COMPOSER IMPROVISER MULTI INSTRUMENTALIST EDUCATOR
Christopher is a a "native" of (East) Los Angeles,
"grew up in Belvedere, between Boyle Heights and Maravilla in the county of (EAST) Los Angeles not the city." (California, USA) i.e., same planet, different world "A musical polyglot" with concerts in 28 countries on 5 continents some know of his work as either a drummer/marimbist or a percussionist of the north or south Indian percussion, or a multi-instrumentalist who also plays breath, percussion, and string instruments of Mesoamerica, or as a composer of all of the above in the following musical circles avant-garde classical, chamber and symphonic music the indigenous and folkloric music of Mesoamerica and Mexico Jazz - inside, outside, sideways and upside down percussion ensemble, Rock, soundtracks World Music the MUSIC OF FRANK ZAPPA and cartoon music with EAST LOS and his mentors guiding his every step…. |
MENTORS
He attributes his musical growth to his mentors
Pandit Taranath Rao John Bergamo Leonice Shinemann and Swapan Chaudhuri where he studied north Indian tabla, south Indian kanjira, ghatam and western percussion, while attending California Institute of the Arts on a full scholarship for 18 months, where he was also a member of the (only) award winning Cal Arts Percussion Ensemble in 1979 under the direction of Guruji John Bergamo. (PLEASE VISIT TABLA/TEACHERS/LIFE LINK for additional info http://christophergarciamusic.weebly.com/tabla---teacherslife.html The experience of thousands of hours of rehearsals, performances, recordings, and tours with a who's who of artists from very different genres with very different vernaculars and very different resonances continues to inform his performances CLICK on the link below for previous performances |
COMPOSER
as a composer he continues to receive commissions for
indigenous instruments of Mexico/Mesoamerica or percussion of India with classical guitar pedal harp percussion ensembles piano forte sarode sitar surbahar string quartet woodwind quintet |
MULTI INSTRUMENTALIST/IMPROVISER
He continues to be in demand with a career
with drumset, marimba, percussion instruments of North and South India including: tabla, kanjira, and ghatam, along with indigenous percussion instruments of various regions of Mexoamerica/Mexico including: atecocolli, ayacaxtli, baa wehai, huilacapiztli tlapan huehuetl, teponaztli tlapitzalli and baa wehai, employing extended techniques using fingers, hands and stickings in a variety of jazz, rock and world music settings. |
EDUCATOR
As an educator continues to give interactive informances in
composition improvisation and its different vernaculars breath, string and percussion instruments of indigenous Mesoamerica/Mexico Aztec/Mexica/Mayan/Raramuri/Yaqui percussion instruments of north and south India rhythm and percussion instruments of the world and more along with coaching percussion ensembles for chamber and symphonic performances and as a featured soloist and as a resource for composers about the mechanics of composing for and playing percussion working with their percussion sections and sharing techniques of playing non western instruments which do not respond the way that western orchestral percussionists are accustomed to and sharing his experience with the beauty and the nature of the resonance and silence of music with all ages, ethnicities and cultures in musical and non musical settings His website on indigenous instruments of Mexico and various YOUTUBES demonstrating the instruments in solo and ensemble settings continues to be acknowledged as an excellent educational overview to these instruments, their histories and performance practices with 150,000 views as of this writing and his website continues to have over 2,000 monthly visits |
His passion for music and its many facets,
composing, cultivatin, learning, nurturing refining, and teaching it, is always in a precarious never ending balance with his passion for the SUPREME, FAMILIA and his MUSIC by the grace of the CREATOR, his mentors, collaborators, colleagues, the love of music, emotional support from his familia and lots and lots of hard work his work continues worldwide ..................... |