Born in 1958, in the great state of Washington, Rick started as a musician early on.  He began playing his mother's piano when he was 4 years old, making up songs and copying songs that he had heard.  At 5, he began piano lessons with his first teacher, Carol Beardsley.  She recognized, discovered or encouraged his ability for songwriting and had him write songs for her at every lesson.

Rick learned various instruments, as he grew up, playing whatever instrument was needed in the school band and orchestra.  During his school years he played: piano, percussion, oboe, violin, viola, flute, trumpet, horn and organ.  He began orchestrating as a freshman in High School, at which time he also discovered the theatre, top 40 songs and jazz.

Rick graduated from Kamiakin High School, in Kennewick Washington, with the class of 1976.  He attended Eastern Washington University in Cheney Washington, from 1976 to 1978, and then transferred to the prestigious Cornish School in Seattle.

While in Seattle, Rick received a degree in Musical Composition, studying with Bern Herbolsheimer and Janice Giteck.  He began writing for the concert stage and performing as a singer with Seattle Opera (roles included: "Goro" in MADAMA BUTTERFLY, "Bob Boles" in PETER GRIMES, "Cochenille" in THE TALES OF HOFFMANN, and others...) and Civic Light Opera of Seattle (roles included: "Che" in EVITA, "Sky Masterson" in GUYS & DOLLS, "Sid" in THE PAJAMA GAME, and more).  Rick also worked as Associate Pastor at the Fairview Church in Seattle.

He moved to New York for two summers, playing in summer-stock and off-Broadway companies, including the Lake George Opera Co..  During these summers he created the roles of "Ray" in AMARANTHA and "The Golux" in THE THIRTEEN CLOCKS.  He received critical acclaim from the New York critics for his roles, "Basilio" in THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO,  "The Magician" in THE CONSUL and "Arturo" in LUCIA di LAMERMOUR.  He was also a featured soloist with the Mid-Columbia Symphony, in Washington and the Lake Placid Symphony in New York.

In 1986 Rick traveled to Russia (at that time, referred to as the Soviet Union), where he participated as a co-composer and musical director in a collaborative theatre piece with the Siberian Children's Theatre and the Bainbridge Performing Arts Theatre from Washington State.  Rick co-wrote the music for the theatre piece called A LULLABY FOR TOMORROW, which toured Russia and the United States.

Rick received several commissions for concert music, while in Seattle; two musical theatre pieces for the Washington State Arts Commission ("If the Shoe Fits..." & "A Stitch in Time...") an opera from the Seattle Opera Company ("The Princess & the Pea"),  a te deum ("Te Deum: Seasons of Praise") two masses ("Missa Familia" for the Northwest Boychoir, and "White Oak Mass" for the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra),  a choral song-cycle ("December" for the Seattle Choral Company), numerous pieces for ballet (for the Cornish School of Dance and the Lundgren Ballet Co.) , a symphony ("The December Symphony" for Maestro Joseph Levine and the Bremerton Symphony Orchestra), and three plays, ("In the Twinkling of an Eye", "Stargazing", and "Snowman" all for the Taproot Theatre Company).

While in Seattle, Rick worked as an actor, writer, pianist, model, studio musician (doing voice-overs, production work, piano and vocal work in jingles and commercials), and as Associate Pastor and then Senior Pastor at the Fairview Church, where he also wrote much of the worship music.

In April of 1994 Rick moved from Seattle to Anderson, Indiana to work as an Associate Pastor for Worship Arts at the North Anderson Church of God.  During that same year, Rick was signed as a writer for both ERICKSON & BAUGHER of Nashville, and PRAISE GATHERING MUSIC GROUP publishers.  Sandi Patty recorded his first published song, STAR OF BETHLEHEM.

Rick is proud of his two boys, Cameron & Hunter, who are now 14 & 19...both fine musicians and actors, in their own right.  Rick continues to work as a writer/composer and singer.  He performs with the INDIANAPOLIS JAZZ ORCHESTRA as soloist, and writes for PraiseGathering Music Group.  He continues to get concert commissions, graphic design work and is the Senior Pastor at Central Christian Church in Anderson, Indiana.