Richie Alan (born ''Richard Alan Galichon''; 1968 in NY) is an independent studio drummer and technology entrepreneur. Early Life and Education He grew up in

Valley Stream, New York Valley Stream is a Administrative divisions of New York#Village, village in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York (state), New York, United States. The population in the Village of Valley Stream was 40,634 at the tim ...

and attended

Valley Stream Central High School Valley Stream Central High School is a public senior high school (grades 10–12) in the Incorporated Village of Valley Stream in Nassau County, on the South Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. It is part of the Valley Stream C ...

. He earned a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

Computer Science Computer science is the study of computation, information, and automation. Computer science spans Theoretical computer science, theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, and information theory) to Applied science, ...

from

Queens College, City University of New York Queens College (QC) is a public college in the New York City borough of Queens. Part of the City University of New York system, Queens College occupies an campus primarily located in Flushing. Queens College was established in 1937 and offe ...

and pursued a

Master of Business Administration A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a professional degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration; elective courses may allow further study in a particular ...

degree specializing in Information Systems Management at

The George Washington University School of Business The George Washington University School of Business (known as GW School of Business or GWSB) is the professional business school of George Washington University in Washington, D.C. The GW School of Business is ranked as one of the top business sc ...

. Technology Career Soon after college, Alan launched an IT consulting practice. By age 30 he appeared on American Express's Platinum list of top technology entrepreneurs under 30. Musical Training and Influences Richie Alan studied at the Downs School of Music, where he won three gold medals and one silver medal in the Long Island Drum Teachers Association competitions. He later took private lessons with

Joe Morello Joseph Albert Morello (July 17, 1928 – March 12, 2011) was an American jazz drummer best known for serving as the drummer for pianist Dave Brubeck, as part of the Dave Brubeck Quartet, from 1957 to 1972, including during the quartet's "clas ...

(

Dave Brubeck Quartet David Warren Brubeck (; December 6, 1920 – December 5, 2012) was an American jazz pianist and composer. Often regarded as a foremost exponent of cool jazz, Brubeck's work is characterized by unusual time signatures and superimposing contrast ...

) and

Simon Kirke Simon Frederick St George Kirke (born 28 July 1949) is an English musician who was the co-founder, drummer, and only continuous member of the rock Supergroup (music), supergroup Bad Company. Prior to forming Bad Company he was the drummer and ...

(

Bad Company Bad Company were an English rock supergroup formed in London in 1973 by singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke (both ex- Free), guitarist Mick Ralphs (ex- Mott the Hoople) and bassist Boz Burrell (ex-King Crimson). Kirke was the only m ...

). Mostly known in the underground New York music scene, Alan's drumming achieved a modest following, garnering praise from well-established drummers including

Tommy Aldridge Tommy Aldridge (born August 15, 1950) is an American heavy metal and hard rock drummer. He is noted for his work with numerous bands and artists since the 1970s, such as Black Oak Arkansas, Pat Travers Band, Ozzy Osbourne, Gary Moore, Whitesn ...

(Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake),

Bill Bruford William Scott Bruford (born 17 May 1949) is an English drummer and percussionist who first gained prominence as a founding member of the progressive rock band Yes. After leaving Yes in 1972, Bruford spent the rest of the 1970s recording and tou ...

(Yes, King Crimson), and

Jonathan Mover Jonathan Mover, a.k.a. "Mover", is an American drummer. He is a former member of the bands Marillion and GTR. Early life and career Mover was raised in the Boston area and began playing drums at age thirteen. Primarily self-taught, he stu ...

(Fuel, Everlast, Alice Cooper) Selected Honors Legendary guitarist

Les Paul Lester William Polsfuss (June 9, 1915 – August 12, 2009), known as Les Paul, was an American jazz guitarist, jazz, country guitarist, country, and blues guitarist, songwriter, luthier, and inventor. He was one of the pioneers of the solid body ...

presented Richie Alan with an autographed custom

Gibson Les Paul The Gibson Les Paul is a solid body electric guitar that was first sold by the Gibson Guitar Corporation in 1952. The guitar was designed by factory manager John Huis and his team with input from and endorsement by guitarist Les Paul. Its typic ...

guitar at a Beacons in Jazz award gala in 2003. Performing Career and Collaborations Richie Alan performed on drums and percussion with John Ford of the Strawbs and is on Ford's 2014 "No Talkin'" album. Richie Alan has also performed with Ian Lloyd ( Stories), Simon Kirke (

) and Southern Rock tribute band Southern Exposure. Richie Alan has also performed on dozens of independent albums as an "Internet Session Drummer". Martial Arts and Other Pursuits Richie Alan is an accomplished martial artist holding a 4th-degree Black Belt in Chinese Goju Karate, a style founded by Ron Van Clief, who awarded him the rank with Glenn Perry. The tradition draws from a lineage that traces back through Peter Urban, Gogen Yamaguchi, and Chojun Miyagi. Education and Professional Affiliations * Valley Stream Central High School * Queens College, CUNY (B.A., Computer Science) * George Washington University School of Business (MBA coursework) Influences Richie Alan cites the following as his influences:

John Bonham John Henry Bonham (31 May 1948 – 25 September 1980) was an English musician who was the drummer of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Noted for his speed, power, fast single-footed kick drumming, distinctive sound, and feel for groove, John Bonh ...

Neil Peart Neil Ellwood Peart ( ; September 12, 1952 – January 7, 2020) was a Canadian and American musician, known as the drummer, percussionist, and primary lyricist of the rock band Rush (band), Rush. He was known to fans by the nickname "the Profe ...

, Steve Smith,

Dave Weckl Dave Weckl (born January 8, 1960, in St. Louis, Missouri) is an American jazz fusion drummer and the leader of the Dave Weckl Band. He was inducted into the ''Modern Drummer'' Hall of Fame in 2000. Biography Weckl started playing his first se ...

and

Lee Kerslake Lee Gary Kerslake (16 April 1947– 19 September 2020) was an English musician, best known as the longtime drummer and backing vocalist for the rock band Uriah Heep and for his work with Ozzy Osbourne in the early 1980s. Biography Early life a ...

. Selected Honors * American Express Platinum list, Top Technology Entrepreneurs Under 30 * Three-time Gold Medalist, Long Island Drum Teachers Association * Les Paul autographed guitar, Beacons in Jazz 2003 Endorsements Richie Alan plays Saluda cymbals live and in the studio.

References

External links

RICHIE ALAN, Session Drummer
1968 births Living people American rock drummers American jazz drummers American rock musicians Valley Stream Central High School alumni Queens College, City University of New York alumni George Washington University School of Business alumni 20th-century American drummers American male drummers American male jazz musicians 20th-century American male musicians {{US-rock-drummer-stub