Brian Rice is a freelance percussionist with a B.M. in Percussion Performance and Ethnomusicology from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. A well-rounded musician, Brian is a highly acclaimed performer, educator and recording artist adept at numerous musical styles ranging from classical and jazz, to Latin, Afro-Cuban, and Brazilian, to contemporary and experimental music.

After Oberlin Brian moved to Oregon where he began doing freelance work in 1989. There he played with numerous salsa, reggae, and world beat bands, notably Balafon Marimba Ensemble a Zimbabwean marimba group, and Tiempo Caribe a folkloric drum and dance troupe specializing it the music and dances from South America and the Caribbean. In 1994 Brian moved to Seattle to join Bochinche, performing for about 120 schools across Washington each year in the acclaimed production, "A Musical Tour of the Americas". While in Seattle, Brian founded and directed Samba Seattle, a parade-ready percussion and dance troupe. He also created and directed the Afro-Cuban Folkloric Collective, a drum and dance troupe. Brian taught about 90 classes each year at the famous music store John's Music and regularly brought guest teachers from Cuba and the U.S. to teach workshops and perform with the Afro-Cuban Folkloric Collective.

Since moving to the Bay Area in 1997, Brian has branched out into a multitude of styles including Spanish flamenco, klezmer, jazz, folk, Broadway Musicals, Celtic, Balkan music, and the occasional Chinese funeral. Brian's classical music background and expertise on a vast array of hand drums came into play in 2004 when he performed in over seventy shows of The Lion King. Though Brian enjoys such a wide variety of work, he specializes in Brazilian and Cuban music.

Brian teaches privately and does workshops in the Bay Area and has guest taught at many schools in the area ranging from pre-school through high school. Brian was the percussion instructor at California Coast Music Camp in Gualala from 2005 to2007. From 1998 to 2004 Brian was the drum set instructor for the Oaktown Jazz Workshop (an after school, non-profit jazz education program for students ages 12-18). Brian's students from OJW are now attending prestigious music schools across the country. Brian appears on both OJW recordings.

Brian currently performs with Mike Marshall and Choro Famoso, Antonio Calogero Quartet (featuring Paul McCandless and Mike Manring), Wake the Dead (a blend of Grateful Dead songs and Celtic music), Michael Smolens Earplay Jazz Quartet, and his octet Kriya, the Dann Zinn Banned, Potaje (Spanish flamenco and Latin music), the pickPocket Ensemble (original Balkan inspired music), and One World Music (performing organizational development workshops for businesses).

Brian resides in Oakland with his wife Leslie and daughters Melody and Jordan.