So, Who's Rick Lawton?
PRO DRUMMER, TEACHER, AND AUTHOR
Rick Lawton was born and raised in Lexington, Virginia. He graduated from the Shenandoah Conservatory of Music. He played in Army bands for 6 years, worked for a national drum distributor, managed music store drum departments, and helped new and inexperienced drummers invest in drum gear.
As a judge for the Guitar Center's "Drum-Off" competition (the world's largest drum competition), he's helped many, many drummers get heard while they move forward with their careers in the music business.
VIC FIRTH
PRIVATE DRUM TEACHER
Rick is a Vic Firth stick endorser and a member of the Vic Firth Educational Team.
Vic Firth, the world's largest manufacturer of Drumsticks & Mallets, has a great web site, with all kinds of information for drummers.
PRO DRUMMER
Rick's played in various rock, jazz and blues bands since age 15, and
now resides, teaches, writes and plays in the Philadelphia area, including
holding down the drum chair and driving the rhythm section for blues-drenched,
horn-enriched, legendary award-winning Jersey band Joe
Zook & Blues Deluxe.
DEDICATED STUDENT OF PERCUSSION
Rick has studied both the drum kit and teaching the drum kit with teachers in the MidAtlantic region, starting, of course, at the Shendandoah Conservatory of Music, and with:
- Joe Morello, NYC The late Joe Morello was a force in the drumming world, playing with the best large bands, and also with perhaps one of the best-known jazz combos to record or perform live: The Dave Brubeck Quartet. Joe studied with drumming legends and innovators George Lawrence Stone and Billy Gladstone, and passed his decades of playing knowledge on to Rick in New York City.
- Dom Famularo Rick takes master classes from Dom (known worldwide as "the ambassador of the drums") designed to help him play and teach at the highest level. This world-renowned teacher, player and clinician is a great resource for "proper technique" to help drummers learn to play for years without the damage that improper hand, wrist, arm or posture positions can bring.
- Marc Dicciani The head of the Music Department at the renowned University of The Arts in Philadelphia, and a professional drummer with a rich history of live performances, Marc's a teacher that Rick has chosen for his continuing education as both a drummer and a percussion teacher.
