Check Out Barb Morrison’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Barb Morrison.

Hi barb, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
from as far back as i can remember i’ve been a fan of music. my brain was just oriented musically. i was fascinated with figuring out how music was made at a very young age. as soon as i could actually record music i was off to the races. i started out by producing my own music and then moved on to my friend’s bands. when i realized i was pretty good at it, then the jobs started coming. right now im in my third decade of being a producer and im still learning new things all the time.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
i think the biggest struggle in becoming a great producer is really learning the “people” part of it. when youre starting out you think its about being the best musician or the best technical engineer when in actuality its mostly about the psychology of it. you have to learn every artists strengths and weaknesses and use both of those things with grace and compassion. the job is part cheerleader, part best friend, part therapist and part coach. these are the things people dont tell you at first. you can only learn them as you go along. the other super important part is being an olympic time manager so the artist’s budget is utilized in the best way. ive seen so many producers piss a budget away and then the artist ends up getting screwed. my artists depend on me to make sure we show up and we dont waste time. these are the things no one can really TELL you. you have to live this part and learn it on your own.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
although ive worked for decades in the studio with artists such as blondie, rufus wainwright, franz ferdinand and LP one of the things i truly love doing now is mentoring new artists. during the pandemic we couldnt go into the studio so i started taking on artists for an hour per week on zoom and helping them hone their craft. when the world opened back up i realized that doing that was extremely rewarding cuz i got to work with people who werent signed to a label or were just learning how to record their own stuff. watching people step into their power that way is very moving. so now i split my time equally between being in the studio with big budgets and mentoring artists on zoom. i wrote a book called “BOTTOMING FOR GOD” and i didnt bother to shop it, i just put it out myself. it was one of the best decisions i made cuz i sold a lotta books and i got to keep every penny. i also did book tours for about two years by myself in my van. so when that was happening, people were coming to me asking “hey do you mentor for writing too ?”. so i started mentoring writers one on one on zoom as well. thats been really cool too. i just enjoy getting to witness people’s evolution. everyone has a story whether it be music or just writing. i love helping people find that truth in themselves.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
my main piece of advice for anyone starting out, whether it is in music or in writing is this : do NOT worry about fitting in. dont pigeon hole yourself. just bring all of YOU to the table. people can smell a lie a mile away. just be yourself and let your true self make the art. people will feel that authenticity immediately.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://barbmorrisonmusic.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barb__morrison/

Image Credits
photos by
drey kaun (leopard shirt, white shirt)
jody christophersen (at the microphone with book in hand)
christian cook (both photos with guitars)