Biography
Ric Wood BMus (Hons)
"Classically trained...jazz minded. The best tutor for any genre! Highly recommended!"
Mark White
After having a choice of flute, clarinet or saxophone from urging parents as a young child in Primary school, Ric chose the saxophone not knowing that music would soon become his life. At only twenty one years of age, Ric studied his BMus (Hons) at The University of Huddersfield graduating as the most able and concentrated jazz player. Ric is now a professional multi-instrumentalist and even had a scholarship at university on double bass. He now plays all primary woodwind instruments (and others!!) to professional level and is constantly striving to push his performance with his success in his musical activities reflecting this dedication and love to music.
Updated bio coming to new website - watch this space!
Recording:
Ric is currently recording demo after demo with a full release for his first solo album (World Ashore) coming Winter 2018. This is the year of videos and recordings for Ric, with a new Youtube channel now launched and weekly recordings being added, all alongside the album of course.
Charity work:
Ric hires instruments and repairs them, and more than this, runs a project whereby free instruments are handed out to underprivileged children across Hampshire to help facilitate their start on an amazing musical journey. Everyone has the right to music and Ric is helping in any way he can. His plan is for this to become a full charity come 2018. Charity work is a large part of Ric's focus for his jazz band and he aims for this to increase throughout 2018.
Performances & Conducting:
As a Theo Wanne and Antigua Winds artist, public performances are a large part of Ric's career whether playing in his funk band, at weddings, leading contemporary worship at his local church, or conducting his jazz band (Bursledon Jazz Band). Ric heads up a woodwind quartet and hopes to give be recording tracks here soon also.
Teaching:
Ric teaches privately to adults in his home studio in Netley (SO31 5FE), and also to kids in his home studio and in and around schools across Hampshire. Having been trained to teach in schools Ric is highly successful, whether people learn for fun or for examinations. This year will see Ric's private music school form, as a centre for people along the South coast to learn many instruments, all based in one location, with multiple tutors working for and alongside him. Exciting times indeed.
Composing:
Ric is an avid composer creating exciting original pieces for his jazz band, students and himself to perform. With many works to his name Ric is increasing in output presently, with many compositions and works coming to fruition in jazz, minimalism and contemporary forms. 2018 is hopefully the year whereby Ric will start to list some of these compositions together as books and release them to the public.
Repair:
Ric has released a brand new website for August 2018: www.southcoastwoodwindrepair.co.uk! Exciting times. Ric also still continues to hire out instruments as always.
Previous year's musical activities...
2017-2019...
2020
This year looks set to be the busiest for Ric ever. There are many new projects starting in 2017: Ric is starting his private music school 'South Coast Music Studios', aiming to bring quality tuition across woodwind, string, brass and percussion. Ric is working for more wedding and solo performances this year than ever before - book him now! Ric's Bursledon Jazz Band is growing enormously well and has booking already for 2018. If you play an instrument, come join this amateur band for the local communities. Ric is composing many original works for these.
Ric is currently recording demo after demo with a full release for his first saxophone album coming 2018. Finally, Ric is starting a new project whereby free instruments will be handed out to underprivileged children across Hampshire to help facilitate their start on an amazing musical journey. Everyone has the right to music and Ric is helping in any way he can. His plan is for this to become a full charity come 2018.
Private tuition continues strong with Ric teaching students of all ages and abilities across the South Coast. His home music studio in Netley has been upgraded (again) and now contains full recording equipment and software for lesson use.
This website has had an upgraded overhaul with new musical projects and adventures being added and a complete additional socialise section to the website. Audio demo recordings and soon full original tracks that can be purchased directly via this site, are going to be added throughout 2017. Bursledon Jazz Band has a dedicated section of the website, as that continues to grow within the community. There is a new member's section where you can login and download band music straight to PDF. Ric has added his personal instrument setup in the extras area of the website - phew, that's a fair bit!
2016...
New website launch hype! Five months of work to create this beauty.
This year holds many exciting new prospects for Ric. With a full year now down on the South Coast and settled in, many new projects are about to emerge. Ric has joined Sarisbury Green Big Band on lead Tenor, accepted principal flute in Sound Orchestra and starting a saxophone quartet. This is in addition to being a regular member of KCC in Hedge End and Ric's committment to running and conducting his community jazz band for students. Bursledon Jazz Band is open to anyone of a basic level and they are looking forward to their first concert in Summer.
Ric has joined Southampton City Music Service as whole class teacher for First Access and Sound-bytes for Primary schools and a peripatetic teacher for Secondary schools. Gigs this year have been varied for Ric, from Big Band performances to being personally invited to perform for the Archbishop of Canterbury in Derby's Roundhouse. Ric even managed to get a selfie! Ric is now an ambassador and representing artist for Nuvo Instruments - check out the blog post for more info about their great instruments for kids and schools worldwide. Instrumental hire has been optimised and returned to a duration based pricing system to give better value to customers. Ric's repair is also growing quickly in popularity amongst his students and other local musicians. A whole new, fully woodwind repair website will be launching in the first quarter of 2016 in addition to this new website. Watch this space.
