Dylan Hicks

Dylan "Sticks" Hicks is originally from right outside of Chicago, Illinois. He started studying drums in Jr. High School, and began private lessons with Don Skoog. He played in his school bands, as well as attending Jazz jam sessions all around the Chicago-land area. Then he attended The Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, and would go on to tour twice with their International Jazz Band in two, one month tours. He then went on to join the Midwest Young Artists jazz program, an intensive jazz performance program masterminded by the great Chicago guitar player/composer, Frank Portolese. Another tour of Scotland took place with this group.

Sticks then auditioned for several music schools gaining acceptance, and scolarships to schools such as Berkelee College of Music, and Manhattan School of Music. Finally he decided to take a full scholarship to the University of New Orleans. Their he studied with great drummers such as Johnny Vidacovich, Ricky Sebastian, and Jason Marsalis (not to mention other great teachers Ellis Marsalis, Ed Peterson, Steve Masakowski, and Harold Battiste). He quickly dove into the New Orleans music scene and played around the Gulf coast with artists: Ellis Marsalis, Jason Marsalis (in his vibes group), Ed Peterson, Steve Masakowski, James Singleton, Ravi Coltrane, David Glasser, Tony Degradi, Harold Battiste and the Next Generation, Bill Huntington, Tim Green, Members of Los Hombres Calientes, Dave Easely, Irvin Mayfield, Karl Denson, Victor Goines, Kirk Joseph(Dirty Dozen Brass Band), Leah Chase, Alvin Battiste, Marlon Jordan, Stephanie Jordan, and many many more great musicians.

He finished school in four years graduating as the Gregory Frederico Senior of the year for the Jazz Studies/Performance program. He continued playing around "the big easy" for the next year until he decided to test the waters of his home town's music scene, in Chicago. He's played all around Chicago with great musicians, and bands including Frank Portolese, Orquesta Ranura, The Goran Ivanovich Group, Chinchilla Fury, The Mitch Corso Band, Impulse, Wonka, and has "sat in" with many more. Recently one of his bands won the Gand Music "battle of the bands", and also took home the "best drummer" award, walking away with $6000 worth of musical equipment.

After Hurricane Katrina Dylan felt a need to give back to the city and people of New Orleans, and landed a job in the prestigious Louis Armstrong Quintet. As well as performing around New Orleans, this group focuses on teaching young people of New Orleans' public schools about Jazz.

It is an outreach program from the University of New Orleans that also is part of a master's degree in Jazz Studies/Performance. He is currently in a couple of other groups in New Orleans, but as he says, "I'm always hungry for more". Show less