WHEN
RICK WAS 5 YEARS OLD HIS FATHER FRANK YEAKLE STARTED "RICKY" ON THE DRUMS. FRANK WAS A DRUMMER IN THE KOUNTRY KRACKERS
BAND FROM WINCHESTER, VA. THE KRACKERS FEATURED A FEMALE SINGER BY THE NAME OF PATSY CLINE.
WHILE ATTENDING SHENANDOAH CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC, RICK FORMED "C. T. ONION". THEY RECORDED THE `PEPSI
COMMERCIAL' AND WERE IN CONCERTS WITH "TONY ORLANDO AND DAWN", "GALLERY", AND "THE RASBERRIES".
AFTER RECEIVING A BACHELOR OF MUSIC EDUCATION DEGREE FROM SHENANDOAH CONSERVATORY OF
MUSIC, RICK ATTENDED JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY WHERE HE RECEIVED A MASTER OF MUSIC EDUCATION DEGREE.
RICK WAS THE BAND DIRECTOR AT STRASBURG MIDDLE SCHOOL,
THE TOMS BROOK SCHOOL, SIGNAL KNOB MIDDLE SCHOOL AND STRASBURG HIGH SCHOOL FOR 18 YEARS. HE TAUGHT STUDENTS IN GRADES
5-12 HOW TO PLAY FLUTE, CLARINET, TRUMPET, TROMBONE, SAXOPHONE, BARITONE, TUBA AND DRUMS. THE STRASBURG BANDS WON MANY
AWARDS, PARADES AND EVENTS.
RICK PLAYS A VINTAGE 1964 SLINGERLAND DRUM SET, TWO YAMAHA
W-7 SYNTHESIZERS, A ROLAND AS-7 GUITAR STYLE MIDI CONTROLLER KEYBOARD, A YAMAHA ALTO SAX AND AN `OLD' CONN TENOR SAX.
IF THE TRUCK WAS BIGGER HE WOULD PROBABLY BRING ALONG A TRUMPET, TROMBONE, AND A FLUTE JUST TO KEEP HIM BUSY.
RICK JOINED HO-KISS PO-KISS IN 1980. "WE LOVE WHAT WE DO!" WE ARE
ALWAYS LEARNING NEW MUSIC AND NEW SKITS TO KEEP OUR SOUND AND SHOW FRESH AND ENTERTAINING.
