Includes the following topics:

BOOK RICK
BOOK ROOTS & GROOVES with NICO RHODES
BRIEF BIO * QUOTES
PRESS RELEASES & ARTICLES
PHOTOS FOR PRINT
AWARDS * TECH SPECS
 

"His gift for enriching and healing the human spirit will not soon be forgotten."
Rogue Folk Review

““A leader in our network, our industry and our Province.” 2025 BC Live Touring Excellence Award

“Rick is the master of rhythm and joy.” Bill Henderson

RICK SCOTT passed away at home on Protection Island on August 1 at age 77 following an extended illness, departing an exuberant life lived irrepressibly to his own tune. He leaves behind a huge extended family including his beloved partner Valley Hennell, 5 children and 9 grandchildren.

Born in New Jersey and raised in New York and Texas, in 1970 after serving in the US Army at age 21 Rick moved to Canada with his friend, luthier JR Stone, who taught him to build dulcimers which he taught himself to play.

Rick is his own unique genre: an award-winning singer, songwriter and actor, a champion of imagination and a virtuoso of Appalachian mountain dulcimer. Over 50 years he has released 19 albums and performed his lively, original blend of folk and humour in 12 countries. From folk clubs and festivals to schools and symphonies, his gift for combining music, humour and poignant human commentary has earned him a devoted following from four generations.

Bill Henderson calls him “the master of rhythm and joy.”

Rick is Goodwill Ambassador for the Down Syndrome Resource Foundation and curator of the Protection Island Museum. He was honoured with the 2018 City of Nanaimo Excellence in Culture Award and the 2025 BC Live Touring Award of Excellence. In 2019 he was inducted into the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame with a star on Granville Street where he began his career as a busker.

Rick’s long and varied career blossomed mainly outside the mainstream. In 1970 he taught himself to play Appalachian mountain dulcimer upside down and backwards, contemporizing the folk instrument with his own unique tunings, chording and strums. In 2023 he created a free Youtube channel to share and teach his skills in lessons and stories @RickScottDulcimer.

HISTORY: In 1971 while busking outside the Vancouver Art School, Rick inspired Ryan Larkin’s ground breaking animated film ‘Street Musique’ for which he wrote and performed the score—his first professional engagement. The segment in which he appears live then transforms into cartoon, accompanied by his composition “Crystal Clog”, was excerpted in the 2004 Academy Award winning tribute film ‘Ryan’. In 1972-73 he honed his chops in a whisky bar in Tokyo then returned to BC to become part of Vancouver’s emerging folk scene.

In 1974 Rick pioneered BC folk music with Shari Ulrich and Joe Mock in the irreverent folk trio Pied Pumkin, combining original songs and kickass groove with flawless harmonies and theatrics. Launching one of BCs first independent labels, they toured widely and sold thousands of LPs from the stage or mailed in cut up cardboard boxes from Safeway.  When Shari moved on to The Hometown Band in 1976, the Pumkin became Pied Pear, playing Canadian festivals and dances until 1983. Pied Pumkin is often credited with creating the blueprint for rogue folk in Western Canada. They reunited in 1998 for two new CDs and a dozen successful tours, culminating in the opening set of the Vancouver Folk Festival’s 35th anniversary in 2012. In July 2019 they played a single show at Rogue Folk in Vancouver to honour Rick's induction into the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame. 

In the 1980s Rick studied the craft of acting, starring in title roles of ‘The Late Blumer’ and ‘Barnum` for which he learned to walk tightrope. During a two year Arts Club run of ‘Angry Housewives’ he was invited to play concerts in schools, launching a 25 year initiative working with and for children around the globe.

In 1983 Rick teamed up with Valley Hennell to co-write and produce his recordings and manage his career. Their 1989 debut children’s CD ‘Electric Snowshoe’ sold 50,000 cassettes on their independent Jester Records label and launched touring across Canada and Southeast Asia. In the 90’s Rick played over 100 solo family shows a year in Canada and seven tours of Southeast Asia and Australia, as well as performing for radio, television and Canadian festivals.

