Rick is a graduate of the Dick Grove School of Music in Los Angeles and has studied with drum masters Dave Garibaldi, George Marsh, Dick Carlo, and Bill Noraki. He has performed and recorded with Bo Diddley, Maria Muldaur, Asleep At The Wheel, Commander Cody, and the jazz-fusion group Real Time. He currently works with singer-songwriter Paul Williams. Rick teaches pop, rock, Latin, country, and jazz styles, He also conducts classes and workshops on shuffle styles, rhythm themes, embellishments, locking down grooves, song form and drum balance. 

Teachstreet.com lists Rick as the #1 Music Teacher in the Bay Area. Here are Rick's thoughts as posted on Teachstreet.com

I teach all styles of drumset, jazz, rock, funk, latin, blues, R&B ( rhythm and blues) .... it's all about playing songs, and discovering the joy in playing the FUN-EST instrument in the world! I studied music at San Jose State University and graduated from The Dick Grove School of Music in Los Angeles. I'm a full time career drummer and am blessed and fortunate enough to have performed and recorded with major artists all over the world. we'll study what I believe is necessary for today and tomorrows drumming. You'll learn to read drum music (it's really the easiest part of drumming) and all the fundamentals, presented in a logical and easy to understand way. I also play guitar, so if your a beginner, we learn to play songs right away, just like being in a band. I also am one of the teachers who host a monthly JAM workshop, where students from the guitar and bass programs, get together to play songs. In my opinion, one of the most important elements of a program for beginners and intermediates, is learning exact drum parts to songs. I transcribe songs ( I write out the drum parts of songs from beginning to end) , from this you not only learn drumbeats and fills, this is how you learn the transitions from part to part, understand why this drum part is in this song, and because your playing with the recording, it better helps to develop your feel and timing, it's absolutely the easiest way to learn to play songs. the bonus is you develop your reading skills.


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