Meet Bruce Ervin | Composer, Musician
We had the good fortune of connecting with Bruce Ervin and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Bruce, what habits do you feel helped you succeed?
When it comes to art, I like to gauge success on my personal fulfillment and the feedback I get from my peers. I don’t have very specific habits to share to reach this fulfillment, BUT you have to make time to create. For me, creative inspiration strikes at random – often while I’m on a walk, driving, showering, lying in bed, etc. I use my phone’s voice memo app to quickly capture the idea and carry on with whatever I’m doing. It’s like each of these shoddy recordings is a new match in my creative matchbook. It’s capable of starting a fire, but not until I make time to strike the match. For me, this is often me singing or humming a melody as a voice memo, then later sitting at the piano to add chords, rhythms, arrangement ideas, etc. It’s still creative work, but it’s based on something I’ve already considered worthy of recording. Without giving myself ample time to flesh out ideas, the ideas have nowhere to go. Make time to work on your ideas!
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m all about variety. While most of my creative output involves music, I like to keep my artistic interests as open and free as possible. Performing is a BIG one. I love the instant gratification of live performances, feeling the energy from a crowd and getting to be the ham that I am! But on the opposite end of the spectrum, most of the music I write is very introspective and the goal is to make something beautiful that reflects the complexity of human emotions. I also always want to make music I like to listen to. Outside of music, I love working in theater and film, and have started dabbling in visual arts (thanks to the inspiration and encouragement I get from my wonderful, talented wife Haley). If you have a singular vision, GREAT! Follow that. But I don’t, so I opt to never limit what I’m willing to work on.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Nashville has no shortage of things to do and places to go. I’m not much for the downtown scene lately (lots of bros, bachelorettes, and vomit), and I’m mostly hanging out on the east side or near there. For music venues, I’ll shout out drkmttr, the 5 Spot, the East Room, and for something completely different, Schermerhorn Symphony Center. There are TONS of good restaurants here, but I’ll highlight the Cleveland Park area with Redheaded Stranger, Xiao Bao, and Folk. I love a tiki drink, so Chopper is a favorite for an escapist island getaway drink. And a huge shoutout to the best bakery in the land, Dozen Bakery! In the summer, I love going to see our minor league baseball team, Nashville Sounds. And before a game, go to Henrietta Red for oysters or Little Hats for an Italian sandwich.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My grandma, the late, great Dorothy Boyer, was an incredible champion of my interest in music from a young age. She helped pay for my piano lessons, my first saxophone, my first bass guitar, and would ask me to play music at our family gatherings – some of my first performances! I’ve had so many teachers and collaborators who have supported and encouraged me throughout my life as a musician. I’m grateful for the variety of people I’ve gotten to learn from, but my sweet grandma deserves a special shoutout.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bruceshreds?igsh=MTgwazFhNHBtcm5oaQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Image Credits
📷: Bexx (@bexxchin)
Nominate Someone: ShoutoutTennessee is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