Rick’s nine children’s recordings have sold over 100,000 copies with kudos including three Juno nominations and NAPPA Gold, Parents’ Choice, Family Choice, Children’s Music Web, Western Canadian and Canadian Folk Music Awards.

In 1991 the Vancouver Symphony commissioned Rick to create a concert introducing children to Mozart, which inspired the Yo Mo Concerto, a hip hop tribute which became one of his most requested songs.

In 1995 Rick wrote the song ‘Angels Do’ for his granddaughter with Down syndrome who starred in a video which ran for 10 years on ‘Ants In Your Pants’ on Treehouse TV, becoming an anthem for the special needs community. Rick became Goodwill Ambassador for the Down Syndrome Resource Foundation, MCing the World Congress on Down Syndrome in Vancouver with Fred Penner and appearing annually at Special Woodstock in Duncan, BC.

In 2004 Rick and Valley collaborated with Hong Kong musician/magician Harry Wong to create ‘The 5 Elements’, an English/Cantonese stage show and CD which premiered in Hong Kong then toured Canadian Children’s Festivals. The director of that production was a young Hong Kong street artist named Hoi Chiu.

In 2005 Rick and Valley co-wrote and scored Hoi Chiu’s multimedia production ‘YU YU MI MI: A Love Story’ with performances in Canada, the UK, Hong Kong and China. Hoi Chiu went on to become Hong Kong's leading sand animation artist, and in 2017 they will collaborate with him to create ‘Sand Music’, a family musical stage production in which east meets west with imagination, innovation and groove.

In 2007 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Vancouver Children’s Festival, Valley produced ‘Pumkids’, a Pied Pumkin CD and stage show that toured Canada and won Parents’ Choice, NAPPA and Canadian Folk Music Awards.

In 2011 Valley adapted and produced Rick’s novel ‘The Great Gazzoon’ as a 4 hour, 4 CD musical audio novel, with 25 actors, singers and musicians honoured with Parents Choice, Famiy Choice and Western Canadian Music Awards.   

In 2013 the Vancouver Island Symphony commissioned Rick and Valley to create an educational program introducing Grade 4 students to orchestra and its instruments. Assisted by a Creative Communities grant, they hired 23 year old prodigy Nico Rhodes to do the orchestrations for 47 musicians and 50 voice choir. Over five years and 12 performances 10,000 children enjoyed ‘My Symphony’, VIS’s most popular educational show, which in 2024 was presented as a Family Concert at the Port Theatre in Nanaimo.

In 2017 Rick performed at the premiere of ‘The End of the Road’, a documentary film celebrating the history of Lund, BC, with Pied Pumkin music as its score; at the 40th anniversary of the Vancouver Children’s Festival with Fred Penner; and with 100 young fiddlers in 'Fiddelium' at the Port Theatre in Nanaimo.

In April 2017 Rick premiered ROOTS & GROOVES, a duo concert with young keyboard ace Nico Rhodes. After 8 shows they recorded an eponymous CD in a single day, and launched it at the Nanaimo Jazz Festival, Victoria Government House and Vancouver Rogue Folk Club. ROOTS & GROOVES played 100+ shows to ovations around BC before their touring was interrupted in 2023 by Rick’s health issues.

www.rickscott.ca

https://www.youtube.com/@RickScottDulcimer

https://open.spotify.com/artist/206d3G57xdrD129ZoFOxkg

WHAT FOLKS SAY:

"Rick's gift for enriching and healing the human spirit will not soon be forgotten."

