After obtaining his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in violin from the University of Washington in Seattle, Rick returned to the Vancouver area during the summer of '06. He currently resides in White Rock, where he is quickly establishing himself as a performer, adjudicator, and pedagogue. In addition to maintaining a vibrant teaching studio in White Rock and Langley, Rick regularly performs with the Vancouver Opera Orchestra and the Abbotsford Symphony. Rick also conducts the Surrey Junior Strings Orchestra and has been invited to adjudicate the 2007 Powell River Festival of Performing Arts and the Upper Island Music Festival in Nanaimo. Rick's latest endeavour is establishing the Music, Meadows, and Mountains Retreat, a summer strings program located on beautiful Orcas Island, Washington.

Rick began studying the violin at age four in a local Suzuki program. In his early years, Rick also had the opportunity to learn viola, which led to many orchestral and chamber music opportunities and accolades, including the first prize in chamber music at the 1994 National Musical Festival in Montréal. After high school, Rick continued his studies at the University of British Columbia where he studied with Andrew Dawes and Nancy DiNovo. Graduating from UBC proved to be a launching point for Rick, who subsequently continued his studies throughout North America. This included an Artist Diploma from the Glenn Gould School at the Royal Conservatory of Music where Rick studied with Mark Fewer, and a Master's degree from Kent State University where he studied with the Miró Quartet. Additionally, Rick completed a career development residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts.

Wanting to carry his academic studies to completion, Rick chose to pursue his doctoral studies at the University of Washington, where he was the concertmaster of the University Symphony and was featured with the orchestra in a "dynamic" solo appearance in the summer of '05. It was there, under the tutelage of Ron Patterson, that Rick began his research on the writings of the relatively unknown French violin pedagogue Pierre Baillot. This culminated in his doctoral dissertation, an analysis of Baillot's etudes and a comparison to those of his Parisian counterparts, Kreutzer and Rode.

While in Seattle, Rick was also active throughout the region, as a performer and pedagogue. Rick taught at the Suzuki Institute of Seattle, where he maintained a large violin studio. He was also invited to serve as faculty at Seabeck, the school's summer retreat. Additionally, Rick was the Assistant Principal Second Violin in the Tacoma Symphony and was active in the freelance community through his participation in various recording sessions and ensembles.

In White Rock, Rick continues to develop himself as a scholar, artist, and educator. He plans to develop a recital series that will provide performance opportunities for himself and his students while benefiting the community. Rick will also continue his academic studies on Pierre Baillot in an effort to emphasize the relevance of his writings.