Bruce Fife was a fulltime, freelance musician for 25 years, working clubs, weddings, and corporate shows, as well as recording and jingle work. A multi-instrumentalist, he performed on guitars, bass, keys, harmonica and vocals.

In 1999, he was elected to the Executive Board of Local 99 of the American Federation of Musicians and then was elected President in 2001. In 2010 Bruce was elected International Vice President of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada. He also sits on the Oregon State AFL-CIO Executive Board, is a founding member of the Oregon Alliance to Reform Media and serves on the Boards of MetroEast Community Media and the Music Education Assistance Project, Inc. Bruce is a member of the Steering Committee of Jobs with Justice, and an active member of several other labor and justice organizations.