Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Lee Bruns
Hi Jason Lee, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
As a young 11-year-old boy, I took a job delivering newspapers to pay for my first drum set. You had to be 12 years old to qualify (statute of limitations apply – lol). I also began taking drum lessons via a 50-minute bus ride to the nearest music store (Hauer Music Co.), where I was also lucky to attend some drum set clinics by some of the greats who were passing through town. While growing up, I played in every school band, city of Dayton honors ensembles and local garage bands that I could. Countless hours of practice later (and much agitation to my parents and neighbors), I earned a full-tuition music scholarship to Miami University (Oxford, Ohio).
After graduating, I auditioned and was selected for one of only two available drummer spots in USC’s Master of Jazz Studies program, hence my relocation to Southern California. Upon graduating from USC, I was one of three finalists for a position as a part-time drum teacher at a private K-12 school in Studio City (Campbell Hall). This enabled me to financially stay in California while continuing to pursue my passions in music.
After a couple of years at this school, my idea to start a World Drumming Ensemble, a Steel Band, and Recording Arts & Production classes began to come to fruition. I have just concluded my 19th year as a Secondary Music Teacher, and the programs are all thriving.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It was rough moving from being an established artist in a little town in South-West Ohio to the big city of Los Angeles, not knowing a single person. I also had no income and was pretty much living off credit cards and student loans for two full years (not a financial predicament I’d recommend to anyone). Additionally, the master’s program at USC was really challenging to the point that after my first year, I almost considered becoming a business major. I am glad that I didn’t give up and overcame obstacles of self-doubt and made my own path forward. Establishing the programs at the school I was hired at was not always easy either. I had to build the programs from the ground up since they didn’t exist before my arrival. This took lots of patience and diplomatic advocacy, every step of the way, one proposal at a time. What I was trying to create was going against the cultural norms at the school since these were not your typical music classes.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
During my school breaks, I often travel to different parts of the globe to study influential folkloric drumming styles in their places of origin. So far, music-related trips have included: Guinea (djembe), Zimbabwe (mbira), Colombia (cumbia), Brazil (samba), Trinidad & Tobago (calypso), Cuba (rumba), Jamaica (reggae), Guatemala (marimba), Japan (taiko), and most recently, the Bahamas (junkanoo). During these trips, I am not only learning traditional rhythms but also the cultures of the people and the context for the music. Oftentimes, I am able to procure instruments to bring back to my classroom, which accompany the transcriptions and stories I share with my students to teach them about the rich musical cultures. And most recently (due to budget constraints), I had the students build Junkanoo drums from scratch (took some heat for that one).
My boutique record label (Golden Handcuff Record) currently has 13 albums released, two of which peaked on a couple of top 10 charts (Roots Music Report, College Music Journal) and aired on 300+ radio stations nationwide, including L.A.’s Jazz 88.1 FM. As a bandleader, I am the co-founder and drummer of Bruns & Baché (a 9-piece retro-soul band). The band has toured Japan twice (2017 & 2019) and headlined at top L.A. Jazz venues, including Catalina Jazz Club, Vibrato, and Jazz at LACMA. We were scheduled to do our 3rd Japan Tour (2021) but the pandemic had other plans. So instead we released a triple-vinyl box set: 1. Tribute con Salsa (Cuban inspired arrangement of rock songs by late artists), 2. Get Back (original jazz-pop), 3. Happy Holiday (jazzy Christmas music).
In addition to all of this, I run a private music studio, teaching an average of 10 music lessons a week, mostly in drum set but also music theory and music production. With a second master’s degree in Music Production, I also run a home project studio where I produce and mix audio. The most recent project was for a movie called “Ballroom”, recorded with a 12-piece band at the famous Sunset Sound on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood, and mixed by me. This will be my first movie credit.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
A – The most important lessons I’ve learned along the way is to make your own path. 1. Don’t count on others to include you in their success. I am not saying to burn any bridges, but rather to build your own. Then you can invite whomever you want to cross it on your own terms. 2. Be organized and follow up with people in a polite way (no one owes you ANYTHING). 3. Lower your expectations BUT keep your standards high. 4. Don’t compare yourself to others (we are all on our own unique paths). 5. If you come from less, you’re going to have to do more. It is what it is so handle your business. 6. When it’s your turn, don’t feel sorry for anyone, go all-in (they can stay strong like you did).
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.BrunsBeats.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brunsbeats/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JasonLeeBruns/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BrunsBeats
