"CREATIVE HORIZONS": PARTNERS: MICHAEL L. RICCIARDI and JOHN D. NUGENT: Creative Bios

"CREATIVE HORIZONS": PARTNERS: MICHAEL L. RICCIARDI and JOHN D. NUGENT

Michael's songwriting career began almost by accident in 1980 in Ontario, California where he was working for a camera store. In Ontario was a community theatre run by a man named Mark Shipley who was literally using the profits of said theatre to raise and feed his eight member family. One day, he decided to stage the MGM version of the "Wizard Of Oz". Michael had auditioned and won the part of the Scarecrow. Two weeks later, the theatre discovered that the theatre suddenly could not afford to stage the show as 100% of all royalties were now due prior to rehearsal. This was a new practice in community theatre royalty agreements. Mr. Shipley offered a challenge to Michael who went on to create twelve original songs and a new libretto for the classic tale by L. Frank Baum. Included in these were "Somewhere" "Show Me Some Of Your Wizardry" and "You Must Have Love To Want Yourself a Heart" Mike collaborated with Randy Louis Ames and a long partnership began. Together they wrote a sequel called "THE RETURN OF THE WIZARD OF OZ" and "SKYLARK" a tale of a young boy who grows up in Shaklespeare's time and who desires at great cost to become a performer. SKYLARK played many professional venues including OFF BROADWAY and Michael and Randy collaborated further on two Christmas Musicals called "A MOMENT WITH MISTER "C" and "THE INVITATION". Mike is currently working on a musical with TIMOTHY DORAN. It is an adaptation of "THE TRAVELING COMPANION" and is at work on two other musicals called "THE RUNAWAY HEART" and "SEVEN" "RUNAWAY HEART is a musical fantasy centered around the real story of the girl who ran away five times from her wedding ceremony. "SEVEN" is a musical spoof in which the Seven Deadly Sins and the Seven Cardinal Virtues have a confrontation in the last thousand years of the world. Mike has written over 600 songs and his list of songs can be found on the ASCAP ACE DATA BASE. He has written for television, McDonalds and Disney. He is currently colaborating with TIMOTHY DORAN an amazing accompanist, musician and arranger. Some of his current songs include "Some Gave All" and "She Has That lauren Bacall Look" Through Mr. Doran, Creative Horizons offers arrangement and lead sheet services and can provide published looks to all songs submitted. Mr. Dortan has written and arranged for the Master Corale and Warner Brothers Studios.

JOHN D. NUGENT - Executive Vice President

JOHN D. NUGENT was born in Charleston, West Virginia. He studied at the now defunct Charleston Conservatory of Music at the University of Charleston, where his teachers included Thomas Conlin, Barbara Wright and David Williams. He has been part of this company creatively for many years.

He is the composer of various Vocal and Choral music. His Miserere in G Minor and his opera Dark Mission (libretto by Charles Deemer) are currently in print. His operas Varmints and Three by Maupassant (libretti also by Deemer) are scheduled for release later this year.

He is an active member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and the Greater Tri-Cities Area Composers Consortium. He is a former member of the American Composers Forum.

Though now fully rooted in Los Angeles, he still misses his home in Erwin, Tennessee.

John is also an American and world History scholar.

TIMOTHY C. DORAN - ARRANGER, & CO WRITER OF "TRAVELING COMPANION"

Tim Doran was born in Hartford, Connecticut and has been in the music business for over thirty years. Offered a scholarship at Julliard's his career has taken him all over the country and he now resides in California. Tim has arranged animation scores for Warner Brothers, arranged and conducted at The Hollywood Bowl and the LA Master Chorale. He was the last accompanist to play "God Bless America" for Miss Kate Smith in a 1976 Bicentenial Ceremony in Dana Point , California, just prior to her official retirement. Tim has arranged over four hundred songs for Michael Ricciardi and Creative Horizons. His many religious song books arranged for the Church Organ are still being sold throughout the country after twenty-seven years and are still one of ther most popular books ever published. His expertise includes arranging for choral groups. He currently resides in Hacienda Heights, California

RANDY LOUIS AMES - CO-WRITER OF FIVE MUSICALS

Randy Louis Ames is Michael's original colaborator and with whom has written five musicals for the professional stage. These musicals include "THE RETURN OF THE WIZARD OF OZ", "SKYLARK" "A MOMENT WITH MISTER C." and "THE INVITATION." Randy curently resides in Anahiem, California where he teaches music in various elementary schools and is exploring scoring for motion picture soundtracks. Randy is an amazing conductor and arranger.