James Bruce Lyttle
Born 1952 at St. Joseph's hospital in North Bay, Ontario. Raised there and in Toronto before moving to the small town of Rodney (population 1100) at age 15. Finished high school there and put off college and law school in favor of "playing in a band" in the 1970s.
Travelled back and forth across Canada with Bill Caldwell's Canadian Talent Productions out of London, and later the Hogan Entertainment Agency out of Toronto. Played guitar (occasionally keyboards or bass), sang, and provided patter between songs. Created 20-minute medleys of vocal groups: Beatles, Beach Boys, and Four Seasons, along with a medley of TV show theme songs, and brief comedy skits.
Left full-time performing in 1980 to settle down and work at Kitchener's Electrohome Electronics on the Canadian government's Telidon project for three years. Still played in bands part-time and prepared musical arrangements for the Johnnie Johnston Irish cabaret show.
Finally went to college in 1983 for bachelor's degree in philosophy and a "case method" MBA. Spent a few years designing and operating lighting for more than three dozen plays in Toronto theatres. On July 3, 1995, received the Dharma name Single Breath from Samu Sunim at The Zen Buddhist Temple on Vaughan Road. Happened upon a job teaching adults at a DeVry Institute of Technology ... and loved it!
Returned to school to earn the appropriate (Ph.D.) degree. Came to America to teach at LIU in Brooklyn just in time for the September 11 attacks, then Penn State, and finally the University of Minnesota. In the meantime, got married, had a lovely daughter, and retired in 2016. Currently teaching night classes at local public schools and making amateur music as a hobby.