Rising Stars: Meet Scott Barrier

Today we’d like to introduce you to Scott Barrier.

Hi Scott, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
My journey into my passion for music started in early childhood growing up in Maryland. In elementary school, probably in 2nd grade, my class took a field trip to see the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra to hear songs from Mozart. When the orchestra began playing, and I can’t remember which piece they started with, I felt like I got hit by a happy bolt of lighting! I was thinking to myself, “I know this music! I’ve heard it before”. I know, it’s a crazy thing to think, right?!?! I was so elated I wanted to jump out of my seat and dance, but, you know, it was a symphonic concert, and you can’t. After that, I heard my sister playing songs in her room from top 40 artists (rock, pop, R&B, etc) and was fascinated by what she was listening to.

There were also some kids in my area (which was remote country by the way) who had a radio and we would listen to all the hit songs of the day. I loved all of them! From there, I asked my grandmother for a radio, and while I played with toys in my room, I rocked out to famous artists, singing along, imagining how cool it would be to be them. From there, jumping from about age 8 to 14, I got to go to my first rock concert, which was a band called Crack The Sky. They were a hybrid of Beatles-style music and harder rock, and I was completely blown away! That was when I thought “That’s what I wanna do!”. Up to that point, I had been in the school band starting in 4th-grade playing trumpet, which I liked, but didn’t love. However, being a poor kid in the middle of nowhere in Maryland, I didn’t have access to other opportunities to learn music.

But, I think it was a God thing that a friend of mine’s family on a local farm had a piano in their house, and when I would visit my friend, I’d sneak into the room with the piano to start tapping on the keys and loved what I heard. So, I started teaching myself piano. Once I got into high school, I joined the chorus, as well as a barbershop quartet (which both taught me about the structure of musical arrangement and harmony). I also found a piano in the music wing that was left unlocked and continued to teach myself piano every day after school when no one was around. I let my mom, who is an absolute angel, know what I was doing, so she agreed to pick me up after she finished work from school, so I could learn. That was when I started messing around with creating my own simple compositions and writing songs. They weren’t really good, but it was a start!

Since I had no formal training, I couldn’t get into any music schools, so I went to a local University, Towson University, where, even though I was a mass comm major, I sneaked into the music wing of the music department at Towson almost every night, would find an open empty practice room with a piano, and continued teaching myself piano. At the same time, I met a guy in my dorm who played guitar and always hung out in his room to hear him play. One day he asked me if I wanted to borrow one of his guitars to mess with. I of course said yes, and began to teach myself guitar. So, from there I worked on both instruments.

Once I felt like I kind of knew what I was doing, I felt like I should join a band. I was in a small garage band in college, but those musicians were trained and I couldn’t keep up. I appreciate that they kept me around for a little while. Regardless, I kept working and eventually became good enough to be in bands after college. From there, I started my journey as an artist and songwriter.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not even been close to a smooth road! Since I was never formally trained and had to learn on the fly, I always seemed like I was behind everyone else, who seemed to be moving faster than me in their progress. Plus, I was a good singer, but since I had only been in the chorus and had no formal training, I wasn’t a world-class singer.

I was told over and over again I wasn’t a good enough musician or singer, and many people said I should do something else with my life. However, my passion and love of music were stronger than anything in this world, and I felt like I couldn’t quit. It was like God gave me no choice. I tried to quit many times, but somehow I got pulled back in when someone asked me to do a show or, eventually write songs with them. Once I left Maryland and moved to Nashville, which was even harder, I was outright rejected at the start.

But, I never gave up. I’ll repeat that. I never gave up!!! I have been on a journey that has taken a long time to reach a professional level, but I got there. I wouldn’t recommend to anyone to take my journey! Get formal training when you are young!

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a professional commercial songwriter and musician, having now written over 1600 songs. I own my own music publishing company, am a song plugger, and am a part-time music producer. I am blessed to be able to be a full-time songwriter and get to travel the world still to do music. I have played keyboard, acoustic, and electric rhythm guitar, bass, and hand percussion, been the lead singer and backup singer in many bands. I am also a mentor songwriter and advisor to younger artists and songwriters.

I have been blessed to finally be taken seriously as a musician and songwriter, and to be able to do what I love! Along with that, it has been my greatest joy to work with some of the most talented people in the world! It still blows me away to be in rooms with the best songwriters and musicians in the world, and to have their respect is everything to me! I don’t take it for granted.

How do you define success?
If you are happy with what you do and what you have accomplished at whatever level that is, that is true success!

Money and fame come and go, and in the end, material things don’t matter. Living out your passions and doing what you love is true success.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottbarrier/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scott.barrier