ENGLISH

Riccardo Merlini (TREMO, PAUL GILBERT, BOBBY KIMBALL, CENTRICA, MARCO MENDOZA...), is born in Legnago (Verona, Italy) in 1986 and he has been always living in Rovigo, North Italy. He started studying the drums when he was 4 years old. After 7 years of self-taught he entered at the conservatory in Rovigo attending percussions classes until the 5th academic year. His great talent pushed him, in April 2005, to attend a drumclinic with famous drummer Mike Mangini at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he could improve his technique and learn the exclusive Mangini’s method, becoming the only “educator” authorized by Mangini to disclose in Italy his didattic method Rhythm Knowledge. In July 2005 Riccardo gets the degree at AMM National Drum School. At the same time, he starts his activity as “clinician” and gives courses in extreme drumming. In November 2005 he wins the auditions as the new drummer of the band MR. PIG and in January 2006 he begins his adventure with the band, where he plays until October 2009, after more than 500 concerts in North Italy. In the same year Riccardo signs a deal for official endorsement with cymbals brand UFIP. In 2007 he takes part in the WFD (World Fastest Drummer Competition) in Los Angeles, scheduled during the Namm Show. There, he sets the annual record for hand single strokes in one minute (1190) and finish 2nd in the final competition, attaining 1122 strokes in one minute.
In September 2008, Riccardo is chosen by Vic Firth to enter the PDT program, coordinated by Neil Larrivee (Education Director) and Olin Johannesen, being certified as “Vic Firth” authorized teacher. You can find Riccardo on www.vicfirth.com in the Education section, together with other great drummers from all over the world. In July 2009 he records the album Altre molecole produced from the independent record label Estremo Music together with guests as: Mario Schilirò (Zucchero), James Thomson (Zucchero), Vittorio Matteucci (Cocciante’s Notre Dame de Paris, PFM’s Dracula), Mike Mangini (Steve Vai, Extreme), Daniele Gottardo (Italian Guitar Virtuoso), Tommy Ermolli (TwinSpirit, Virgil Donati), Lorenzo Feliciati (Nicolò Fabi), Tiromancino.
In the same month Riccardo becomes official endorser of PEARL drums and SABIAN cymbals, that he’s been promoting with a long tour of “clinics” and “performances” with other big names from the drums world, in Italy and abroad (as for example at the Namm Show 2010 in Los Angeles and at the Musikmesse 2010 in Frankfurt). From September of the same year Riccardo is a teacher in the Modern Music Institute as Special Tutor of the drums course Extreme Drumming Style, directed and founded by Riccardo himself, in collaboration and with the supervision of Mike Mangini. Again in 2009, Riccardo shared the stage with Mike Terrana for an extraordinary drumclinic with two drum kits and in May 2010 he takes part in a Clinic Tour consisting of six performances in Italy with Mike Mangini, opening all the acts with a solo performance. In the same days Riccardo is guest on the stage of Groove Day with the Italian duo Il Diavolo e l’Acqua Santa (Roberto Gualdi and Stefano Bagnoli) where he gives proof of his high speed on the snare drum. Some months after that he’s with the band TREMO in the Brodway I Love tour in Slovenia, during the International Singing Workshop.
In September 2010 Riccardo begins to record an album, again with the band TREMO, and in November he records the drums in the new album of the Italian band CENTRICA with whom he’s planning a European tour when the album is published. Riccardo played also live with the world master of singers Brett Manning and the incredible bass player Marco Mendoza (Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, Ted Nugent).In January 2011 Riccardo studys privately in Los Angeles with the great drummer THOMAS LANG. In 2011 Riccardo Merlini become an official Vic Firth’s endorser and always in 2011 he plays drums with the guitar legend Paul Gilbert on his italian tour. In the same year Riccardo has appeared also in the TV Show  ITALIA'S GOT TALENT.                                                     

In 2012 Riccardo joined the famous Italian DEATH METAL BAND "FAUST" with which he will stard a world tour in April.
 

…The initial assessment of Riccardo's drumming is one that shows a
natural ability for assembling patterns on the drum kit along with
maximum hand speed. It appears as well, that he has a love for a
specific sound of drumming that includes high energy tempos, strong
back beats, and interesting clusters of notes that make shapes around
the entire drum kit . The two major areas Riccardo was able to understand and execute were
using his eyes to manage his hits around the kit, and counting with a
more solid internal clock.

I'm sure he's also a great teacher.

- Mike Mangini -