Bruce deBoer

All midi files on this page are used with permission and are copyright ©2000 Bruce DeBoer. You may not distribute them without the explicit written permission of the author. They remain the personal property of the composer and are NOT in the public domain.

Amethyst - (midi file, 23.5 kb)
Amethyst
 from the album: Twist of faith.

Still a Dream - (midi file, 4.82 kb)
Still a Dream
 from the album: Heart and Soul.
Winds of Time - (midi file, 8.15 kb)
Winds of Time
 from the album: Whispers of my heart

Interview with Bruce deBoer
By Nwaado

N: Where are you from?
Bruce: I was born, raised and educated in central Wisconsin, USA were I still live today. Having been trained as an instructor of science and mathematics, I spent ten years teaching science and math in a high school and then moved on to teach at a technical college in central Wisconsin, USA. I am currently an administrator at the college.
N: What is your first thought when you hear the word "music"?
Bruce: Music to me evokes emotion ...be that happiness, sadness, love, hate, distress, or deep serenity. I believe music comes from the heart and is most enjoyed by people who listen with theirs.
N: What was your first experience with music?
Bruce: I participated, as many do, in the elementary and high school bands and choirs when I was younger. But, I have had no formal training in music. I play by ear...and as they say...by heart. I cannot read music and cannot even play my own compositions when they are transcribed to sheet music.
N: Did you compose music before you were introduced to midi?
Bruce: Before I was introduced to midi I composed a few simple compositions for the piano. Since being introduced to midi in 1997 I have produced over 200 compositions and have complied them into 14 CDs. I find the ability to compose, edit and record via software on the pc has opened up a whole new world for me in terms of turning music I alone can hear into pieces that i can share with all who would listen.
N: You seem to be very productive. What is your trick to get the ideas and melodys flowing, when you sit down to write a piece?
Bruce: I have no idea at all when a piece will come to me. I simply sit down at the keyboard each evening and begin to play. If an idea flows, based on my mood, there will be a song in about an hour. If nothing comes to me right away I don't force the issue. I just simply go on to do something else. Actually, in terms of melodies, I compose the underlying structure of a composition first. The melody and counter melodies are the very last things to come to me. When I start a song and many times when it is almost complete I have no idea what the melody will be.
N: What kind(s) of music do you like to listen to?
Bruce: I enjoy all types of music. But, I would say that my listening preferences would be new age, Celtic, and Classical.
N: What is your advice to someone that wants to start producing music on the web, selling it etc.?
Bruce: I would suggest that you make a connection with someone like MP3.com. I could not currently afford, in terms of money, and time to produce my CDs in any way. I find offering up my midis for free on my "midi" page has gotten me worldwide exposure which is gradually leading to hundreds of links to my MP3 page and subsequent sales of CDs.
N:

What are your plans for the future?
Bruce: I will continue to write music as a hobby as I wind down my career in education. At that point I would like to pursue a dream of integrating my music and my photography into some type of multimedia.