Rick has extensive performing and teaching experience. He holds BM and MM degrees from the University of Georgia and holds a certificate from the Berklee College of Music. He also has a K-12 teaching certificate from the State of Georgia. His jazz studies have included private lessons with Jerry Bergonzi, Mick Goodrick, Larry Baione, Bret Willmott, and Ted Howe as well as master classes with Jim Hall, Pat Martino, Dave Leibman, Tommy Tedesco, Cal Collins, John Scofield, Mike Stern, and others. He has studied classical guitar with John Sutherland at the University of Georgia and was a graduate assistant in guitar and jazz studies.
Rick has performed with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, The Atlanta Pops, The Alabama Symphony, The Macon Pops, The Alliance Theater, Theater Of The Stars (Fox Theatre), City Springs Theatre, Legacy Theatre, Bob Hope, James Brown, Debbie Reynolds, Sutton Foster, Clay Aiken, Howard Shore (“Lord of the Rings” soundtrack composer), Col. Bruce Hampton, Patti Kim, Sissle, The Coasters, The Platters, The Shirells, The Dixie Cups, and numerous local performers.
Formerly head of the jazz guitar program at Georgia State University, Rick is a member of the Georgia Music Educators Association, the National Association for Music Education, the Jazz Educators Network and the Atlanta Federation of Musicians and a former governor of the Atlanta Chapter of the National Association of Recording Arts & Sciences. Rick has taught guitar classes at the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech University, Oglethorpe
University, the Gwinnett County Continuing Education Program and given workshops at the Georgia Music Teachers Association conferences. He taught applied guitar at the Lovett School and has been an Artist in Residence with the Georgia Council For the Arts and North Atlanta
High School.