Malcolm Bruce
(Composer of the Music Start CD)
"Having grown up with a father immersed in a career in music, I cannot remember a time when music was not a living and breathing part of my life, an expression of things that cannot be said, but can be heard and understood", says Malcolm Bruce. "There would be jazz, classical and pop on the stereo, and musicians were always coming and going in our house - rehearsals and tours would be happening, recordings being made etc. It was a stimulating place to be. I can remember my first clumsy attempts at writing music, around the age of 7 or so. Improvising also provided a way to discover, however tentatively, a way into the big world. Around this time piano lessons started, and a little later I started playing the bass and then the guitar (Jimi Hendrix was an inspiration at the time!). Playing the violin followed for a while at secondary school. I had the good fortune to go to a school, in Woodbridge, Suffolk, that provided an excellent musical environment, with practice rooms decked out with pianos, choirs and school orchestras to boot. Guildhall followed, initially the Junior Department, and new horizons of knowledge came into view. I also began performing live in various ways, and recording sessions followed. To me, the wonderful adventure in music is an integral part of life for all, enriching our extra-musical experiences with play and games, noble and aspirational, yet free and subjective - a way to make time stand still. The ultimate transcendental experience!"
Malcolm composed the music and wrote the lyrics for the Music Start CD. He also played piano, guitar, bass, percussion and voice throughout the CD. He is a composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer. He has worked internationally as a performer and recording artist alongside figures as diverse as Karl Jenkins, Eric Clapton, Ozzy Osbourne, and his father Jack Bruce. As a composer Malcolm has written music for theatre, television and numerous recordings, developing a highly distinctive yet accessible style as songwriter, 'classical' composer and improviser. Recent work includes producer for the band The 3rd Degree (with Aaron Johnson, producer of The Frays), composer and producer for television advertisements and BBC documentaries, composer and performer for The Librarians' Joke (UK tour funded by Arts Council, England) and the European Storytelling Marathon for the British Council (2006 and 2007). Early years work includes music, movement and story telling sessions nationwide, creating a DVD for Mapledene Children's Centre and a CD for a First Steps project in Somers Town.
For more information on Malcolm Bruce, visit: http://www.malcolmbruce.com
Youth Music
Youth Music exists to facilitate and fund high quality and diverse musical experiences for young people up to the age of 18, particularly those living in areas of social and economic need.