2015
Ric resumed teaching privately in Hampshire from January 2015 (after living & teaching in Derbyshire for the last five years) along the South Coast from Portsmouth and Southampton to the surrounding areas – ask to see if you’re covered for home lessons.
In hire, Ric is now starting to offer more instruments than ever and double reed woodwind instruments Oboe and Bassoon will be available from September 2015. Ric has also re-priced all repair services after his apprenticship and updated all info on woodwind repair to include the newer and massively popular synthetic pads and their pricing. A new cleaning service is available for a full instrumental strip down, clean and polish. Perfect to keep those instruments looking fresh each year.
This will be a good year. Many exciting prospects and projects happening. New things emerging all the time. Ric's dedication to his private students is second to none and is at the heart of everything he offers...
2014 has been exciting – Ric joined AOM Showband and started forming his Rolo Quartet, a setup built for functions at weddings, parties and events. Ric’s student jazz band (Lunar) has grown in size and moved onto Hal Leonard Big Band arranged music, which is pushing his students but making the sound of the band notch up to incredible for amateurs! Baritone saxes are now available to hire throughout the year with one additional new baritone bought this year for hire. Ric has pushed his hire business and finally (after 2 years of experimenting) found a hire system specific to baritone saxophone hires that gives an affordable price whilst protecting expensive instruments. The biggest thing was the big move from Derbyshire to Hampshire and teaching changing to the South Coast – Skype lessons continue around the UK for anyone, but physical lessons only available on the South Coast of Britain.
2013 After living back in London for 3 months playing gigs and concerts, Ric is back home in the North West. teaching and his Jazz Band (Lunar) have returned and are as strong as ever. Lunar has two gigs booked for the festivities. Neil is looking to continue playing with No Less Days and has gigged many times since coming up North again. Ric is aiming to set up a professional sax quartet run by himself, playing with other like minded musicians. Neil is also looking at starting a mobile music school and hiring a private tutor as teaching is getting busier and busier – thanks everyone! Watch this space! 2014 is going to be exciting!
2012 Ric intends to continue his excellent teaching and has now launched his national hire company and second website specially for this, promoting accessible instruments at affordable prices across the UK. Performance wise Ric intends on joining a large national jazz/swing band in Summer this year. Ric enjoys charity work and has often raised money for charities. Check Performance History page for list of upcoming gigs. Ric is looking to continue expanding his ever-growing Jazz Band – now called Lunar Jazz Band with a full brass section hopefully coming soon. Gigs are pouring in with the delightful Bankswoodberry festival looking like the highlight of the summer for Lunar Jazz Band. Ric now enjoys life as a freelance musician: teaching, session and band performances, repairing and composing. Ric teaches adults and children alike, runs a student saxophone quartet and jazz band for his students, organises masterclassess, visits primary schools, plans and runs workshops for youth learning music, hire and purchase of woodwind & brass instruments, runs an extensive blog for all his students, does peripatetic teaching and puts 110% passion into everything musical…
2011 brought a new local band for Ric in 'no-less-days' as they played locally and started to prepare for weddings and other functions around the North West. This year also saw Ric improve the Jazz band considerably, including the venue, addition of baritone sax player and congas.
2010 went full time self employed teaching and this year has brought more solo work for Ric than any other year – due to his unique use of the Akai Electronic Wind Instrument (EWI) and mix of acoustic woodwind instruments.
Ric's dedication to music is priority in his life and thoroughly enjoys teaching, performing and repairing instruments to their maximum effect. He has played with the likes of the famous Carl Raven, Neil Crossley, Rob Buckland, Jim Fieldhouse and Sarah Markham to name a few. Neil’s last major concert was with the worldwide acknowledged BBC session player also currently in charge of the UK’s Saxophone Assault, Andy Scott at the Lawrence Batley Theatre.
Ric also performs in the local community playing for music festivals, carnivals and the annual switching on of the Christmas lights.
Ric studied a major in composition during his studies in the past and has produced full original film scores for films like Alien Versus Predator – this is working with picture and music to create a new score to the one in the film. Now Ric writes exercises, studies and pieces for jazz and classical playing to assist his tutoring. His fascination with contemporary music and progressive aspects of the arts makes him produce experimental and exciting pieces that, if desired, his students can also enjoy.
Ric studied a PGCE in Secondary Music Education at Manchester Metropolitan University in conjunction with The Royal Northern College of Music during which he realised that it was private tuition and not classroom that he wanted to go into. This was after much experience as a classroom teacher and working in various primary and secondary schools in the Greater Manchester and Tameside areas.
Ric has constantly been taught in the ways of jazz, funk and improvisation and has been in many lead/ team player/solo roles in the past 11 years in swing, jazz, funk, and wind bands, concert bands, run a successful quartet, a funk band called Dynamo in Manchester and even played on Songs of Praise. Ric has played with man other bands as a guest including Rapture and continues to look for new experiences.
Ric has taught as the Woodwind tutor for Wilmslow High School – 2010-2012 and for Tameside Music Services 2011-2012 until he became fully occupied in private teaching.
2010 has brought more solo work for Ric than any other year – due to his unique use of the Akai Electronic Wind Instrument (EWI) and mix of acoustic woodwind instruments.