Rick Dewell
Richard "Rick" Dewell (born circa 1951) is a jazz piano enthusiast and piano teacher from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.
He graduated from Bowmanville High School in 1968 [1]
Avila Music Centre
In 1997 he was teaching at Avila Music Centre, which was located in a religious building behind the Balmoral Street Police Station.
About Avila Music School
The Avila Music School is a not-for-profit registered charitable organization that promotes music education and has been operating in Thunder Bay since 1967.
It embodies a co-operative of outstanding musician / teachers who, for a nominal monthly fee, rent studio space from the Avila Music School. Each teacher has his/her own students and fee structure and contracts with the student/parent for payment of those fees in exchange for music lessons. The Avila Music School collects a $30 yearly registration fee from each student / family which includes a membership in the new Memorial Library.
We encourage every musician in Northern Ontario to become a member of the Memorial Library and to borrow the material. It provides the opportunity for every, student, teacher, performer, to see the music and try it out without the expense of purchasing it not knowing whether it will suit your tastes and abilities. We have several editions of the old masterworks including some urtext editions. It is worth your time to come and browse through the collection.
It seems to be shut down as of December 2025 as their recital was billed as their "final" recital.
In their final years they moved to 1303 Broadmore Avenue, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada, P7E 2Y8 (1 807-623-9398)
Independent Teacher
Since about 1998 he has taught from a heritage building that doubles as his home, 345 Waverley Street, in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It stands apart from other homes, and was likely the former home for the rector of nearby St. Paul's United Church.
From 1998 to 2002 he taught Michael Currie piano. Their conversations beyond simply piano were quite eclectic, ranging from jazz theory to any number of other subjects.
On 30 May 2018 he advertised his services on Kijiji:
"Keyboard, Piano Lessons, Classical, Contemporary, Jazz, Music History, Pedagogy, Theory" Classical, jazz, pop - 30 years experience teaching piano in Thunder Bay. I have an Associate Mus. Diploma, Western Ont. Conservatory of Music (now Conservatory Canada). Rick Dewell 345-2006
— Rick Dewell
Sources
Self