Bruce Detrick

Composer, musician, teacher and poet Bruce Detrick wrote music and lyrics for the theater, scores for two documentary films (on the natural world as healer) and pieces for the Robin Becker Dance Company. "Crosstown Bus", a musical eavesdropping (with original book, music and lyrics), was produced by Stuart Ostrow with the American Repertory Theatre. His settings of the poetry of Rumi premiered at The Open Center, NYC; "The World Mass" premiered in NYC at the Union Theological Seminary; and "Lamento Orfeo" premiered in Italy with an international cast. His song cycle, "Circle of Songs", will be featured on a forthcoming CD. Believing passionately that the arts must renew their spiritual roots in this time of commercialism, Bruce coordinated sacred music and dance retreats for the Omega Institute and the Sufi Community (his Sufi name was Orpheus). Bruce was co-founder and executive director of The Tamarand Foundation which has been bringing roof gardens, children's play gardens, music and the arts to inner city children and adults living with HIV and AIDS since 1987. In 1992 Bruce and his partner (and Tamarand's co-founder) Joe Mondello were honored by the Municipal Art Society of New York for their "years of selfless work and vision of a time when we will find our way to compassion and healing in the AIDS crisis."