A B O U T
Dan Rickabus is a professional drummer, educator, songwriter,
multi-instrumentalist,
vocalist, producer, sound engineer and community organizer living in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
After attending GVSU for Sound Design from 2006 to 2010, Dan and his bandmates co-founded Grand Rapids MI band The Crane Wives. Soon after, he attended his first Earthwork Harvest Gathering, which inspired him to become a deeply involved member of the Earthwork Music Collective. Since then, Dan has been featured on over 30 albums of Michigan music as a drummer, percussionist, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, co-writer and co-producer. In addition to traveling the country touring with the Crane Wives, he has also performed and recorded with Seth Bernard, Public Access, Gifts or Creatures, Max Lockwood, Morgan Haner, Zoe Ravenwood, Poverty Island, DarlenYa, Airborne or Aquatic, Mark Lavengood, Joe Reilly, Joey Schultz, South of Wealthy Trio and others, including the John Prine tribute-band Prine Time. In 2017, he released his debut solo album "Void / Journal" - a 12-track sonic-journey and a collaboration with a huge cast of Michigan musicians. Beyond music, Dan is the producer, mixer and editor of State of Water (a podcast focusing on clean water issues, racial equity and climate justice). In the Fall of 2018, he began teaching as an Adjunct Professor at Aquinas College teaching Studio Recording I & II as well as Songwriting. He also teaches private drum, ukulele and songwriting lessons to students of all ages in the Grand Rapids area as well as remotely. He has worked as a facilitator with the Grand Rapids Children's Museum, a Teaching Artist with Artists Creating Together, a presenter / performer with the non-profit organization On Stage 4 Kids, contract editor of audiobooks for Brilliance Audio, audio-engineer at Sound Post Studios, intern at River City Studios, and a current frequent collaborator at Centennial Sound in Grand Rapids and La Luna Recording and Sound in Kalamazoo. He lives in Grand Rapids with his partner Alex and Connor, the golden retriever. He is currently taking classes once again at GVSU to eventually become the kind of High School Social Studies teacher that these times require.
Dan seeks to create, support and nourish art that resonates with others, to promote solidarity in the Michigan music community, to empower young people as well as learn from them, to carry on the legacy of the elders, and to help people of all walks of life create culture together and share in music.
