Bruce John Leek to be Inducted into AWAPA

BRUCE JOHN LEEK

TO BE INDUCTED INTO NBA’S ACADEMY OF WIND AND PERCUSSION ARTS

Bruce John Leek is a native of Pasadena California and is a product of the Pasadena public school system. His initial stage introduction in instrumental music began in the second grade playing accordion, and as he recalls played until his mother threatened to disown him. That prompted him to begin horn in the third grade. While in junior high school and showing promise as a horn player, he began studying with Sinclair Lott who was the principal hornist in the Los Angeles Philharmonic. This prepared him to play in both band and orchestra at Pasadena High.

Bruce Leek received undergraduate degrees from both Pasadena City College and California State University Los Angeles in Education. Following that, he worked on a Master of Arts degree from California State University Long Beach. During this time, he was a substitute for the Pasadena Symphony Orchestra. Following graduation he taught 6th grade in Huntington Beach, California for five years.

His interest in audio and the recording arts began at the age of 13 by “hanging out” with older kids who had a company recording church and school ensembles. He learned the basics through helping them with all aspects of a recording session. He credits his skills by learning his craft through “the school of hard knocks.”

His life focus changed when he realized he could make a better living in the recording industry than teaching at the time. When the opportunity to significantly improve his income came, the choice was obvious. He began work as a mastering engineer in Burbank, California.

In his career, Mr. Bruce Leek has produced, engineered and/or mastered over 16,000 recordings, which have garnered more than 30 Grammy Awards and countless nominations. The phenomenal breadth of his experience ranges from The Beatles to The Philadelphia Orchestra and from The Mormon Tabernacle Choir to The United States Air Force Band and Singing Sergeants. In the 1970s and 1980s Bruce Leek was responsible for a large majority of the audiophile mastering business working for clients such as Telarc, CBS, RCA, Delos, A&M, Reference Recording, and Varese Sarabande. During this same time, he was working for the biggest selling rock groups such as The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac and Jefferson Airplane/Starship.

Since 1982, Mr. Leek has worked as an independent producer/engineer. He specializes in minimal microphone techniques with instrumental and vocal ensembles and his clients have included The Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, The Cincinnati Orchestra, Radio Luxembourg Symphony Orchestra, The Pacific Chorale, The Roger Wagner Chorale and The Texas Boys’ Choir. He has also recorded and mastered over 600 recordings for Air Force bands around the world. Other prestigious military bands include The “President’s Own” United States Marine Band, The United State Army Band, The United States Army Field Band, and The United States Military Academy (West Point) Band. Every year he continues to record many of the finest college and university bands around the country.