Ricky L. Fleming, Ph.D.

B.M.E., Mississippi Valley State University
M.M., University of Mississippi
Ph.D., Florida State University

Rick Fleming is Professor of Music and director of bands at SUNY Buffalo State, where he conducts the Buffalo State Wind and Jazz Ensembles.  He also teaches undergraduate conducting and instrumental methods.  He is the founding conductor of the Erie County Chamber Winds (a professional chamber wind ensemble).

From 1992-98 he served as director of bands at William R. Boone High School in Orlando, where the band program received superior ratings at both district and state levels.  Prior to his appointment at William R. Boone High School, Dr. Fleming served for six years as the director of bands at Memorial Middle School, where he was named Teacher of the Year in 1992. 

Fleming received his Ph.D. in Music Education with emphasis in wind band conducting from The Florida State University where he studied with Clifford K. Madsen and James E. Croft.  He earned his M.M. degree in trombone performance from The University of Mississippi and Bachelor of Music Education from Mississippi Valley State University where he studied with Professors Russell Boone and Leonard E. Tramiel.

Fleming has presented many clinics for the Florida Bandmaster Association on the topics “Teaching Band in Multicultural Environments” and “Young Band Directors’ Success.”

He has served as guest conductor for the Jackson, Mississippi All City Band, The Mississippi All State Band, the Ark-LA Tech Band Festival at Louisiana Tech University, and a myriad of honor bands throughout the United States.  He has also presented the Erie County Chamber Winds at the New York State Band Association Symposium in 2003.  Dr. Fleming is an active adjudicator and clinician throughout the United States.

Fleming’s international conducting experience includes conducting the University of Szeged Wind Ensemble in Szeged, Hungary.  He also conducted the Youth Band of the Private Music and Art School for the East European Symposium for Wind Conductors November 24-28, 2004 in Szeged, Hungary.  In 2006, Dr Fleming served as an adjudicator for the Tygerburg Fanfare International Band Festival in Cape Town, South Africa.  He has published chapters in the GIA Publication’s Teaching Music Through Performance Beginning Band Volume 2 and Teaching Music Through Performance in Jazz.

He is a member of the College Band Directors National Association, Music Educators National Conference, International Trombone Association, Phi Beta Mu National Band Fraternity, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated, Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, and an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi Band Fraternity. He also serves on the Buffalo Philharmonic Diversity Committee. 

As a trombonist, Dr. Fleming has performed for the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Temptations, Aretha Franklin, Four Tops, Connie Francis, Frankie Valli, Marie Osmond and 10 Thousand Maniacs.  He has also toured with the Irish Tenors and performs regularly for various organizations throughout the Western New York area.