Rick Henderson, MA
Rick is a composer and performer trained in both western and eastern music traditions. Starting with a foundation in improvisational piano & synthesizer, he earned a BA in composition from The Evergreen State College. An interest in world music traditions led him to live and study in Nepal for a year where he was exposed to the sacred music of Tibetan Buddhism, the folk music of Nepal and the classical music of North India. The latter became his main focus and the first eastern instrument he studied was sitar. After returning from Asia, he discovered the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, CA, and immediately enrolled full time as a student of the great sarode master, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. He spent the next seven years in continuous study of Hindustani classical music – vocal and instrumental – having switched to the sarode, his main instrument. Under the direct guidance of his guru and the tradition of the Seni Beenkar Gharana, now known as the Baba Allauddin Gharana, Rick was initiated into the ancient and complex tradition of raga (melody) and tala (rhythm).
He remains a student and devotee of this profound tradition, continuing his sarode studies with the great Ustad Aashish Khan, the eldest son of the recently departed Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.
Rick earned a MA degree in Arts & Media Technology from Antioch University with a concentration on the Baba Allauddin Gharana of Hindustani classical music. In addition, he has sustained and developed his composing, performing and recording career, appearing as a guest artist on numerous projects. He has also released his own CD - ”Wheel of Dreams” - and founded the performing ensemble Ragavatar: World Music Consort. He currently resides in south Texas, performing regularly in Austin and San Antonio.