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About Ian Richards Project

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Get to know Ian

About

The Ian Richards Project declares there is music in your soul… and it’s time to let it shine.

“It’s never too late to go after your dreams,” that’s the message at the heart of the Ian Richards Project

Built on the belief that music can awaken something powerful within all of us, the Ian Richards Project is my way of turning life-long passion into purpose.

After years behind the piano, I finally stepped up to write and perform my own songs, backed by a phenomenal band of seasoned pros. Along the way, I’ve built Rupert Street Recording, a state-of-the-art studio in Kitchener-Waterloo, where I’ve had the honour of working with some of Canada’s best musicians—including award-winning producer and mixer Olle Romo.

 Writing music reminds me of building homes: start with a solid foundation—a melody, a lyric—and craft something lasting. Now, with a growing following on Spotify and fans tuning in from around the world, I’m seeing the dream come to life in the hearts of others.

The dream is working—never stop.
Go after it. Get it.

— Ian Cook
Founder, Ian Richards Project

Meet the band

Ian Richards Cook

Lead Vocals, Keys & Piano

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Grant Cummings

Background Vocals

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Amanda Kind

Background Vocals

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Émile d'Eon

Guitars

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Nick Maldonado

Guitars

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Matt Lima

Bass

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Mark Kelso

Drums

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Rob Carli

Saxophone

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Ian Richard (Cook)

Lead Vocals, Song Writer, Lyricist, Keyboards

Founder and manager of the Ian Richard Share the Passion Project; President and Owner of Cook Homes, Waterloo Region, home builder. Founder and manager of the original AMC (Amplified Midlife Crisis) Band; music devotee.

Grant Cummings

Backing vocals

A lifelong musician who sings, plays bass, guitar and keyboards, Grant started performing at the age of 13 and began his touring career with Juno Award winner Ian Thomas. Since then, he has played thousands of concerts across North America with his band Glider and has been the opening act for the Dobbie Brothers, Kansas, Jethro Tull and many others. He fronted the Queen tribute act Bohemian Rhapsody and headlined numerous music festivals including Dubai United Arab Emirates and Oman. He has played with Herman’s Hermits, The Platters, The Mamas and the Papas and many others, as well as recording countless commercials and albums. Grant has also been a partner in one of south-western Ontario’s largest live music event and production companies.

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Amanda Kind

Background vocals, vocal coach, advisor

Amanda Kind is a commercial voice teacher, singer, songwriter, and performer. She works with a broad range of clients including professional singers, indie artists, and aspiring performers of all ages in many genres. Her work in the arts community has garnered her a Waterloo Region Arts Award, the Rogers Television Woman of the Year Award, and recognition as one of the region’s Top 40 Under 40.  She trained at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Canadian College of Performing Arts, and Conrad Grebel College at the University of Waterloo. In 2017, she attended the Vocal Pedagogy Professional Workshop (VPPW) at the Boston Conservatory.

Amanda is the Artistic Director of the award-winning youth pop choir KW Glee and has been fortunate to help launch the careers of many artists. Her music is available on all streaming platforms.
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Émile d'Eon

Guitars

Guitarist Émile d’Eon is an in-demand session player and clinician. He is an honours graduate of Humber College’s Jazz Diploma Program and was awarded Jazz Report Magazine’s Post Secondary Musician of the Year in 2000.

In 2011 Émile released Storyline, his debut album and has performed and recorded with artists including: Robben Ford, Rik Emmett, David Grissom, Duke Robillard, Andy Timmons, Natalie McMaster, Don Thompson, Chris Cummings, Divine Brown, Sarah Slean, Paula Cole, Tebey, Jason Blaine, The Lovelocks, Tara Oram, Marshall Dane, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Jessie Farrell, The Tenors and Rich Little.

Émile keeps a busy touring schedule and is on faculty at Humber College, Mohawk College and Centennial College in Ontario, Canada. He is also a guitarist for KW Glee and Cyanide and Happiness.

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Nick Maldonado

Guitars

Nick has been active in the KW Arts community for many years. His passion for music started from a young age, with Mennonite and Latin American roots influencing his own style. Developing vocal technique through several choral groups at Rockway Mennonite College, and as a key member of the University of Waterloo’s premiere all-male a cappella group, The Water Boys, he began building his guitar chops by exploring heavier progressive styles in a band context, also spending some time in Spain studying flamenco guitar. Over the last decade, he could be found at karaoke and open mic nights, or lurking at Maxwell’s and performing with the Eric Charles Band, Relic City, Macondo Son, John Maksym, and his own trio, Paradox. Nick brings an openness and enthusiasm to a band setting matched by his ability to turn vocalized melodies into flowing guitar lines.

Matthew Lima

Bass

Matthew is a gifted and expert freelance bassist on electric, fretless, and upright bass and has been very active in the local music community. He has shared the stage with many amazing musicians, toured extensively throughout Canada and United States and performed in numerous theatre works with many different productions.  His playing history on the electric and upright bass includes touring and recording with multi-award- winning superstar band The Western Swing Authority, singer and entertainer Jim Witter, Juno Award Winners Susan Aglukark and Kellylee Evans, the house band for the Country Music Association of Ontario award shows, and musical theatre productions such as Drayton Entertainment and Chris McHarge Production. and sharing the stage with local greats such as: Kevin Ramessar, Larry Larson’s Jazz Guys, Tim Louis, Wendell Ferguson, and the house band for Canada’s Top Youth Pop Choir KW GLEE.

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Mark Kelso

Drums

Originally hailing from Belfast, Northern Ireland, internationally renowned Canadian drummer Mark Kelso now makes Toronto, Ontario his home. A skilled musician who plays drums and percussion, he is also a singer, producer and composer. As a sideman, Mark has earned 4 Juno awards and has been nominated twice as a leader with his own 2 groups, the Jazz Exiles (2016) and the Chronicles of Fezziwig Project (2020).  His ability to play a wide variety of musical styles has helped him become one of Canada’s most sought-after drummers, playing with top recording artists from around the world, from James Taylor to David Clayton-Thomas, and Olivia Newton John to Susan Tedeschi, while building an international reputation for excellence featured in many outstanding music festivals and in numerous percussion publications. He has also played in the development  of numerous movie soundtracks.

Mark has been Artistic Director for the Jazz Room in Waterloo since 2016 and was the head of percussion at Humber College from 2005-2021. His new recording “The Dragon’s Tail” was released in the fall of 2022. He runs “Groovy Drums Studio” where he records drum tracks for many artists around the world. To date he has played on over 450 recordings. Mark released his very first instructional DVD “Musician First, Drummer Second” in 2016 to great acclaim.

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Rob Carli

Saxophone

Robert Carli has received numerous industry awards and nominations, including five Gemini Awards and four Canadian Screen Awards. He has composed 15 seasons of the popular detective series Murdoch Mysteries, as well as feature films, and award-winning documentaries. As a performer he regularly works with various ensembles, including The Toronto Symphony Orchestra and National Arts Centre Orchestra. He teaches saxophone at the University of Toronto. He is also co-founder with Terry Stuart of The Awesome Music Project, designed to foster mental health and wellness through music across Canada.

Rob has been a long-time collaborator with Canadian musician Danny Michel, frequently appearing as a member of his band and performing on his recordings. In 2017. he co-produced and orchestrated Michel’s Khlebnikov album, for which they shared the 2017 Canadian Music Folk Award for Producer of the Year.

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