🎙️ Welcome to Episode 17 of the MI PEOPLE Podcast! 🎙️
In this episode, Mike sits down with Rick Enrico Morrone — a Dearborn, MI-based creative who's hard to pin down with just one title. Rick is a DJ/MC, video producer, actor, musician, and media teacher, and he brings every one of those hats into this conversation. From spinning at corporate events and festivals to teaching the next generation of media makers, Rick is the kind of person who doesn't just talk about creativity — he lives it. This is one of those episodes where the energy is infectious from the first minute.
🎵 Episode Highlights:
🎬 Rick's career as a multi-disciplinary creative — DJ, video producer, actor, musician, and media educator all rolled into one
🎤 Teaching media production in Dearborn and coaching young creatives to find their voice and trust their instincts
🎵 His funk/jam band Strictly Fine — performing original music at festivals like Black Swamp Music and Arts Festival and corporate events across Michigan
📼 Preserving family memories by digitizing old VHS tapes — why this work matters and how he does it with colleague Greg
✂️ "Kill your darlings" — the discipline of cutting your best footage when it doesn't serve the story, and why the first 2 seconds of video are everything
💪 Advice for creatives: believe in yourself — at the end of the day, you're the only one who can truly push your work forward
Rick and Mike also bond over golf — two guys grinding to break 90 — and dig into the real challenges of collaborative creative work, including why communication is the skill most teams overlook. Whether you're a solo creator or part of a team, there's something in this episode for you.
🎤 About Rick Morrone
Rick Enrico Morrone is a Dearborn, MI-based creative professional wearing more hats than most people own. He works as a DJ/MC, video producer, actor, musician, and media teacher — coaching students and collaborating with colleagues to keep creativity alive in the classroom and beyond. His band Strictly Fine is an original funk and jam band out of Detroit that performs at festivals, corporate events, and private gigs throughout Michigan and the Midwest. Rick is also passionate about preserving memories, working to digitize old VHS tapes so families don't lose irreplaceable moments to time.
🔗 Links & Resources
Michigan Media House — storytelling, video production, and digital marketing for Michigan businesses
🎙️ More MI PEOPLE Episodes
Episode 017 is part of the ongoing MI PEOPLE series — real conversations with Michigan's most interesting people. Past guests include Marla Moore of Ann Arbor Music Academy (EP006) and Blake Wyant, Realtor from Grass Lake (EP007). Every episode is a window into what makes Michigan's communities tick.
🔥 Want to Tell Your Story?
Michigan Media House is built for people and businesses with something worth sharing. We handle video production, digital marketing, and local storytelling — giving you the tools and content to grow your brand and connect with your community. If you're a Michigan entrepreneur, creator, or business owner ready to level up, let's talk.