Richard Ainsworth
Cummings
Richard Ainsworth Cummings is the
eldest of five musical sons
Richard Ainsworth, Bryan
Wayne, Kevin Darnley, Terrance William and Gary
Scott
born to Ruby (née
Campbell) and Richard Cummings Sr.
At the age of five years, he was
given his first
piano and music theory lessons by his grandmother, God rest
her;
MAUDE BASCOME CUMMINGS
TAYLOR
renowned piano teacher and
organist/choirmaster of
Cornerstone Baptist
Church
in Brooklyn, N.Y.
After four years of lessons, he
entered New York's,
Juilliard Preparatory School of
Music
where he studied piano for
four years under the steadfast Russian pianist,
Anna
Shenderoff
In addition to the study of western
European classics, he also became well versed
in the many other ethnic musical forms into which he found himself
daily immersed.
Before the end of his teenage years, his musical styles also
reflected:
Jazz of the 50's and 60's, Rhythm & Blues and Soul music,
inspirational church choirs
and the gripping rhythms of the Caribbean Islands, Cuba and South
America.
In 1973, after majoring in piano and
composition at the
University of Detroit /
Marygrove College
he began his professional
music career with various local groups, experimental rehearsal
bands
and eclectic tribal orchestras in New York City and along the U.S.
east coast.
Since then, his talents have been
visited upon such luminous artists as:
Noel Pointer, Jon Lucien, Harry
Belafonte, Letta Mbulu, Dianne
Reeves,
Hugh Masekela, Wayne Shorter,
Zubin Mehta, George C. Wolfe, Melvin Van Peebles
and a host of other wonderful
performers.
Thank You
Grandma!
RICHARD'S
HOMEPAGE