Richard Sanford (1959-2010) took up drum set at an early age, and studied with Harold Prentice in Oklahoma City. He was Drum Major at Santa Rita HS his Senior year, under Laszlo Veres, and also played in the Tucson Philharmonia youth orchestra, again under Laszlo Veres. He played in all venues, from reggae to classic, from jazz to western. One summer, the day before he was to enter Summer School at UA, he got a call from a chum. He hurriedly packed (including drum set), and flew to Apple Valley, CA, to play the summer in a road band. He earned a Bachelor's degree in music from UA, went on to Mills College in Oakland, CA, and earned a Master's degree in Composition there. He had been making gongs before he and Lisa left Tucson for Oakland, and continued the process in California. His gongs are used by the San Francisco Symphony and the Metropolitan Opera. He taught himself Excel, and bookkeeping, and accounting, and supplemented the family income with that work while attending school, and working part-time as bookkeeper and shipping clerk for a custom motorcycle equipment manufacturer in San Francisco. Rick got the opportunity to study for his doctorate at SUNY Buffalo, and took the opportunity, earning his PhD there in 1994. He was a published, and performed, composer, specializing in modern chamber music. He was a member of a virtual combo, with chums laying down tracks from around the country, the globe, whatever. He also composed, and performed, for several independent motion picture projects.