Bruce Ling's Page

My Role

Artist

My Discipline(s)

Theater, Music, Visual Arts, Film & Video, Digital Arts, Design

About Me And My Work

Bruce Ling, one of Michigan's finest musical treasures, is a River-side mystic, eloquent story teller and passionate caretaker of America's collection of traditional music. Raised in a multi-faceted musical family, Bruce found his calling at the ripe age of eight, becoming the recipient of a vast amount of oral tradition: songs and stories passed on from older folk to younger generations. He has since honed an extraordinary repertoire of traditional string-band tunes from near and far. He plays with equal flair and skill on fiddle, mandolin and flat-picked guitar. With stage performances that combine the expressive style of Garrison Keillor or Will Rogers, he paints musical portraits celebrating the colorful history of rural America with a broad repertoire of both original and time-savored traditional folk songs. As singer and songwriter, Bruce understands the importance of keeping the history of this timeless musical genre alive and well. He shares his keen knowledge with caring and passion, and his inspiration has propelled a legion of young musicians to continue playing these songs...a true testament to Ling's talents as a teacher and mentor.

Places I Would Like To Visit

I've played on street corners in Nashville and New Orleans, Southern CA and Cape Cod. I spent a year in '75-'76 as a teen attempting to be discovered as the next Neil Young, working the Huntington Beach Pier, the sidewalk in front of The Golden Bear, Marina Del Rey, Laguna Beach and that whole stretch.
I now front a popular string band, Hawks and Owls, give lessons on fiddle, mandolin, and guitar, teach workshops on these instruments at major music festivals, and am recognized as a source of a vast amount of Traditional American music.

Art Forms And Cultures I Would Like To Engage With

I'd love to have a few months to travel and record the music and stories of rural Elders in Appalachia and the Deep South.

My Creative Influences & Favorite Artists

Larry Williams, a nationaly famous local fiddler, taught me to play fiddle by osmosis. I sat next to him at his session every Tuesday night for around 8 years at the Countryside Inn in North Dorr, south of Grand Rapids, MI. I was already performing professionally on mandolin and flatpicked guitar at the time.
I also spent years playing with guitarist Red Kimble, and he taught me Musicianship and Grace, and an exquisite type of Kindness that knows no bounds. He's also responsible for the 1970 D-28 that I play.
I had studied the Flatpicking of Doc Watson and Norman Blake, and later added some flair to my playing ala Tony Rice.

My Web link

http://www.hawksandowls.com