To the Sound of the Beat
Richard Simpson ’07 and his business partners own that experience. At his gym — Get Fit, in Havre de Grace, Md. — Simpson and his team provide traditional fitness and boxing training, boot camps and kids programs. Now they’re adding something fresh and new: curated experiences that combine fitness, ministry and Simpson’s original music. Part performance, part workout, they present discipline and infectious positivity to audiences of all ages.
If you’d have asked him during his time at Bucknell — studying sociology and playing football — Simpson wouldn’t have predicted a career in music. Recruited as a wide receiver, he chose Bucknell because he wanted both academic and athletic achievement.
“I knew I would be held accountable,” Simpson says. “Bucknell prepared me to be disciplined … that translates to everything I do. My professors — Tracy [Elizabeth] Durden, Carl Milofsky — embodied that discipline, and they believed in our ability to make a positive impact.”
He describes his sound as gritty and relevant and his lyrics as family friendly and empowering. “I want my family to be able to listen to what I create, and to be proud to tell others about my music,” Simpson says.
Simpson’s efforts are gaining momentum. He and his team played a show in a local housing community, train the high school football team, and are partnering with the Scars Foundation — a nonprofit focused on raising mental health awareness and spearheaded by Havre de Grace native Sully Erna of the rock band Godsmack.
He has also made intentional efforts to engage his community in the creation of his second album, partnering with local producers and other artists. “I love that it’s growing organically in the community where I grew up,” he says. “It’s starting to bleed into each corner and make an impact for good.”