Artists:Bruce Holmes

Bruce Holmes grew up a fingerpicking folkie. But then caught the rock bug and wanted to join the Beatles. When that didn’t pan out he returned to his roots. For much of his adult life he’s done shape-note singing with the Sacred Harp community. He studied flatpicking with the bluegrass folks. He’s learned fiddle tunes with his daughter. (His time on the fiddle allows him to pick up a mandolin and you’ll hear some of that in his recordings.) He’s always loved Celtic music and enjoys playing those tunes on the guitar. But that combination has always lacked some elemental charge, so now he spends some time each day practicing the bodhran and concertina. His influences include the Byrds, Jethro Tull, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Warren Zevon. When people tell him he reminds them of Ian Anderson, he takes that as a huge compliment.

But more than anything he loves a good story. And a lifetime of stories is shared in his songs.

Holmes has spent most of his life teaching. He’s taught everything from Aikido to folk dancing to juggling to chess (he was the coach for Oakton Chess, Illinois State Champions in 1993 and 1994). He’s the author of Anvil of the Heart, a science fiction novel that made the Locus recommended reading list for 1984. He also created a 24 cassette series on the Feldenkrais Method that is used all around the globe.

His first CD, Life’s An Intelligence Test, resonates with a lifetime of musical influences. It has been adopted for airplay by over 100 radio stations. (Radio Teutoburger Wald in Germany called it a masterpiece.) Five songs from the album were submitted to the Great Lakes Songwriting Competition. Three were awarded Honorable Mentions, one took 3rd Place and one took 2nd Place. In 2005 he was selected for the FARM Juried Showcase.

If you’d like to hear some great stories and discover where a lifetime of music can lead, come and listen.