Bruce Voris

Bruce Voris has been drumming for over 55 years!

Bruce played percussion through school in marching, symphonic, and jazz bands and in college played on the much-heralded snare line at Arizona State University! Growing up a jazz player, Bruce has been a kit drummer most of his life as well, playing in jazz, swing, Dixieland, and classic rock cover bands, which he still does to this day.

After a 20-year hiatus from playing marching snare after college, Bruce was introduced to the world of Highland Snare Drumming! Bruce's wife Sandy was learning the pipes and in 2002, the Glendale Pipe Band was born and they needed more drummers. Bruce joined the band and learned under D/S Jim Toomey. When Jim moved out of state after a few years, Bruce became Drum Sergeant for Glendale, and has filled that role ever since. Bruce's other teachers over the years include Ed Best and Gordon Brown.

In 2017 and 2018, while Instructor with Glendale, Bruce also played with Phoenix Pipe Band Grade 3 under D/S Kyle Reich, and helped that drum corps win several high profile contests. In 2023, he traveled to Ireland with the Hugh O’Connor Memorial Pipe Band under PM Len Wood and D/S Kyle Reich to compete in the All-Ireland Games, reuniting with his former D/S Jim Toomey in that drum corps.

Bruce is also an accomplished solo competitor in WUSPBA, rising through the grades from Grade 4 to his current Grade 2 as a solo snare drummer. His biggest accomplishment as a soloist was taking a first place Grade 2 solo medal at the Costa Mesa Highland Games from judge Jim Kilpatrick!

Bruce has had many drumming students over the years and loves to teach highland drumming. In fact, most of the snare drummers in his Glendale drum corps are his students who he taught from scratch. Bruce has also taught at various workshops over the years, including for the Arizona Fire Service Pipe Band.