My mom chose it. I guess I looked like a Bruce.

Yes. I'm doing acoustic solo gigs at coffeehouse type places, such as the Cafe Espresso in Bellingham, MA.

I think it's great -- I have learned about, heard, and bought CD's of artists I would never have found if it weren't for MP3's and other on-line music formats. I've also started to hear what other independent artists are doing, and I'm starting to share some of my own work. It improves variety and access tremendously, and the quality of non-signed artists is often amazing.

I'm guessing I won't have to face this dilemma any time soon. In any case, with local gigs, MP3 sites like this one, and CD Baby (www.cdbaby.com/bruceirving) to distribute my CD, I'm able to share my music with an audience, which is cool.

I started writing songs when I met a group of musically creative science and engineering dorm-mates, fellow freshmen at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, back before there were CD's and the Internet (yes, we did have electricity). These CMU folks became good friends and we enjoyed making music together, mainly for fun. I formed an acoustic duo with another CMU friend, Rob Simbeck, and we performed at coffee houses and at a bar called The Casbah. We were occasionally funny and usually in tune. We called ourselves Bruce and Rob (yes, we were creative too). For reasons of his own, Rob followed me to the great music capitals of America, Rochester, New York and Los Angeles, California. We wrote together and played at the LA Songwriter's Showcase, which at that time was held at the Improvisation in Hollywood. Rob later moved to Nashville and ran the Boston Marathon, but that's another story.

Fast Forward
Fast forward to real life. A lot of good, important stuff happened, family, kids, jobs, travel. Somehow I became an optical engineer and a father. Along the way I continued to do music from time to time, played with flight sims on the PC, and finally got my pilot's license. When I noticed the MP3 revolution with the help of my (ahem) college-age daughter, I got busy making some new music, including my first CD, "Jardin du Luxembourg" (available at www.cdbaby.com/bruceirving).

Paul Simon, the Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Sting, Elvis Costello and many other songwriters of all styles and persuasions. Eclectic or confused? You decide. I have my own style but people say I sometimes sound like Cat Stevens (or was that Bobcat Goldthwait?), and maybe even James Taylor.

I guess I have to say Paris. I've been there a lot on business and occasionally on vacation. In addition to everything you'd expect, you can also hear some great music there. Last trip I went to a bar and heard a little 3-piece blues-rock band that knocked my socks off. French lead singer sounded like John Fogerty. Go figure.

I play mostly acoustic guitar but I do OK on electric and dabble in keyboards. The PC has been a great help -- Cakewalk Home Studio 2004 is cool (it's the junior version of their top-of-the-line SONAR program, but it does all I need and more). I love the control the PC gives you over sound, and the effects and software synths are very cool.

Well, check out my web site for additional info: Bruce Irving Songs

You can also email me HERE.