Bruce Pearson

Bruce Pearson is a world-renowned music educator, author, composer, and clinician. He is the author of the Standard of Excellence Comprehensive Band Method— regarded as the most important contribution to the field in the last three decades—and the groundbreaking Best In Class Comprehensive Band Method. His latest contribution, co-authored with Ryan Nowlin, is the Tradition of Excellence Comprehensive Band Method. This next-generation performance-centered curriculum sets a new barre by seamlessly blending time-tested and innovative pedagogy with cutting-edge technology.

In addition to his band method books, Dr. Pearson co-authored, with Dean Sorenson, the Standard of Excellence Jazz Ensemble Method and the Standard of Excellence Advanced Jazz Ensemble Method. He is also well-known as a composer of many widely-performed compositions and arrangements for concert band and jazz ensemble. He has led clinics in all fifty of the United States and has been guest conductor and clinician, by invitation, of countries throughout the Pacific Rim, the Orient, Europe, and the Canadian provinces.

Bruce Pearson has taught at the elementary, junior high, high school, and college levels for over thirty years. Twice nominated for the prestigious Excellence in Education Award, he was recognized as “most outstanding in the field of music” for the state of Minnesota. In December, 1998, Dr. Pearson, “in recognition of his outstanding contribution to music education,” was awarded the prestigious Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference Medal of Honor. In 2001, he was awarded St. Cloud State University’s Distinguished Service to Music Award “in appreciation for lifelong contribution to music and music education.” In 2007, Dr. Pearson received St. Cloud State University’s Distinguished Alumni Award. That same year he was recognized as the first Patron for the Maryborough Conference in Queensland, Australia. The American School Band Directors Association conferred on Dr. Pearson the 2014 Edwin Franko Goldman Award “as a symbol of high esteem and respect, and as a measure of appreciation and gratitude for outstanding personal contributions to the school band movement.” Dr. Pearson continues to serve as a guest lecturer, clinician, and conductor in addition to his work as a composer, arranger, and author.

You can follow Bruce Pearson on Twitter @BrucePearsonMus