Bruce currently serves as the Minister of Music at Christ the King Lutheran Church in New Brighton, MN where he is responsible for all the music for the church.
A 1970 graduate of Concordia College, Bruce taught at Luverne, MN for 5 years, Wayzata MN for 1 year and finished his 34 year teaching career at Anoka High School in Anoka, MN. Bruce earned his Masters Degree in 1978 from Bemidji State University.
Besides his teaching duties, Bruce directed choirs at the United Methodist and Zion Lutheran churches in Anoka, served eleven years on the education staff at St. Olaf College, directed the South St. Paul Male Chorus for five years and the 3M Male Chorus for nine years. In 1998, he founded The Two Rivers Chorale and served as their director until 2004. He has been a guest clinician at numerous choral festivals in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Alaska and Virgina, was the director of the Minnesota All State Mens Choir in 2005-2006.
Bruce has written a Sight Reading Manual for schools and institutions, a Sight Reading Manual for barbershop choruses, and a Music Mastery Manual designed to help teach music basics in the choral classroom. He has also published two pieces with Kjos Music.
Following his time at Anoka High School, Bruce served three years as Associate Director of Music Organizations at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN and directed the Great Plains Harmony, a barbershop chorus and member of the Barbershop Harmony Society.
Bruce was named the Outstanding Music Educator of Minnesota by the National Federation of State High School Associations in 1995. Bruce also received the Outstanding Music Educator Award from the Minnesota Music Education Association for the school year 1999-2000 for his outstanding efforts and leadership in the classroom and beyond. In 2009, Bruce was inducted into the Minnesota Music Educators Hall of Fame.
Bruce has been a regional representative for the Minnesota State High School League, served as Choral Vice President for Minnesota Music Educators Association and has served on the Minnesota ACDA board and is currently a member of MENC and ACDA.
In 2008, Bruce founded The Northern Lights Chorale. The group rehearses weekly from September through November and again in January through April with concerts at the end of November and April. Bruce continues to be active in music, is an avid Minnesota Twins fan and has been known to chase a white ball around the golf course.
