In 1998 from the age of 14, Rick was invited by Bruce Dickinson (Little Angels) for an audition at The Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM) to enroll for a Diploma course in Contemporary Music. He passed and was granted a place in the year 2000 due to by law, had to complete his high school GCSE's.
Generating his two year set-back into a positive, Rick used to his advantage the high school music resource's by forming bands and teaching groups of students musical theory and percussion. In 2000 / 2001 Rick enrolled onto the ACM course gaining support from Genesis front man Phil Collins and independent guitar virtuoso Keith More. Within four weeks he was up-graded by Mike Sturgis (ACM-Head of Drums) onto the Higher Diploma course graduating with a Distinction in Higher Diploma Contemporary Music.
Gaining a start in The Academy by building up industry contacts and playing along side artists such as Gizz Butt (The Prodigy), Mark Richardson (Skunk Anansie), Ace (Skunk Anansie), Pete Friesen (Alice Cooper, The Almighty) and other established professionals, Rick set out at age 18 in his early professional days taking on touring projects encountering The Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club (London, UK) to the Guildford Civic Hall (Surrey, UK) to Royal Weddings in the Four Seasons Hotel (Amman, Jordan). Including recordings with developing bands and other established session musicians.
In 2003, Rick was approached to work and join the rock band Nine Miles Wide. For over two years they toured extensively around Europe covering Austria, Switzerland, Germany and the UK. Working along side on the project where non-other than producers Pete Brown (Cream, Eric Clapton), Chris Kimsey (Rolling Stones, Marillion) and management Nick Tauber (Decca Records, Thin Lizzy).
Due to financial set-backs, Nine Miles Wide decided to seperate and part in there own separate ways.
Rick jumped back to work on the pop / rock scene covering venues from The O2 Wireless Festival, Hyde Park, London to New York's Grenige Village along with recording work in studios from Britannia Row to AIR Studios.
To date, Rick is active playing with the todays artists. Recently he has been writing, recording and touring with up and coming rock / alternative band Vimana (Universal Publishing) for there up-coming album release.
Rick is open and accepts unsolicited material - for 'SERIOUS' enquiries on Touring/Recording. Email: [email protected] for CT Management.
