Erin Barra

Erin Barra é uma artista muito intensa, é uma jovem emotiva, cantora, compositora e intérprete cujo talento desmente a maturidade que está muito além de seus anos.

Você provavelmente ficará abismado com uma experiência rica e expressiva, conhecendo Erin Barra. Na vanguarda do movimento de Alma Digital, seu som é a combinação de uma sensibilidade perfeita em composição que tem por base a pegada do Rock & Soul e tons de Electronica.

Ela é altamente influenciada por: cantoras clássicas, compositores dos anos 70 (James Taylor, Hall & Oates, Paul Simon), R & B, artistas de Soul do passado e do presente (Stevie Wonder, Jill Scott, Raphael Saadiq) e pioneiros eletrônicos (Daft Punk , Imogen Heap).

Vem brilhantemente borrando a alma pop, funk, eletrônica, rock e gêneros urbanos com canções contagiantes e memoráveis. Erin toca solo quando faz acústico ou com sua banda completa para um show com melhores efeitos.

Com duas graduações uma em Berklee e outra em Utah, Erin já trabalhou com e ganhou o respeito de alguns dos artistas produtores e engenheiros mais experientes e bem sucedidos da indústria, incluindo, John Oates, Mattea Kathy, Elliot Scheiner e Massenburg George.

Sua carreira mudou muito quando teve a necessidade de cortar custos para fazer sua Tour - "tentei racionalizar o meu conjunto tendo novas experiências com novas tecnologias", explica Barra". "Eu estava basicamente tentando cortar minhas despesas gerais, e isso só floresceu em algo muito maior do que eu imaginava."

Barra começou a usar o Ableton Live, um programa de looping que permite aos artistas incluir em novos sons, instrumentos e efeitos em tempo real durante seu show. "Ableton Live pode ser 'tocado' e oferece a flexibilidade para improvisar", disse Tony McCall, gerente de marketing da Ableton dos EUA, em um e-mail. "Ao invés de substituir o instrumento do artista no palco Ableton se torna uma extensão do mesmo."

Para um artista como Barra, significa ser capaz de ter uma banda inteira resumida a um "exército de uma mulher. Agora eu tenho um trio, então ou eu estou correndo com o Ableton, ou tocando baixo com a mão esquerda e as chaves com o meu direito e cantando. Então, é como jogar três instrumentos ao mesmo tempo em vez de dois."

Mas cortar custos não foi o único benefício. Com a nova tecnologia na ponta dos dedos, Barra foi capaz de reinventar sua música e reorganizar seu show ao vivo, levando um som mais electronica-leaning. - Pliemo.com

Reporting from Park City, Utah — — Singer-songwriter Erin Barra shelled out around $4,000 to travel to the Sundance Film Festival this month. The 26-year-old had to pay her own way from New York City, plus cover expenses for her tour manager and the two musicians who accompanied her to Utah. She hired a publicist to help her get local press, even though only one of the six shows the Salt Lake City native booked in her home state was a paying gig.

"If I can meet somebody out there who puts music into film and we develop a relationship, then the investment of going to Utah could pay off tenfold," said Barra, whose lawyer and business manager also attended the festival on their own dime. "The potential return is much higher at Sundance because of the correlation with film."

Sundance concluded this past weekend, but Barra's odyssey there seems to embody the independent spirit of the festival, which was founded in an effort to help low-budget films reach a wider audience.

Substantially more festival-goers turned up to see the dozens of big-name hip-hop and pop acts that performed in clubs and bars on Main Street over the course of the 10-day event, however, than ventured out to watch little-known artists like Barra play at the Sundance ASCAP Music Café — an intimate venue that hosted 23 performers including Ingrid Michaelson, A Fine Frenzy and Natasha Bedingfield.

During the last decade, the number of musical acts at Sundance has ballooned — as has the number of corporate sponsors and celebrities who turn up absent any connection to any of the movies in the festival. This year, more than 50 performers descended upon the mountain city, leaving fans with a bevy of shows to choose between nightly.

