Musicatlas
Music
Bruce’s most complex works are the string quartets in the keys of C-minor ("Humboldt") and A-minor. The C-minor quartet entitled the "Humboldt" quartet for the Humboldt State University was first composed to aid him in an attempt to gain a post as a Music Composition Instructor at the university. In addition to that Bruce has composed many other chamber works such as the Viola Preludes for Raymond Markland, a friend and violist. Also many compositions for Piano solo such as the 24 intermezzos in the 24 keys, the Four Piano Sonatas and the Variations on a theme in G major (also known as Jackie’s Variations).
Life
Adam Bruce was born in Mission Hills, in Los Angeles, CA on February 9th, 1993 to a middle class American family. They moved fist to Culver City, west Los Angeles in the first year after Bruce’s birth and from there his Mother moved to La Habra in east Los Angeles and his father to Cypress in Northern Orange County. His father, a Lawyer by profession, was also a poet, novelist and musician. At the age of 7, Bruce played percussion in his elementary school’s marching band and just a year later learned the electric bass. His early years were spent mostly playing jazz music, a genre and culture that would influence many of his compositions. Jazz characterized his youth more than any other pursuit, his friends spanned from his own age to the age of 26 and every age in between. In 2003 he was invited to become a resident musician at Tucker Studios in east Los Angeles and stayed there until his eventual d eparture from Southern California in 2006. At the age of 10 Bruce began studying Musicology and Music Theory at the Cypress College under Dr. Robert Winsloe, a friend and fellow Jazz musician, who was professor of Theory and Composition at the college. He soon also began composing under the influence of Dr. Winsloe, his early compositions being mainly Jazz centered, but also including works such as a cantata (Oh Bethlehem), an unfinished Jazz opera (The Trials of Adversity) and even a Film Score for a short film (Music to "The road hours").
In 2006 Bruce moved to Northern California into a small town close to Eureka in Humboldt County at the age of 13. He soon established himself as a musician in the small county, continuing to play Jazz, becoming a symphonic musician, playing percussion for The Eureka Symphony and eventually a music teacher. His own compositions flourished in Humboldt as they had never before. He started studying the classical masters much closer and started composing much more extended works. He gained a post as an organist and composer for a small Catholic parish in Humboldt, and was put to the task of composing many religious and sacred works.