The Glendale Star
18
October 28, 2021
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Bruce Kirkwood talks no regrets, music and his debut album BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI
Glendale Star Executive Editor
Bruce Kirkwood studied accounting at the University of Southern Mississippi, but something else was tugging at his heartstrings. Music. “It was hard to pass up my passion,” Kirkwood said about pursuing a music career. “I knew I’d have a lot of regrets if I chose accounting.” A professional violinist, the North Phoenix resident released an EP, “Valley Vibes.” The Chicago native, who was raised in Gulfport, Mississippi, is experienced in playing a variety of styles and presenting a fusion of a classical and contemporary sounds. Thanks to his talents, he has performed for various prestigious organizations and events such as the Houston Rockets, Iyanla Vanzant, Archdiocese of New York, National Urban League, Mayo Clinic, Essence Festival and Oprah Winfrey Network. With a collective social media following of over 100,000 people, he commits to using his global presence to motivate, empower and bring hope to the world. He does so through his weekly Facebook Live performances and motivational content on social media. “This window of time is set aside weekly as an opportunity for people to step away from the negativity of social media and join a personable environ-
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Bruce Kirkwood, who grew up in Gulfport, Mississippi, is raising money to help those suffering from the aftereffects of Hurricane Ida. Kirkwood survived Hurricane Katrina. (Photo courtesy of Bruce Kirkwood)
ment where positive energy and motivation is generated and transferred freely throughout those present,” Kirkwood said. Kirkwood moved to Arizona to pursue his dream. “My reason for choosing Phoenix was because it had become my second home after making over a dozen trips to perform here during a two-year span,” he said. “It was a great choice, too, because the Valley is a better market for business and was near other great markets, like Vegas and LA. My agent/manager lives here, and that was a tremendous incentive.” His manager is Marion Kelly, the
Mayo Clinic’s director of community engagement, department of public relations, and the co-founder of the Diversity Leadership Alliance. “We met in November 2018 at a conference in Mobile, Alabama,” Kirkwood said. “He was there representing the Mayo Clinic and I was there performing.” Kelly invited Kirkwood to perform in Phoenix, and the violinist fell in love with the desert, mountains and music scene. The pandemic and his subsequent slower schedule allowed him to pull off the move to Phoenix. “Coming from Biloxi, there are far more resources and connections here,” he said. “It was about time for me to
move. COVID was slow, so it allowed me to go ahead and make that move. I have no regrets.” He still has ties to the South, however. He recently held a virtual benefit for New Orleans after it was hit by Hurricane Ida. Kirkwood wanted to “meet a need and be a part of the solution.” “So many people sit back, see it as entertainment or something to look at and say, ‘Wow,’” said Kirkwood, a Hurricane Katrina survivor. New Orleans is an hour from where he was raised. “Many people don’t take that next step and help people rebuild and recover. We’re raising funds for the Greater New Orleans Foundation. My heart goes out to the devastated residents of the birthplace of jazz, who are once again forced to rebuild their communities.” He’s still collecting money through GoFundMe, and all funds will be donated directly to the Greater New Orleans Foundation and allocated for purposes such as erecting temporary shelters, distributing food and water, providing medical care to the more than 4 million residents without power, and other necessities. A violinist for about 20 years, Kirkwood is looking to Phoenix and Kelly to “catapult” him to where he wants to go. He yearns to continue to grow and make more connections. “I love the musician community around here,” Kirkwood said. “There are great musicians and quality music opportunities at a very high level here. It’s new to me to have that locally. I’m really getting plugged in and making those connections to take things to the next level. That’s happening so quickly.”
Bruce Kirkwood
GoFundMe: https://bit.ly/KirkwoodIdaFundraiser