Like Barra, many of the musicians are hoping to raise their professional profile and maybe even score some film work. But the latter goal might be especially difficult to achieve. Loretta Muñoz, the ASCAP executive who books the Sundance event, said the songwriter showcase has resulted in a number of networking opportunities over the years, but cited only one artist who was asked to become a part of Sundance's composer lab after performing at the Café.

Instead, it's often established acts that steal the spotlight. Rappers Drake and Wiz Khalifa played invite-only shows at the Bing Bar, a multilevel space decorated by the Microsoft search engine. The DJ Deadmau5 and LMFAO, famous for a party anthem about taking shots of alcohol, performed at the Park City Live venue. And at a pop-up version of the posh Tao restaurant, T-Mobile and Google Music sponsored concerts from somewhat less commercial acts like the Civil Wars and the Whigs.

And that doesn't even include the gigs by Common, James Murphy and Ice-T, all of whom performed in conjunction with various films.

On Main Street, the primary spot for party-hopping, hundreds of festival-goers tried to elbow their way into these exclusive events each evening in blizzard-like conditions. One of the hottest tickets in town was for Drake, who attracted a crowd comprised largely of young women dressed in faux-fur leopard coats with their cleavage spilling out.

Following a time-honored hip-hop tradition, Drake took the stage more than an hour late. He arrived sporting a bright orange Patagonia jacket and multiple gold chains around his neck, and he was surrounded by an entourage filled with handlers and security guards.

Asked why he wanted to perform at Sundance, the 25-year-old said he was eager to get in front of an industry crowd.

"Sundance has always been this thing I wanted to attend no matter what. I like the acting crowd, you know? It's less confrontational," he said. "And I'm sure there's great people here from every genre, but I'm proud that there's hip-hop acts here."

Bing initially set up shop in Park City three years ago, because it wanted to spread the word about the then-fledgling brand, company director Lisa Gurry said.

"We're geared in many ways for helping people find out about entertainment, and this provides a great launching pad to connect with entertainment fans in a credible way," she said, adding that Bing banks a number of interviews and musical content to offer online after the festival.

Kathryn Burns, owner of Park City Live, chose to reopen her venue — formerly known as Harry O's — during Sundance this year because it's easier to land big-name acts during the indie film showcase.

"When we're trying to book artists, we tell them that because this is Sundance you have some really elite people in the crowd — celebrities, independent film directors and producers, tastemakers — people who are trendsetters," she said. "So artists sometimes cut their rates because they might want to break into film."

Days after the festival wrapped, Barra had yet to see her Sundance investment pay off. She said she did meet a few filmmakers — one of whom, interestingly enough, wanted to feature her song in a movie specifically made for the deaf.

"It was a total whirlwind," Barra said, sounding fatigued. "I think it will take some time to tell if it was all worth it."

amy.kaufman@latimes.com
- Los Angeles Times

Digital-soul singer/songwriter and Salt Lake City native Erin Barra took the Sundance ASCAP Music Cafe Wednesday afteroon with an evocative performance.
I had my reservations about how "digital soul" would translate into a live musical experience with a three piece -- Barra, along with a guitar player and a drummer -- but the keyboard-playing crooner pulled it off with expertise and conviction as she worked the 2 p.m. crowd up into a little hip-shakin' frenzy. To read an interview with Barra, go here; she will play Bar Deluxe in Salt Lake City Friday, Jan. 27.

"We are about to make more noise than this room is prepared for," Barra said as she took the stage. Decked out in a black leather dress, the digi-diva started things off with "Skyline," from her 2011 release Illusions.

Despite her young age, Barra is no doubt savvy in the ways of business, and used the ASCAP opportunity to tell some quick anecdotes and build a rapport (hopefully for her, with some industry hotshots). Before playing Illusions' first single, "Good Man," she mentioned that she shot the video two weeks ago -- the cinematographer helped on a film, An Oversimplification of Her Beauty, that is currently showing at Sundance.

Barra worked her sample pads on "Good Man" as she stepped out from behind the keys to take center stage and triggered a sound bigger than the three piece could make. I will always prefer live instruments for a live experience, but Barra's digital doodling wasn't a distraction, and the tunes sounded as good as they do on her album.

