Colleen C. Ruddy
Musician, Music Teacher & Teacher of the Visually Impaired
Colleen is a versatile musician and educator. She brings a thoughtful, refined approach to performance and teaching, combining a background in musical performance, education, and community service with a deep commitment to supporting people of all abilities. She performs upright bass, electric bass, and solo cello for events.
Originally from Scranton, Pennsylvania, Colleen's career began with an interest in film, pop and classical music at a young age. She was inspired to start playing the upright bass in fifth grade when she realized that she could play the theme from Jaws. During high school and college, Colleen continued to learn and refine a broad range of musical abilities. Her classical training has been shaped by her private teachers, the Principal Bassists of the Boston and Pittsburgh Symphonies, Edwin Barker and Jeffrey Turner.
She has performed live with the Eagles, The Who, Game of Thrones in Concert, Andrea Bocelli, appeared as an electric bassist on NBC's The Voice, toured with Simon Cowell's pop opera group, 'Il Divo', Star Wars In Concert and the Chamber Orchestra Kremlin. She has had the opportunity to perform as principal bassist with two video game orchestras, Kingdom Hearts in Concert's 2018 U.S. tour and also Metal Gear Solid live in NY. Colleen has had the privilege of performing in venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Library of Congress, Boston's Symphony Hall & Los Angeles' Nokia Theatre. Some of her other exciting projects include collaborating on a project for Dubstep DJ's Skrillex &12th Planet, successfully performing a live audition for Cirque du Soleil's finalist's pool on electric and upright bass, performing back-up vocals and bass with folk artists and rock bands around Hollywood, as well as on-camera appearances. She can be spotted in a commercial for Cirque du Soleil's casting division, an episode of MTV's Teen Wolf, NBC's 2013 TV pilot Brenda Forever and the 2012 motion picture, Atlas Shrugged II.
As an active advocate for inclusivity, the arts & Vision education, Colleen's work in the entertainment industry is driven by a desire to teach and share her love for helping people with visual impairments and music with others. Her past teaching experience includes teaching for the Perkins School for the Blind and Carroll Center for the Blind, guiding and mentoring students through institutions such as the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra's Intensive Community Program, Harvard University and the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. In addition to degrees in music performance from Carnegie Mellon and Boston University, Colleen's training also includes completion of a Teacher of the Visually Impaired certification program, including a master's in education degree, through the University of Massachusetts at Boston's School for Global Inclusion and Social Development and a music education certification program from Carnegie Mellon University.