BRARE Times

 

Spotlight:  Mike Rickard, Manager, A/P - Atlanta

 

There are many within BT Americas who pursue fascinating talents and interests outside of work. One such talented individual is singer-songwriter Michael Rickard of the Finance team in Atlanta. Mike recently fulfilled a lifelong dream when he released his first music CD, "Stirred Not Shaken."

 

Mike's performing career has humble roots. He grew up singing in church and then in college. During those early days, Mike was always a featured soloist. As a result, he did not focus on learning to play any instrument other than the piano, which he claims he did not play very well. Mike recounts an instance in college when he sat down to play the piano and two of his band mates, who were both good keyboard players, exclaimed, "Not again!"  He subsequently learned to play the guitar . . . and well. After college, he traveled full-time with a vocal group, the Continental Singers, touring the U.S., the Caribbean, and Europe. Afterwards, Mike sang with two local Christian groups in his hometown of Augusta, Georgia, and recorded full-length band projects with both groups.

 

Released in May, the 11-track "Stirred Not Shaken" is a collection of diverse songs - with influences from jazz, country, folk, and gospel - that loosely falls into the pop-rock genre. Lyrically, the songs are very personal. Mike openly talks about his feelings and experiences - everything from fear loss, loneliness, and his family to finding happiness, love, and being thankful for who he is and what gives his life meaning. Mike has received countless emails from people telling him how much the songs have meant to them. According to Mike, knowing that his songs have touched people is "a wonderful feeling."

 

The record is the culmination of several years of hard work. Before Mike stepped foot in a studio, he spent many months writing and re-writing songs. He began recording his CD in December 2002 at Angel Band Studios in Atlanta. Having a full-time job necessitated that Mike record at night. The "dream team" of Huston Singletary (Whitney Houston, Monica) and Jan Smith (vocal coach for Usher, Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20, India Aria, Dianna DeGarmo, and many of today's other top artists) shared production duties on the record. Mike finished recording in Dec 2003, and the mixing and mastering process was completed in January of this year. Interestingly enough, Mike's mother volunteered to sing background vocals, but Mike politely declined her offer.

 

As if writing and performing songs on a CD wasn't impressive enough, Mike handled many other aspects of the release, including creating his own independent music label. He wanted to be able to make his own decisions regarding all elements of production and marketing. Furthermore, Mike assumed responsibility for obtaining copyrights, registering his songs with a performing rights organization, having the CDs manufactured and distributed, and assembling press kits. By engaging in this project, he has been able to express the artistic side of his personality, while utilizing the skills he has acquired in the business world. Mike is currently focused on promoting his CD as much as possible through appearances, radio/internet airplay, and an internet presence. Mike recently enjoyed his first airplay in Austin, Texas. During the next year, Mike intends to perform in venues in Atlanta and other cities. His schedule and other details about the CD are posted on www.mikerickard.com. He has expressed an interest in recording another album within the next couple of years. A long-term goal is to distribute other people's music.

 

"Stirred Not Shaken" is currently available in select retail music stores in the Atlanta area. The album can be found on the internet at cdbaby, Tower Records and www.towerrecords.co.uk.  The CD will also be on iTunes and Musicmatch sometime during August.

 

Mike is a big believer in following and fulfilling dreams. He encourages everyone to dust off buried dreams and make the effort to pursue them. Mike says, "The pursuit of the dream is where the richness lies. Achieving the goal, that's the icing." BT Americas congratulates Mike on the achievement of a longtime dream and we wish him the best of luck in his future musical endeavors.