Today we’d like to introduce you to Scott Barber.
Scott, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
In 2011, when I moved into the Echo Park house there was a room in the back that was just a big empty rectangle designated as a “storage space” The walls were a foot thick of cement to hold up the foundation of the house and it was mostly underground except for one window overlooking the north hills of Elysian Heights. Since I was a musician, I naturally had quite a lot of amps and instruments and it quickly became apparent that this would be a great space to record and play music in. I started off doing some very bare boned recordings for me and my friends, but the more I worked in the space the faster it grew.
Eventually, I decided it was time to go all out. I contracted an acoustician to design the interior and make sure the space was built out correctly. We added asymmetrical walls and built out rooms within rooms to keep sound from going in and out. We put in a window so you could see the live room from the control room. I also had a lot of help from friends and family who helped me wire it up and build custom acoustic panels for sound treatment. It was important to me to create a room with a good vibe and a unique energy. I didn’t want it to be a sterile or generic recording environment. Over the years since I’ve been continually making upgrades and investing to get better gear and better results. There are so many different things you can do with a space like this and I’m always discovering new possibilities. It’s at a place now that I’m really happy with and it’s helped me grow as an engineer and music producer. I’m so grateful to be able to create and collaborate in such a great space in such a vibrant, creative part of the city.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being that my only experience in studios was occasionally going into them to record, learning to run and operate out of a studio was a really steep learning curve for me. The amount of knowledge I needed to acquire felt endless for a long time. I was basically doing everything myself. Learning to record, engineer, run a business. Time management became so crucial. I don’t think a day has gone by where I haven’t learned something important. Every time I achieve a new goal, the marker is moved and I’m back in the hustle. I’m learning to just relax and enjoy it. I try to keep in mind that the space is here to help realize peoples ideas and dreams and I just make sure nothing gets in the way of that.
Please tell us about The Barber Shop Recording Studio.
In it’s simplest form The Barber Shop is just a great space to record music or develop creative ideas. I try to keep things very chill in here because I know that there can be a lot of pressure when you’re in a studio, but mostly good ideas flow when people are happy, comfortable and feeling good. I’ve discovered that every project or person has very different needs. Sometimes I’m very hands-on working with artists on a production level, other times they really don’t need any help and I just get to lay low and stay out of the way. Definitely, the location of the studio plays a big part in the atmosphere. I think it really helps that it’s right next to the nature of Elysian Park and when you go outside, it’s peaceful and there is a great view of the Santa Ana Mountains. I know it kind of always helps me regroup.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
When I was a kid, I would go over to my grandmother’s house and my family would turn out the lights and shine a little spotlight on me. There was a little fireplace ledge and I’d stand on that like it was a stage. Then I’d try and recount the story of Jack and The Beanstalk to everyone. They’d all crack up when I said: “Fee-fi-fo-fum I smell the blood of an English muffin”. I guess I didn’t know why they were laughing at the time, but it didn’t really matter to me, I just really liked being entertaining.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.thebarbershoprecordingstudio.com/
- Phone: 323 620 5515
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottbarber/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebarbershoprecordingstudio
- Other: https://www.studiotime.io/l/the-barber-shop/5ad7ea36-cec4-42ad-a91a-ecdc0e58f457
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