Rogue Folk Review

“First time we've ever had a standing ovation at one of our Home Routes concerts.
Rick is a brilliant storytellers, actor, songwriter and master of the dulcimer
whose decades of experience are woven into every minute of his performance. 
Pat Buckna, Powell River

"Thank you for the incredible show... Great tunes, a wonderful stage presence
and a magical way of connecting with the audience." Victoria Folk Club

"Rick’s music speaks to kids and their parents and to me... It’s delightful, educational, accessible and innovative.
It’s funny, clever and warm. It’s not only important to Canadian music—it’s essential."
Jurgen Gothe, CBC Disc Drive

“Rick teaches with such an entertaining flair that kids don’t mind that they’re learning.”
Fred Koch, Chicago Parent, www.bestchildrensmusic.com

"Rick Scott will have you smiling like a child with his engaging big folks repertoire. 
What lucky adults to be growing younger to the heartfelt stories and songs of this ageless elder man boy."
 Pam Edgar, Host CHLY 101.fm

“Inspired best describes Rick Scott’s musical keynote.
His wonderful sense of humor and genuine love of life clearly moved
conference delegates. His talent and ability to teach others to fly is a gift.”
Beverly Revin, Early Childhood Education & Care 

"If Randy Newman made a happy album for kids… Pure music… incredible!"
Lord Litter, Germany

Together, they are a force of nature.  ROOTS & GROOVES is a musical gift for any audience:
talent, chemistry, stories and songs resulting in two standing ovations. They blew the house away.”  
                                                            Maureen Douglas, Whistler Arts, Feb 2018

“An absolutely outstanding show! Such incredible musicians and wonderful entertainers.” 

“Rick Scott and Nico Rhodes brought our audience to its feetw ith a new kind of music:
                 simple Appalachian mountain dulcimer and sophisticated jazz piano combined
              with  entertaining vocals, harmonies, rhythms and improvisation!”
                  Andrew Homzy, Nanaimo Jazz Festival, Sept 2017

     "The best show I have seen in decades." Gabriola Island, Oct 2017

    “WOW, WOW, WOW! Totally impressed by your show! It was wonderful, original,
       masterful…the tunes keep swimming in my head, can’t wait for the CD.”
       Pt Alberni April 2017

Dutch Progressive Rock Magazine DPRP April 2020  
https://www.dprp.net/reviews/2020-027

Rick Scott inducted into BC Entertainment Hall of Fame June 2019 
https://www.nanaimobulletin.com/entertainment/nanaimos-rick-scott-inducted-into-b-c-entertainment-hall-of-fame/

Parksville Qualicum News April 2019  https://www.pqbnews.com/entertainment/rick-scott-and-nico-rhodes-play-the-mac-april-12/

North Island Gazette ROOTS & GROOVES Rocks Out Civic Centre in Port Hardy  Feb 2019   https://www.northislandgazette.com/entertainment/north-island-concert-society-presents-roots-grooves-rocks-out-civic-centre-in-port-hardy/

E-KNOW Kootenays Intergenerational Smorgasbord at Key CIty Jan 2019 
https://www.e-know.ca/regions/cranbrook/inter-generational-smorgasbord-j...

Bowen Island Undercurrent Trust Me Series Rick Scott and Nico Rhodes Feb 2019 
http://www.bowenislandundercurrent.com/arts/trust-me-series-rick-sott-and-nico-rhodes-1.23168580  

Whistler PIQUE ROOTS & GROOVES Build on Twenty Year Connection Feb 2018
 https://www.piquenewsmagazine.com/whistler/roots-and-grooves-build-on-20-year-connection/Content?oid=6805489  

INSPIRED Magazine Once Again From The Top Feb 2018   
https://issuu.com/barbara.risto/docs/inspired_senior_living_-_february_2/38

A Grandfather Talks About Fear

Music Seeps Into Children's Novel
PIED PUMKIN at 2012 Vancouver Folk Music Festival
PUMKIDS wins 2007 Western Canadian Music Award.
PIED PUMKIN nominated for two Independent Music Awards.
SNOOZE MUSIC wins 2006 Gold Lullaby 2006 and Parents' Choice Silver Honor Award.
SNOOZE MUSIC reviewed in Chicago Parent.
Victoria Times Colonist reviews SNOOZE MUSIC.
Pumkin A National Treasure

Rick Scott and dulcimer

PIED PUMKIN - Joe Mock, Shari Ulrich, Rick Scott

AWARDS
(click here to view)
 

TECH SPECS
(click here to view)