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 in Brooklyn, NY and organist/choirmaster of

Cornerstone Baptist Church

After four years of lessons, he entered New York City's,

Juilliard Preparatory School of Music

where he studied piano for four years under the steadfast Russian pianist,

Anna Shenderoff

While continuing 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 composition and communications 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, Sherry Winston,

Iyanla Vanzant, Three Mo' Tenors, Melvin Van Peebles

and a host of other wonderful artists and performers.