Rick Finlay
Safeguarding Check: Not Provided
Insurance Check: Not ProvidedA full-time professional drummer, percussionist and teacher since 1983, Rick’s performance credits include Hejira: celebrating Joni Mitchell, Just East, Liane Carroll, Si Cranstoun, Des O’Connor, Jacqui Dankworth, Sinéad O’Connor and Mari Wilson. He secured …
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About Rick Finlay
A full-time professional drummer, percussionist and teacher since 1983, Rick’s performance credits include Hejira: celebrating Joni Mitchell, Just East, Liane Carroll, Si Cranstoun, Des O’Connor, Jacqui Dankworth, Sinéad O’Connor and Mari Wilson.
He secured his first West End show chair at the age of 24, and his subsequent career as West End theatre drummer has included a 22-year run at Blood Brothers as well as Little Shop of Horrors, Chess, Time, and has seen him accompanying stars like Mel C, Natasha Hamilton, Marti Pellow, Cliff Richard, Stephanie Lawrence, David Cassidy and David Soul.
His love of jazz has led to performances with many of the finest UK Jazz soloists including Ian Shaw, Derek Nash, Gilad Atzmon, Tina May, Dave O’Higgins, Rob Luft, Ed Jones, the Toots Project, John Etheridge, Jim Mullen, Julian Stringle, Jonathan Gee, Roger Beaujolais and many others.
Television includes: Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, Parkinson, The Jethro Junction, The Late Show.
An innovative and enthusiastic teacher, Rick has directed workshops in Jazz and Latin-American percussion, as well as the business of music. He has taught at many schools and colleges including Trinity College of Music, Middlesex University, Mill Hill School, Belmont School (Mill Hill juniors), and QE Boys Barnet. Over 300 pupils have studied privately with Rick and many of them are now professional performers and teachers in their own right.
Rick writes for, plays in and manages jazz/world quartet Just East and their record label Just East of Jazz. Lately he’s been touring extensively with Hejira: celebrating Joni Mitchell.
Rick is a proud and committed Trade Unionist and has been an active member of the Musicians’ Union for over 30 years. He is currently a member of the MU Executive Committee.
Lesson prices
Lesson cancellation or rescheduling requires 7 days notice.
Please note that, except for emergencies, you will have to pay the full fee if you cancel your lesson less than 7 days in advance, unless the circumstances, in my opinion, warrant a special concession.
Other pupils may have been unable to book lessons because of the time you have been allocated, so it’s unfair to them as well as me if you fail to attend without due notice.
For those pupils with professional or semi-professional careers in mind, you should remember that to be late or to not show up without notice is disastrous for your reputation, and will quickly damage your employment prospects.