Dave Ruch (born November 8, 1964) is an American performer and teaching artist working with K-12 students and multi-generational audiences across much of the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Ruch specializes in educational programming, performing over two hundred concerts, lectures, workshops and distance learning programs each year.
Ruch began playing guitar in 1980. After playing semi-professionally in Buffalo NY and Washington DC from 1982-1992, Ruch became a full-time musician in November 1992, initially teaching music and performing regionally from his home base in Buffalo. He also performed nationally during this period with musicians such as David Gans, Virginia and the Blue Dots, and members of the band moe.
Ruch began his arts-in-education career in 1995, developing curriculum-based music programs for K-12 students around social studies content areas. He continues to work in sixty to seventy schools each year as a performer and teaching artist.
In 2014, Ruch developed a series of virtual field trips and online cultural arts programs for the school market.
Ruch has dozens of recording sessions with older âÂÂheritageâ musicians. He was appointed to the New York Council for the Humanitiesâ âÂÂSpeakers in the Humanitiesâ program in 2006 and stayed on through the programâÂÂs demise in 2015, and is currently a "Public Scholar" with that organization He was project director for the Traditional Arts in Upstate New York (TAUNY) award-winning âÂÂW is for the Woods: Traditional Adirondack Music and Music Makingâ website in 2009, and music director and concert host, producer and musician for TAUNYâÂÂs 2013 âÂÂSongs to Keepâ project. Ruch was featured in the nationally syndicated 2014 âÂÂSongs to Keepâ documentary from Mountain Lake PBS, which went on to win a New England Emmy Award., and in 2017 was featured in the CBS News Sunday Morning cover story on the bicentennial of the Erie Canal
Ruch founded The Canal Street String Band in 2010 in Buffalo NY. The group was named to the New York State Presenters Network artist roster in 2014-15, receiving funding for six residency projects across the state.
2015 âÂÂWah Hoo!â - The Canal Street String Band
2013 âÂÂSongs to Keep â The Adirondack North Country Recordings Reimaginedâ - Various Artists (Producer and Performer)
2011 âÂÂIntroducing the Canal Street String Bandâ - The Canal Street String Band
2008 âÂÂThe Oldest Was Born Firstâ - Dave Ruch
2004 âÂÂGood Time Music 2â - The Hill Brothers
2003 âÂÂSeason of Lightâ - The Hill Brothers
2002 âÂÂThe 3 RâÂÂsâ - The Hill Brothers
1999 âÂÂSoft Swing Duetsâ - The String Brothers
1998 âÂÂGood Time Musicâ - The Hill Brothers