Richard Wind graduated from Humboldt High School in 1964. He graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a Bachelors of Arts degree in instrumental music education.

He taught music in Northfield Public Schools in 1968 and soon after enlisted in the US Air Force performing in the Strategic Air Command bands stationed in Omaha Nebraska and at Riverside California. After completing his service he earned a Master of Arts in Performance from California State University in Riverside, California.

While living in Los Angeles, he performed professionally in community Orchestras and on occasion performed with the La Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1977 he was a recipient of the Serge Koutskivisky Fellow and performed at the Tangelwood Summer Institute of Music in Lennox, Massachusetts.

Deciding upon teaching as a career, Richard returned to Minnesota and has been teaching Band and Orchestra in the Faribault Public Schools for 23 years. He has been married to his wife Ann for 27 years and has two children, Emily and Mike.