She then worked into "Magician," her pessimistic rendition of the Marvelettes' song. It is sonically tense -- and filled with auto-tune (ew) -- and comes near the climax of Illusions, which is a conceptual album about the rise and fall of a relationship.

"Oh Yeah" a brand-new tune about Barra's frustration with the music industry followed, then "Lucid Dreams" closed out the short, energetic set. Barra was a fine representation of Utah, showing out-of-towners that it's not all green Jell-O and the Training Table.
- City Weekly

MARCH 29, 2012 -- 5:34 PM
By Bryan Reesman / GRAMMY.com
"Making it" in the music business means something different than it used to. The concept of reaching for the stars has become counterbalanced by the notion of striving to make a living by touring smartly and economically. Many artists no longer tour to promote an album, they record music to promote a tour. While it is easy for GRAMMY-winning superstars such as Paul McCartney and U2 to book concerts around the globe at will, indie artists seeking to break through have to be more fiscally mindful.

"When I was starting out, gas was 21 cents a gallon, motel rooms were $19.95 a night and truck rentals were 25 bucks a week," recalls Twisted Sister guitarist and manager Jay Jay French. "You could make $150 a night playing in bars. Your overhead was so low that $900 a week gave you plenty of money to survive, rehearse and make demos while you were dreaming of becoming a rock star. These days, you have to pay $150 to start in some bars. Gas is $5 a gallon, motels are $100 a night and truck rentals are $500 a week."

The first step to becoming a successful live act is to cultivate a loyal local following. Steve Karas, co-founder of multiservice company SKH Music, recommends focusing first on markets close to home and playing repeatedly in cycles of every 8–12 weeks to grow a fan base.

"By keeping those markets in proximity to one another, you create an environment where those markets overlap one another, giving fans an opportunity to go to show A or show B, which are in proximity to their homes," says Karas.

Strong local acts also have a better chance of opening for a national headliner passing through town. Singer/songwriter Mike Ruocco, a former member of rock bands SR-71 and Cinder Road, visits the Pollstar website five times a day to scout for potential opening slots for national acts doing local shows. He has also been speaking with a similar genre artist about doing an acoustic tour.

"It's easier to do [an acoustic tour] because you can play these 150 to 300 seat rooms or coffeehouses as a solo artist, and people can come out there inexpensively, listen to some quality music and you can get some organic fans," says Ruocco. "It's certainly not glamorous, but if you're a lifer like me and your only alternative to tour is going in your own car with a guitar player and a box full of CDs and T-shirts and playing coffeehouses, then that's what you do."

When Cinder Road opened for Daughtry in 2007, they played for free on the first leg but sold 100 CDs per night. "Then on the second leg of the tour we moved from being the opening band to the direct support band and got 250 bucks a night," adds Ruocco. "But playing for 1,500 to 2,000 people a night is what mattered."

Genre-bending singer/songwriter Erin Barra has put plenty of effort into touring, often doing both radio and in-store performances on the day of a show. It helps that MMD, Blackheart Records' third-party distribution and marketing company, distributes her music.

"If a venue or a promoter knows that there's some amount of manpower behind you, they're a little bit more willing to go out on a limb," says Barra. "Although there are bottom lines to meet, venues and promoters are always looking for something up-and-coming that they can affiliate themselves with and grow with."

Barra stresses the importance of planning and goals. She has a special EPK available privately on her website and makes sure all photographic and video materials are of good quality. Wise economic choices are made in areas such as advertising and publicity.

"I've had a publicist for the past year and a half, and some really amazing things have come out of it," says Barra. "I've run Facebook ads that have been highly effective. You can put resources into different avenues, but if you don't do it correctly then it's a waste of money."

Veteran British rock band Marillion signed a five-album deal with EMI Music in the early '80s, and have since made albums themselves and licensed them via labels such as Castle Records. A fan-funded tour in 1997 was a revelation that prompted the fan-funded album Anoraknophobia in 2001. Through generating a fan database and shipping CDs for those endeavors, the group has grown a cottage industry of live albums and videos, fan conventions, and booking and selling tickets to many of their own gigs.

