: VIII. Libera Me” performed by Robert Shaw and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. This is from the album, ‘Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus Fauré: Requiem, Op. 48 - Duruflé: Requiem, Op. 9’.
Music News
There is FINALLY a law in California, which is very close to getting an Assembly vote, that will stop scalpers in their tracks.
Artists earn below minimum wage. One country (Ireland) might have found the fix.
Brandon Phelps showcases his automatic mallet wrapping machine!
Here are 3 websites that give musicians grants!
Disney+ and Hulu announced that Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Austin City Limits Music Festivals will livestream across both platforms for the first time. -Article
Sidney Hopson Interview
The song leading into the interview is from the soundtrack of the forthcoming movie, “The Mandalorian and Grogu” written by Ludwig Göransson. Sidney played on the soundtrack.
The interview starts with Damon mentioning some of the film score work Sidney has done. He has performed on-screen and on the soundtracks of over 100 films and TV shows, including:
Beverly Hills Cop 4: Axel F, Murderbot, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Solar Opposites, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Story Ave, Avatar: The Way of Water, Nope, Encanto, The Adam Project, RISE, The Orville, Coming 2 America, Pride (Hulu), Dolemite Is My Name, Made in Boise, Men In Black: International, The Grinch (2018), Goosebumps, Big Eyes, Kedi, and GLEE.
Damon also mentions the Nightmare Before Christmas at the Hollywood Bowl.
Shout-out to friend of the show, Brian Kilgore.
Sidney talks about his parents as well as the peanut butter and sriracha mixtapes.
Sidney attended USC for his bachelors, masters, and graduate certificate degrees.
Sidney talks about the film scoring classmates he attended school with. Damon mentions the Ludwig Göransson Black Panther documentary.
Sidney talks about attending the Saturday Conservatory of Music at a young age with his brothers.
Sidney started on the violin. He then moved to piano (which he still plays), and percussion.
Shout-out to Melvin Lee.
Sidney is a Southern California native.
Sidney atteneded Long Beach State College at age 12.
Sidney got to study with Joseph Pereira who left the NY Phil to join the L.A. Phil.
Sidney talks about his time in South Carolina and with the Spoleto Festival.
He also talks about his time in Washington D.C. He talks about the beginning of his advocacy by helping out a friend with her visa.
Damon talks about Be An Arts Hero (now called Arts Workers United). You can learn more about that organization on THIS EPISODE HERE.
Sidney talks about a Secretary of the Arts and Culture position in the USA.
Shout-out to Carla Canales.
Damon mentions the HITS act that has passed as well as the Living Wages for Musicians Act.
Sidney talks about how the policy he works to better coincides with his performing.
Shout-out to Climate Change Theater Action.
Sidney spends a chunk of time over in the country of Jordan through the United Nations.
He talks about currently developing a record label in Jordan to support refugee-artists and bolster human rights protections across the Middle East, and he has shared this work at the World Forum on Democracy & Peace.
Here’s a Dad Joke page you can follow.
Sidney talks about the album he started (and hopes to complete this year).
Sidney is a member of the Grammy nominated Wild Up Ensemble.
Sidney talks about splitting his time between his different passions and interests.
Sidney chooses the iconic recording for the week.
Sidney uses JG Percussion.
Shout-out to Melvin Lee, Erik Forrester, (friend of the show) Raynor Carroll, Michael Skinner, Brian Kilgore, and Wade Culbreath.
You can follow Sidney on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
The song leading out of the interview is from the Official Soundtrack of Superman Music by David Fleming. Sidney is playing on this recoding.
