Musical and Artistic Identity

John Bruce Wallace is an American composer and an avant-garde, free jazz, fusion, experimental, improvisational progressive metal guitarist. His musical work focuses on the expansion of the voicings of the electric guitar through improvised compositions. As a free jazz solo performer, he is interested in generating extended sound statements through solo performance, incorporating improvised sound expressions that emphasize the deconstruction of structure and pattern. His compositions often feature multi-tonal qualities, dense passages, harmonic and micro-tonal sound statements, or silence defined by irregular rhythms and primitive beats.

Beyond his musical pursuits, Wallace finds supplemental expression through painting and computer generated art. His figurative images in oil have explored the emotional aspects of the human experience, often utilizing his fingers in lieu of brushes, while his abstract images explore the definition of the surface and color. He has exhibited his work in several locations, including New York City, Washington, DC, Chicago, Minneapolis, Missouri, Maryland, Maine, and Virginia.

Academic and Personal Background

Wallace holds several academic credentials, including degrees in Philosophy from the University of Southern Maine and Information Systems Management from the University of Maryland University College. He also holds a Certificate in Information Management from UMDC and a Certificate in Legal Studies from Antioch School of Law. Additionally, he studied philosophy at the University of Oregon. He has published a monograph in philosophy on Solipsism titled Genesis: Involvement: Generation.

In the early 1990s, Wallace was diagnosed with Ménière's disease/syndrome, a progressive vestibular condition affecting balance and hearing. This condition involves symptoms such as vertigo, fluctuating tinnitus, and fluctuating hearing loss. To navigate these challenges, he has developed an increased sensitivity to the finger sensations of how each note and chord vibrates. Furthermore, in 2010, his right hand was severely mangled by a dog bite, which presented unique challenges for his playing style that incorporates the use of fingers, a pick, and various other sections of the right hand.