Bruce Turner

What did you do before joining dBs?

"I was a session guitarist and a guitar tutor. My degree in graphic design was focussed on film and multimedia and that started to integrate music production as well. This led to me moving to Bristol and playing in several local bands, one of which was Mo Funk, and this started getting more serious and professional.

"Soon after I got a job with local dnb artists D-Style (Distorted Minds, TC, Jakes, D-Product and others), it was at this point that I started to take music much more seriously and formalised my education (instrumental grades and MA) before making the move to teaching at dBs."

Why did you first get into sound and its wider applications?

"When I was 7 years old, I was taught guitar by John Parish who is best-known for his work with PJ Harvey. I just became very inspired by his enthusiasm and very excited at quite an early age by performing music.

"In terms of wider applications, with my more recent research I wanted to devote more time to health and over the years had become more attuned to physicality, and started to think about adjoining sound with other disciplines."

Any special areas of interest?

"I'm very interested in nature and in natural patterns, which include bio-rhythms. I am fascinated with the temporal patterns that people enjoy moving and dancing to. I think what's really interesting is that people seem to have a resonant tendency toward sonic attributes that will naturally accord with them.

"I am also interested in the evolution of sound culture as well. For example there are natural harmonics that don't fit into western musical systems, so there's a lot of research potential in developing how sound and rhythm are affective physiological and psychological."

What do you love most about what you do?

"I love working with sound. I think it's the most direct artform in evoking an emotional response and that's always exciting from both a listening and creative perspective."

Tell us about your proudest career moment.

"In music, playing live on Fabio and Grooverider Radio 1, at Maida Vale (with TC) was pretty exciting."

What do you get up to outside of teaching?

"Family, Taiji Chuan and graphic design mostly. A lot of my work on graphic design goes into creating art for Paper Dragon, which is influenced by a range of visual concepts, such as Japanese design motifs. Paper Dragon is a Bristol-based electronic collective that I produce and perform with, alongside other members of dBs staff."

Tell us something our students may not know about you.

"When I was younger I worked for a modelling agency and one of the stranger gigs I got was featuring as an illustrated character featured on a Swedish Mills and Boon-type murder mystery novel; I was the lawyer! (not sure if I was the murderer though - should probably check."

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