"The best piece of advice I can offer a young band is use your fans, especially if they have talents there," says Marillion keyboardist Mark Kelly. "They are going to want to do stuff for you, [whether it's] someone who's got a particular talent for taking photographs or shooting video."

Ellen Stanley, director of publicity and promotions for Red House Records and a musician under the name Mother Banjo, says that music conferences such as Folk Alliance and South by Southwest are particularly helpful for meeting musicians from across the country.

"Doing tours with them can be really helpful," says Stanley. "That's a great way of getting new fans and is often a more economical way of touring. Or you could trade those contacts. Josh Ritter got his start that way. He would open for the Frames in Ireland, and they weren't big in the U.S. at that time. They helped each other out in the early days."

Stanley adds that many major folk festivals have songwriting contests where finalists can mingle with other performers and winners often get a festival spot the following year. Musicians can audition for National Association for Campus Activities and possibly land lucrative college gigs through which club dates can be booked in between. Ruocco notes that some major rock festivals offer a battle of the bands to find a local opening act.

"The most important thing is to have a really good product," says Barra. "You can try to advertise, promote and shove things down people's throats all day and night, but if you're not doing something that is truly unique and actually of quality, then it's a moot point to begin with."

(Bryan Reesman is a New York-based freelance writer.)
- Grammy.com

Erin Barra, a Salt Lake City native and Berklee graduate is at the forefront of the digital soul movement. From using the latest technologies to build her sound, Barra’s live performance is known for mixing samples, beats and her own original songwriting.
After being on the road for over six months, “I don’t really get nervous anymore,” Barra tells Loop 21 right after her performance at this year’s CMJ. “I feel like I’ve finally honed it in now. I can just be me.”
Barra is making her mark with songwriting, but also mastering digital machines including Ableton Live, the Moog Music Little Phatty and a Nord Electro 3, which she uses for keyboard sounds. If you have no idea what those machines are, don’t worry. All you need to know is that Barra blends them seamlessly to create a digital sound.
Loop 21 caught up with Barra to uncover where she found the inspiration for this new sound, what her big break was and where she sees the digital soul movement going in the future.
Loop 21: You’ve been on tour for what seems like all year--on and off since January. What have you learned about yourself as a performance artist?
Erin Barra: I learned more about myself rather than myself as an artist...it’s obviously a very compromising lifestyle. I don’t really get to spend a whole lot of time with the people that I love the most in the world like my friends and family. It’s kind of changed my entire perspective in some ways on what’s really important; how I choose to spend my free time and that’s having a huge effect on the material that I’m writing going forward from here. It’s a lot of emotional investigation on feelings that I’ve had. ...It’s almost helped me emote or tap into those emotional places every day.
Loop 21: What has been your favorite city to tour thus far?
Barra: There’s this great town in Washington; it’s almost at the Canadian border. It’s this place called Bellingham and it just had an amazing vibe to it. Not only did the venue have a really great vibe, the people that came, the people that were in the town even. It just really had a great energy. ...All of the Northwest America is like gorgeous, friendly; they love music. I love touring that area.
Loop 21: What was your big break?
Barra: Every person you meet is a brick in a much larger wall. If you ask someone else that question, they would probably say I got picked up by John Oates at kind of a young age. We just connected on a songwriting tip. Once he gave me his stamp of approval, it became a lot easier to talk to people in the industry because I had some sort of credibility.

Loop 21: You call your sound digital soul. Where did you get the inspiration or idea from to blend songs, samples and sounds together?
Barra: It was definitely a collage of every single aspect of my musical journey thus far. I definitely come from a songwriting background. I have a degree in songwriting from Berklee...then I learned how to work with ProTools because it’s just too expensive for an independent artist to pay engineers and big studio budget. So I basically taught myself the software and was using it just so I could record my own material.
When it came time to touring, I needed to find a way to consolidate my costs because it’s really expensive to take five or six people out on the road. Then I started experimenting with Ableton Live, which is a really fantastic tool and platform for instrumentalists, deejays, singer/songwriters, any musician. ...The songwriting, the instrumentals, the software use, it all kind of just became one all of a sudden. It wasn’t a conscious decision.
Loop 21: Do you feel that infusing music with digital sounds will be the norm in the future?
Barra: My art form has definitely taken on the flavor of electronica, but I know plenty of artists who are engaging in digital technologies, like Ableton Live, but they don’t sound electronic. It’s just a tool for them, whether it’s folk music or gospel. I don’t think the electronic sound is going to shape the future of the industry, but I definitely think the technology will.
Loop 21: If you could use three words to describe your sound, what would they be?
Barra: I’d say innovative, integrated and unique.
Loop 21: What’s next for Erin Barra? What can your fans and listeners expect from you in the coming months?
Barra: I think you’re going to be seeing more of me period. I’m the next artist you haven’t heard of yet, to a lot of people. - Loop 21

