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May 13, 2025
When Josh Bruen steps onto the stage to receive his bachelor’s degree, he will be in a familiar place: smiling in front of a crowd. The Georgia Southern University student has become a fixture of music venues around Statesboro as he plays a mixture of cover songs and original works. Bruen is ready to take his music career to new heights with a degree in marketing in his hands.
“When my music took off, I thought ‘this is perfect,’” said Bruen. “I’m learning what I need to market myself and to basically run my own business. That’s where the marketing side comes into play and I’m glad I stuck with it.”
Bruen’s love for music started early and carried a deep connection to his family.
“My dad’s a pastor, so I kind of grew up in the church. You know music is big in the church, especially in the South,” said Bruen.
His journey almost ended in high school when the pressure of work and other activities took him away from music. Bruen stepped away from his beloved hobby through his high school years, but the music would find its way back to him. He rediscovered his passion while working part time on construction sites as a student at Georgia Southern.
“I would sing when nobody’s there,” said Bruen. “I’d turn my music up and I’d just be singing along. One day one of my coworkers heard me singing and they were like ‘hey, you sound pretty good.’”
With a little encouragement, Bruen began performing at karaoke nights around Statesboro. His voice and skills on the guitar earned him a local following. It was not long before he was taking part in writers’ rounds in Nashville, working on his original songs alongside other future stars. All the while, he found support and help at Georgia Southern.
“Once I figured out what I wanted to do, it was like Georgia Southern was my library,” said Bruen. “I began to think ‘hey, you can do this. You can do that. I can reach out to this person.’ If I ever need to reach out for film majors or photography or even a music studio, Georgia Southern has it.”
Wherever Bruen’s music takes him, he says he will always remember how fans in Statesboro embraced him as he began his career.
“I played so much in Statesboro now, even before I put the song out, they started singing along to the song,” said Bruen. “That’s like the coolest thing — to see somebody sing along to lyrics I wrote. That means a lot to me.”
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University Communications and Marketing • P.O. Box 8055, Statesboro, GA 30460 • 912-478-6397 • news@georgiasouthern.edu