Bob Bruer is originally from Mississauga but has lived almost continuously in Simcoe County for more than 40 years. He taught piano privately in the Midland area for almost 30 years while also serving as music director for two local churches (St. Paul’s, Midland, for 14 years and the Penetanguishene Anglican Parish for five years). He became St. John’s Music Director in January 2015.
Bob has two daughters. His oldest daughter Sarah and her wife, Beth, are both United Church Ministers living in Listowel, Ontario while his youngest daughter, Anne and her husband, Brad, live in Orillia, doing their best to raise Bob’s amazing two grandchildren, Adalynn and Kai.
Bob works at Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital as a psychiatric epidemiologist/researcher. He was the founding board president (currently past president) of The Guesthouse Emergency Shelter in Midland. Besides being happy and obsessed with all aspects of his hospital and church work, Bob enjoys being outdoors (particularly with his grandchildren), walking, running, and spending whatever time remains with the adult members of his family.
Bob retains his past therapist status via the Canadian Association for Music Therapy (CAMT) as a Music Therapist Accredited – Retired (MTA-R). He holds a Bachelor of Music Therapy-Honours (BMT) from Wilfrid Laurier University, an Associateship with the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto (ARCT) in piano pedagogy and a Masters in Psychiatric Epidemiology (MPE) from Washington University in St. Louis Medical School. Finally, Bob hopes to always remain a “curious and questioning” member of the Canadian Academy for Psychiatric Epidemiology (CAPE).
