RICK SCOTT is an award winning singer, songwriter and actor who combines music and laughter in lively, participatory concerts for all ages. He is Canada’s leading proponent of the Appalachian mountain dulcimer, known by kids around the world as ‘The Electric Snowshoe.’ Over 35 years he has released 17 albums and performed his lively, original music in nine countries. His gift for combining wacky humour and poignant human commentary has earned him a devoted following from four generations around the world.

Over the past 20 years Rick has performed more than a thousand family concerts throughout Canada, the U.S., Australia and Southeast Asia. He is Goodwill Ambassador for the Down Syndrome Research Foundation and performs inspirational keynote concerts for familes, educators and caregivers, and MUSIC AS A SECOND LANGUAGE song writing workshops for people who don’t think that they’re musical.

Rick first rose to prominence in the Canadian folk scene in 1974 playing with Joe Mock and Shari Ulrich in B.C.’s legendary folk trio PIED PUMKIN who pioneered independent folk music in BC and sold 30,000 LPs from the stage. After a 25 year hiatus and successful solo careers, Pied Pumkin reunited in 1998 and released two CDs: the retrospedtive PLUCKING DeVINE and the live recording PIED ALIVE. As guitarist Joe Mock lives in France they tour once or twice each year. www.piedpumkin.com

In 2006 Pied Pumkin released their first children's CD, PUMKIDS – Tuneful Tales For Kids & Kin, which won Best Children’s CD in the Canadian Folk Music Awards and Western Canadian Music Awards, and Parents’ Choice and NAPPA Honors Awards in the US. In 2007 and 2008 PUMKIDS toured Canadian children's festivals and folk venues.

In spring 2009 Rick and veteran blues guitarist David Essig released the critically acclaimed duo CD DOUBLE VISION which they present in concert as a duo and as a trio with bassist Shelley Brown.
http://www.myspace.com/davidessigrickscott www.davidessig.com

In 1982 Rick appeared as Sufferton in Ann Mortifee's musical REFLECTIONS ON CROOKED WALKING and spent the next seven years performing in stage productions such as the THE LATE BLUMER, BARNUM and ANGRY HOUSEWIVES. In 1989 a series of school shows launched what was to become a fulltime carreer as a family entertainer. Rick's six children's recordings, co-written and produced by his longtime partner Valley Hennell, have been honoured with many awards and nominations.

SNOOZE MUSIC, Dulcimer Lullabies for all Ages, is a grandfather's prayer for his children and granchildren. It features 10 original cradle tunes plus Stephen Foster's classic lullaby SLUMBER MY DARLING, arranged for dulcimer, voice, cello, viola, violin, guitar, bass, music box, trombone and tuba. It introduces vocalist and new mom Andrea L'Heureux, who gave birth during recording! SNOOZE MUSIC won 2006 North American Parenting Publications (NAPPA) Gold, Parents' Choice Siver Honor and iParenting Media 2006 Greatest Products Awards.

THE 5 ELEMENTS, Rick's English / Cantonese collaboration with Hong Kong's foremost children's artist Harry Wong, won a 2004 North American Parenting Publications (NAPPA) Gold Award and 2006 Canadian Book Centre Our Choice Award. It was nominated for a 2004 Juno Award as Children's Album of the Year.

MAKING FACES won Best Children’s Release in the 2001 West Coast Music Awards in Canada and a 2000 Parents’ Choice Approved Award in the U.S. It contains an updated version of Rick's much requested hip hop tribute to Mozart, YO MO CONCERTO, which is also available on VHS and DVD.

PHILHARMONIC FOOL won a 1999 Children’s Music Web Special Award and was nominated for Juno and Pacific Music Industry Awards for Best Children’s album. The song ANGELS DO has become an anthem for the special needs community, and is seen regularly on Ants In Your Pants on Treehouse TV in a video starring Rick's granddaughter. ANGELS DO is available on VHS and DVD.

By popular demand, in Rick’s 1992 cassette, RICK AROUND THE ROCK, containing the songs EH CANADA, ELEPHANT RIDE and YO MO CONCERTO, was released on CD in 2004. It won 2005 Parents' Choice Recommended and 2006 Canadian Book Centre Our Choice Awards.

THE ELECTRIC SNOWSHOE was Parents’ Choice Approved when released on CD in 2002. It had previously sold over 50,000 cassettes! It was selected for 2005 Canadian Book Centre Our Choice.

In 2005 Rick and Valley wrote, performed and produced the score for YUYU MIMI: A LOVE STORY, an adult puppet show based on an illustrated book by Hong Kong puppet master Hoi Chiu, which premiered in a puppetry festival Birmingham, England, and was restaged in a multi media production at the Hong Kong Arts Festival in March 2007.

In August 2006 Rick was arts chair and master of ceremonies for the World Congress on Down Syndrome held in Vancouver. He wrote and performed the theme song UP SIDE OF DOWN with longtime friend and colleague Fred Penner who recorded it with Pied Pumkin on PUMKIDS.

With Valley Hennell and illustrator Linda Sanborn, Rick is currently adapting his children's novel, THE GREAT GAZZOON, as an audio recording to be released on CD in 2011, with the financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts Specialized Sound Recording Porgram.