While living in California he performed with many ensembles, including the San Jose Symphony, San Francisco and Oakland Symphony Orchestras, the Carmel Bach Festival, the San Francisco Civic Light Opera, and the San Francisco Wind Quintet.

His studies at Berkeley led to a Ph.D. degree in music composition. Dickow lived in London from 1973 to 1975 as a recipient of the George Ladd 'Prix de Paris' and has had works performed by the Fitzwilliam String Quartet, Park Lane Players, the Orchestra of St. John's-Smith Square, and the American Horn Quartet, among other ensembles. Among the U.S. groups to have performed his music are the Pittsburg New Music Ensemble, Berkeley Contemporary Chamber Players, Ann Arbor New Directions Ensemble, and the Louisville Youth Choir.

As a composer he has received several prizes and commissions, and is published by Thompson Editions, Shawnee Press, Queen City Brass, and Manduca Music. Most recently he has been composing music for video documentaries and interactive CD ROM educational software. He is also a contributor to the Groves Dictionary of Music and Musicians, The Groves Dictionary of Jazz, and The Groves Dictionary of American Music.

His interests include orchids, fishing, gardening, and computers. He is also very fond of marzipan. 8-)