Rick Garn
Tuesday, March 16th, 2004

On Tuesday, March 16th, the city of Edmonton lost one of its anchors of music.

That night, while Rick was in the audience of one of his Grant MacEwan music students' recital, he became seriously ill, and was rushed to hospital, where he soon passed away.

Our friend had been a pillar of the music scene in Edmonton for thirty years. Not only was Rick a fabulous jazz musician, but he was well respected by the entire music community. His musical family included several symphony players, pop bands, faculty and students.

As a teacher, Rick was always considered a perfectionist -- but with a heart, and a great sense of humour. To him, everyone was equal and was treated as a colleague. When you were given a compliment by Rick, his words would stay with you forever.

He had a great deal of respect for his fellow musicians, and will be remembered by many active musicians as the person who has both inspired and nurtured into professional artists. He also always had a compassionate ear and heart open for everyone, and has held onto friendships of students from his earliest years as a teacher at Grant MacEwan College.

Over the past few years, Rick was frequently sidelined with health issues, but always bounced back. Earlier this year, aided by a cane and several of the city's jazz elite, he returned to his rightful chair in Tommy Banks' Orchestra, where they celebrated the 20th anniversary of the performace that garnered a prestigious award at the Montreaux International Jazz Festival.

His spirit, technique, and wisdom will live on for many generations within the Edmonton music industry.