Dr. Bruce Hurley Johnston is a multi-instrumentalist, originally from Searcy, Arkansas. He holds a Doctorate in Music Composition from the University of Miami with Masters studies at the University of Tennessee. He was the recipient of a Talent Scholarship from Berklee College of Music and graduated Summa Cum Laude. Dr. Johnston has won several composition and film scoring awards, has collaborated and performed on classical guitar with avant-garde music legend Elliott Sharp, and has studied with jazz legends Donald Brown and Jerry Coker. He has toured with Arkansas’ own Bonnie Montgomery and performs frequently with Charlotte Taylor and Gypsy Rain as well as FreeVerse. He is also the lead guitarist/music director at The Church at Rock Creek in Little Rock. As a songwriter, Dr. Johnston uses the pen name “Soul South Collective” and can be found as such on all major streaming outlets. Most recently, he’s performed with Heather Headley, Kris Allen, and other assorted Arkansas Symphony Pops Orchestra concerts.
