Bruce Burnside

Bruce Burnside has been a professional musician for more than thirty-five years.  Along with guitar, he usually plays mandolin and the banjo family of instruments.  His slide guitar, dulcimer, dobro or autoharp playing only happens under duress.  He's toured in jug bands, folk duos and trios, blues bands, bluegrass bands and as a solo performer most of his life.  With degrees in English and Education, he's a speaker for the Wisconsin Humanities Council on the Civil War and the history of American Opera houses.  As Artistic Director for Forgotten Wisdom (www.forgottenwisdom.org) he teaches history, science, and creative writing during week long residencies in schoolsof the upper Midwest.  He's written several stage productions including Unsung Storeis of the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln:  The Living Legacy.  He has written and recorded numerous CDs, television sound tracks and radio themes since his first full length recording, The Led Balloon Jug Band in 1967.  For 26 years he has been a member of the Blue Canvas Orchestra at Lake Superor Big Top Chautauqua and for 30 years a member of the Lost Nation String Band.  He has survived building a home, three daughters attending college at the same time and five years of directing large groups of third graders in productions of the Bullfrog Banjaree.