Music Man Rick Patrick Hits the High Notes with Cambridge Who's Who
Producer and owner of The Music Group discusses the joys of collaboration and the importance of promoting undiscovered talent

KANKAKEE, IL, October 7, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ --Country music strains meander up from the studio downstairs, beckoning to the musician like a swimming pool on a hot summer day and urging him to jump right in. Perhaps the happiest kid in this pool is Rick Patrick. Ensconced in recording equipment and surrounded by plaques, records and a variety of instruments, the owner of The Music Group recording studio relishes making music and helping others find their voices, too. A country musician who has worked with such luminaries as Hank Williams Jr., Dave & Sugar, Gary Morris and Earl Thomas Conley, Mr. Patrick uses his experience in the music industry to produce CDs and demos, overseeing a one-stop operation that handles everything from recording and mastering to cover design and promotions. "We can do just about anything anybody wants," he told Cambridge Who's Who in a recent sit-down in his studio. "We also have in-studio musicians; I mean, I can play just about everything that's down here."

The Music Group's musician-centered philosophy is influenced by Mr. Patrick's experiences as a musician himself. He started playing the guitar at age 7 and, by the time he was 14, was performing and writing music with his brother Larry and others. In his teens, he met steel guitarist Kenneth "Dusty" Nall, who would become his first bandmate and lifelong friend. He formed his first group in 1971, playing at local clubs even while he pursued a successful career as business manager and member of a popular Chicago radio station band. The first band remains intact today, with the exception of the beloved Dusty, who passed away in 2009.

Because of the life-changing impact that music had made on him as a young man, Mr. Patrick feels a special affection for aspiring musicians. Through his recording studio, he provides them with a venue to explore their ideas - an opportunity that would not necessarily be afforded them elsewhere. "A lot of the younger musicians that come in, they have an idea but they don't know what to do with it. So, it's my job to run them through and figure out what they're wanting...That can be a real challenge sometimes," Mr. Patrick shared. "These projects I have going on now are all original material that the guys have written themselves. I like to listen to material and see if it's got potential. If it's got potential, I'll work with [it]."

A successful musician, producer and entrepreneur, Mr. Patrick is one of those rarities - the creative type who happens to have a head for business. Still, it is fitting that the best business advice he ever received was not from some financial genius on Wall Street, but was appropriated from something country music legend Waylon Jennings had once said to him. "He told me, 'There's more than one way to do things,'" recalled Mr. Patrick. "'That's your way, and you got a right to try it just once.'" Exercise this right he has. Instead of copying what major studios are doing, he focuses his time on working with new songwriters and runs his studio not as a moneymaking machine, but as an incubator for undiscovered talent. "I've just got a little studio down here, but I can do a lot with it," he averred. "I believe in a relaxed atmosphere. You go to so many of these different studios and you're on a time restraint...I don't do things that way. I like for the artist[s] to be creative and when they have more time, they can be creative. We don't punch a clock here; we just have fun, you know."

While this business practice won't make him Mr. Millionaire Record Producer overnight, it yields less tangible rewards on a daily basis. Mr. Patrick is after all, first and foremost, an artist - and to him, there is nothing quite like the thrill of creation and collaboration. "I think what motivated me most was my love for music. I love the creativity and the feeling you get when you come out with a finished product [and] it sounds good," he said. "I would say the highlight [of my career] at this point right now is now - having the chance to have a studio and work with the musicians. Right now, I'm happy with the way things are. Right now is the best."

Rick Patrick obtained a Cakewalk Sonar certification and completed training in digital recording at the Berklee College of Music, graduating in 2008 with a bachelor of arts in music. He maintains active affiliation in such esteemed organizations as The Music Academy, The Harry Fox Agency, Broadcast Music, Inc., Nashville Songwriters Association International, SoundExchange and the Alliance of Artists and Recording Companies.

For additional information about The Music Group, please visit http://www.themusicgroup.biz.

Press Release Contact Information:

Ellen Campbell
Cambridge Who's Who
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