ABOUT GREG BRUCE

Hailing from St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Greg Bruce is a Doctor of Musical Arts currently teaching applied music at the College of the North Atlantic in his hometown. He has spent over 20 years in the music industry as a side-musician, soloist, composer/arranger, and band leader. During this time Greg has drawn on his training in classical and jazz to record, tour, and perform in every setting imaginable: from conferences in the US, to street parties in Canada, to palaces in Russia. 

Greg earned his DMA form the University of Toronto, where he designed a microphone-augmented saxophone capable of producing controlled, dynamic, acoustic feedback tones that act independently of its conventional sound. Greg carried out this innovative research under a two-year Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Doctoral Fellowship at U of T, where he also worked as a TA in the saxophone studio of Dr. Wallace Halladay and as an RA under Dr. Aiyun Huang in the TaPIR Lab. Additionally, Greg was a Steward for CUPE 3902 at the Faculty of Music there. 

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In the music industry, Greg is perhaps best known for leading the award-winning “folk-funk-jazz” sax and drums group, Ouroboros. Through Greg’s leadership, the band has released two full-length recordings as well as a play along book; they have performed in festivals in Canada, the US, and the UK; and they have earned two MusicNL awards, an ECMA award, as well as various other award nominations. Greg has also played with notable St. John’s acts Baytown, Hear/Say, Idlers, and Funky Dory. 

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Greg has composed for solo saxophone, done extensive horn-section arranging, and composed for chamber ensembles using graphic scores. His is a winner of multiple NL Arts and Letters Awards, and his music can be heard on radio across Canada, as well as independent film. In 2017, Greg was commissioned by the Newfoundland Symphony Youth Orchestra to write Spear and Sand, which was premiered by the NSYO in April 2018. 

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As an educator, Greg has been teaching for over 15 years. He has worked as an instructor at Memorial University and has maintained a private studio throughout his teaching career. He has adjudicated festivals and competitions, and has led countless masterclasses and workshops on topics such as saxophone technique, improvisation, electroacoustic music, and research-creation. Greg currently works full-time as an applied music instructor at the College of the North Atlantic, Prince Phillip Drive campus in St. John's, NL. 

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Greg is a former dancer and helped found St. John’s first breakdance group in 2005, East Rock Crew. Over a span of 10 years, ERC toured, competed, and performed at numerous events, including the opening of the Rooms, the Festival of New Dance, and the Canada Dance Festival. Greg also has extensive experience and training as a meditator and yoga practitioner. Greg is former president of AFM/CFM Local 820 – the Newfoundland and Labrador Musicians’ Association and worked as Assistant to the Director of Administration at the CFM head office.