About me

Rick Cormier has been a musician for most of his life. He started playing drums during the 60's at the age of ten and played in rock bands with friends throughout his teens. During the 70's, he wrote and performed 180 original songs (ballads and satire) for voice and guitar, had a cable TV show, recorded 2 albums, and landed the lead role in the musical, "Hair." In the 80's, Rick switched his focus to synthesizers, resulting in more than 100 instrumental pieces. During the 90's, he returned to his percussive roots and began hand drumming in what became one of the most successful drum circles in Massachusetts.

Today, Rick is the founder and facilitator of the "Different Drummers Drum Circle" of Yarmouth, Maine, the largest community drum circle in the state. He has helped in the start up of dozens of freestyle drum circles in the U.S. and Canada and has drawn more than a thousand people, from children to seniors, into the world of community drumming. It is no wonder he has been called, "The Johnny Appleseed of drumming"! Describing Rick when he 'cuts loose' on a handdrum, one newspaper reporter aptly labeled him, "The Wildman" and said, "...he represents the pure joy that music can invoke."

Rick is the director of the performance troupe, "Different Drummers Joyful Hearts Club Band" and plays percussion for the blues ensemble, "BlueZberry Jam." When he's not drumming, Rick is a licensed psychotherapist specializing in anxiety disorders and trauma. He lives in Yarmouth, Maine with his wife who plays flute, Celtic harp and hand drums and his son who plays drum kit, guitar and bass.