We’re incredibly proud of our alumni continuing to reach for the sun and who, in doing so, have become hugely successful in a wide range of fields. From Old Dragons playing for England like Maia Bouchier (OD 2012), and making life-saving apps like Michael Dent (OD 2002), to our Junior Old Dragons making a difference, such as Anya Katanyutanon (OD 2021) who presented her research findings at the World Conference on Public Health (WCPH).
From dreaming of becoming a rock star at the Dragon to DJing and making music around the world, the latest feature in our Diversity of Dragons series comes from Rik Dobson (OD 1995), whose creativity and curiosity were nurtured during his time at the school. His journey has taken him from electric guitar lessons and school rock concerts to record labels, Los Angeles, Indian classical music and international dancefloors. Along the way, he has continued to follow the sense of magic and possibility he first discovered at the Dragon. His story is a reminder of the power of creative curiosity, finding your own path and, perhaps most importantly, never losing sight of the belief that anything is possible.
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When I think back to my time at the Dragon, I remember so clearly the sense of magic and wonder I felt. It’s where I discovered my passions – music, art and computers – that shape everything I do today. Most of all, I was encouraged to be myself and believe I could do anything.
I remember coming home one day and telling my parents that I wanted to be a rock star. So I started learning the electric guitar with Mr McCarthy – my first lesson was playing the James Bond theme tune! He helped me put a band together, Magma Flame, and soon I was playing lead guitar solos in a rock concert in front of the whole School, with several teachers joining us on vocals.
My IT teacher, Mr McClelland, nurtured my fascination with computers and technology, and playing Apple Mac games after School at Mr Frith’s house transported me to mystical far-away lands like Ancient India, somewhere I’d return to for real years later.
After I left the Dragon, the magic faded for a while. I struggled with the more traditional approach to music at my next school and found myself pushed towards academic subjects that didn’t feel like me.
Discovering electronic music and DJing reignited my passion, leading me to start producing and then to study Music Technology at De Montfort University, where I thrived – but artistically I felt lost trying to find my sound.
After uni, I worked in the music industry at record labels. However, I soon realised that a London office job promoting other people’s music wasn’t the life that was in my heart. So despite my boss at Sony Music telling me I was giving up a job thousands of people would ‘give their right arm for’, I quit and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as an artist.
‘It’s still a struggle forging my own path, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.’
LA was a whole new adventure, but facing this path was more difficult than expected. During a very low point, I discovered Buddhism and chanting ‘Nam-myoho-renge-kyo’.
As I embarked on this spiritual journey, I reconnected with my past and the belief that anything is possible. It led me to encounter Indian classical music and start mixing it with house music. This filled me with the same fascination I’d once found in the magical worlds of those computer games and the 8-bit Eastern melodies that scored them – and it felt both deeply personal and unique.
With the support of my music mentor, Adam Moseley, I launched my artist project, Otm Shank, and my first track premiered on BBC Radio and was played by DJs and radio stations worldwide. I founded Pinkturban, a record label and platform to unite East and West and support other artists on their journey. I met my music guru, Debasish Chaudhury, and began studying the Indian hand drum, the tabla. In the first lesson, I was transported back through lifetimes by the smell of incense and the rhythms of the tabla.
‘Thirty years on from those days at the Dragon, it feels like I’ve come full circle’
I have since released many tracks, collaborated with legends like Talvin Singh, and DJed around the world – from festivals in the California desert and club nights in Goa to a New Year’s Eve party in Beirut. We also just placed a Pinkturban track in a Paramount TV show!
Thirty years on from those days at the Dragon, it feels like I’ve come full circle. I’m now back in the UK, making music in my studio, DJing, running my label, and travelling to India and beyond – it’s like I’m playing those computer games again, but for real.
It’s still a struggle forging my own path, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I’m so grateful to my parents for always encouraging me to follow a creative journey.
My advice to anyone would be this: when you’re a child, you believe you can be anything – an astronaut, an explorer, a rock star – and for a while you can be. Then you grow up, maybe someone says you’re not good enough, or things don’t work out, and you develop limits, lose belief, and ‘downgrade’ your dreams.
Find a way to unwrite that script. Return to the mindset where anything is possible, and keep upgrading your dreams instead. And find good mentors – the ones who fill you with a sense of magic and wonder, just like I had at the Dragon.
Rik Dobson (OD 1995)
Let us know what you’ve been up to since your Dragon Days, we’d love to share your story.
