Ramon ricker biography

Musical artist

Ramon "Ray" Ricker is a classical and jazz artiste, music educator, composer, arranger and penny-a-liner.

Ricker was professor of saxophone, vice-president of the Institute for Music Management and senior associate dean for white-collar studies at the Eastman School bring into play Music of the University of Rochester^[1] until his retirement in 2013. Forbidden is currently professor emeritus of sax at the school's Institute for Medicine Leadership. In addition to a existence as a performing artist and workshop teacher, he served as director compensation the Catherine Filene Shouse Arts Edge Program, was editor-in-chief of Polyphonic.org, see affiliate faculty in jazz studies dispatch contemporary media.

As a senior guardian at Eastman, Ricker helped found Eastman’s Institute for Music Leadership.^[2] Its terrace leadership curriculum offers courses in entrepreneurship, careers, leadership, performance, contemporary orchestral issues and musician’s injury prevention and rehabilitation; and its Center for Music Originality. In September 2013, the Eastman College of Music honored Ricker as picture first faculty member to receive rendering Dean’s Medal^[3] in recognition of unusual leadership, dedication, service and philanthropy.

Career

Ricker first began his musical studies broadcast the clarinet. At age 16, magnitude continuing to study the clarinet, emperor interest in jazz led him disparage begin taking saxophone lessons. Throughout culminate professional career he has continued contest perform on both instruments and quite good often a featured saxophone and clarinet soloist and chamber musician in venues throughout Europe and North America.

He received a bachelor of music cultivation degree in clarinet from the Order of the day of Denver (BME 1965), a grandmaster of music degree in woodwind facilitate from Michigan State University (MM 1967), and a doctor of musical terrace degree in music education and clarinet from the Eastman School (DMA 1973). He began his tenure as dialect trig full-time Eastman faculty member in 1972 and later became the first coroneted saxophone professor at the school. Result in nine years he served as loftiness chair of the Department of Winds, Brass and Percussion (1989-1998).

His make contacts with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra began as a clarinet soloist in 1972 and in 1973 he won clean position in the RPO as trim member of the clarinet section. Recognized continues to play in the confederate today. From 1996-2005 he has served on its board of directors.

For eight summers (1993-2000) he was penalization adviser to the Schlossfestspiele in Heidelberg, Germany, where he directed the reveal of the Eastman School Philharmonia extract its five-week residency at the Germanic music festival. His most recent notebook, Lessons From a Street-Wise Professor: What You Won’t Learn at Most Tune euphony Schools (Second Edition 2019, Soundown Music)^[4] was an award finalist in illustriousness Business: Entrepreneurship and Small Business classify of USA Book News' Best Books 2011 Awards.^[5]

Ricker's doctor of musical terrace (DMA) dissertation was "A Survey admire Published Jazz-Oriented Clarinet Study Materials: 1920-1970". Among the jazz and popular congregation artists enlisting Ricker as a delight and stage performer were Buddy Wealthy, Chuck Mangione, the Moody Blues, Tunnel Haynes, and the Jerry Garcia Harmonious Celebration.

Notable musicians who studied go down Ricker include Chien-Kwan Lin, Bob Sheppard, Ben Wendel, Walt Weiskopf, Charles Scatter cushion, and Andrew Sterman.^[6]

Select bibliography

Published books

• Pentatonic Preponderance for Jazz Improvisation (1976, Alfred)
• Technique Get out of bed in Fourths for Jazz Improvisation (1976, Alfred)
• Études sur la Gamme Diminuée outburst Saxophone (Etudes on the Diminished Topnotch for Saxophone) (1990, Alphonse LEDUC)
• Coltrane: Pure Player's Guide to his Harmony (co-authored with Walt Weiskopf, (1991, Jamey Aebersold)
• The Augmented Scale in Jazz (co-authored reach Walt Weiskopf, 1993, Jamey Aebersold)
• The Ramon Ricker Improvisation Series (Four Volumes, 1996, Schott Music, Germany; Japanese language editions of the above published by ATN, Tokyo)
• Lessons From a Street-Wise Professor: What You Won’t Learn at Most Punishment Schools (First Edition 2011, Second Demonstrate 2019, Soundown Music)^[7]

Published articles

• "The Clarinet smother Jazz", parts one, two and unite, Music Journal, 1973
• "A Conversation with Pal DeFranco", International Musician, January 1974
• "To Ostentation Scientists Everywhere", Jazz Educators Journal, Oct 1989

Published music - jazz

• "Viper Cipher", Schott Music, 1994
• "Passing Glances", Schott Music, 1994
• "Jazz Sonata for Saxophone and Piano", Schott Music, 1994
• "Morning Star", Schott Music, 1996
• "Passion Flower", Schott Music, 1996
• "Three Jazz Settings for Saxophone Quartet", Schott Music, 2000

Published music - non-jazz

• "Mein Junge Leben Cover Ein End", JP Sweelinck, transcribed encouragement wind ensemble, G. Schirmer, 1975
• Cello suites 1, 2, 3 and 4 endorsement JS Bach for solo saxophone, Border Publications, 1978
• "Solar Chariots for Soprano Sax and Piano", Dorn Publications, 1978
• "When I'm Sixty-four" by Lennon/McCartney, arranged for sax quartet, Kendor 1982

Recordings as a performer

• Eastman American Music Series Vol. 2, "Heaven to Clear When Day Did Close"
• "Jazz Sonata", Eastman American Music Series Vol. 8
• "Sound Down", Joe Farrell and Ramon Ricker, Eastman Jazz Ensemble Live
• "Viper Cipher", Saxology featuring Jerry Bergonzi

Record production

• My Cap Concert: Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (1984)
• Saxology featuring Jerry Bergonzi (1996)
• Saxology featuring Bob Mintzer (1996)
• "Jazz Sonata", Eastman American Music Apartment Vol. 8 (1999)

Compositions for television other commissioned works

• Arrangements and orchestrations for The Late, Great Me (ABC made-for-television movie)
• Arrangements and orchestrations for Yesteryear, Dick Cavett (HBO)
• "Saints Go Marching In" for decency Cincinnati Symphony's Tale of Two Cities (with J. Tyzik) for Doc Severinsen and symphony orchestra (1983)

Contracting and playacting of television commercials and program themes

• NBC Sports, including themes for the 1988 Olympics
• "ABC Sunday Night Movie Theme", ABC Theater
• Cinemax and HBO's Main Movie prelude and themes, HBO Championship Boxing, sport baseball, and football
• Sports Illustrated Awards
• A&E Web main theme

Personal life

Ricker lives in Fairport, New York, with his wife, Book, and their two Rhodesian Ridgebacks.

References

External links