Singer-songwriter Erin Barra's career had reached a breaking point a year and a half ago. After steadily gaining notoriety while playing around the New York City club scene, she caught the touring bug and realized it was time to step outside of town. But while fronting a five-piece band at home is relatively easy, costs can pile up while out on the road. Her solution? A software program optimized for live performance.

"When the need to tour became necessary, I tried to streamline my set by experimenting with these new technologies," explains Barra. "I was basically trying to cut my overhead costs, and it just blossomed into something much larger than I had anticipated."

Barra began using Ableton Live, a looping program that allows artists to add in new sounds, instruments and effects in real time throughout their show. "Ableton Live can be 'played' and offers the flexibility to improvise," said Tony McCall, Ableton's U.S. marketing manager, in an email. "Rather than replacing the artist's instrument, on stage Ableton becomes an extension of it."

For an artist like Barra, that means being able to slim an entire band down to a "one woman army." "I went from having a five-piece down to just me, and I was running my entire set on a laptop and from keyboards and Midi controllers," she says. "Now I have a trio, so I'm running Ableton, I play bass with my left hand and keys with my right, and I'm singing. So it's just like playing three instruments at a time instead of two."

But cutting costs was not the only benefit. With the new technology at her fingertips, Barra was able to reinvent her music and rearrange her live set, leading to a more electronica-leaning sound. "I found it to be kind of refreshing to be in a position where I had to reinterpret my songs," she says. "It's not just a way to save time and money anymore. Now it's another tool or word in my vocabulary that I can use to express myself."

Ableton's software allows Barra to look further ahead in her songwriting, allowing for reverb or delay touches unavailable to her before, and enhancing the mood or feel of a particular song with electronic effects. In the process, her music has bent decidedly away from the traditional singer-songwriter mold. "I was originally recording these very analog and very organic albums," she says. "So I'm very thankful for so many of my fans following me to the brink of electronica."

Ableton Live is one of a number of programs geared toward production or live looping, such as FL Studios or even the studio software ProTools. Barra has been doing workshops for Ableton since picking up the program, and is joined in using the software by such artists as Daft Punk, Pete Townshend and Hot Chip.

Yet programs and technologies such as these provide even more than just new gadgets and toys to play around with - to forward-thinking artists, they expand the sonic limits. "As a performer you have a certain number of moves, but now you can do so much more, you really can," says Barra. "It's just a matter of your imagination now, your effort." And with their use growing amongst artists across all musical styles, these programs are changing the landscape of what is possible in a given genre. "As long as new tools and instruments are made available, artists will continue to reinvent themselves," says McCall. "It's what they do." - Billboard

Erin Barra is a refreshing breeze over a stagnant pop/soul scene. A true musical artist with talent both as a musician and lyricist. On Illusions she displays both skills to their full extent creating a dense background through which to tell her fully fleshed out stories of love and loss. In a world of pop ciphers and dancing queens she harkens back to the days when pop and soul mixed effortlessly on the radio and singer/songwriters could make hits by pouring out their hearts.

Illusions is an intimate set of music, one that centers around piano-driven ballads and heartfelt lyrics. Standouts include the album opener “Good Man” a casual headnodder that builds to a glorious finish. The album’s most urban track “Satisfied” also stands out for its sexy groove and subtle scratches. It all works thanks to Erin’s focus on lyric and content. At 11 tracks there could have been a bit more sonic variety but as a slice of Ms. Barra’s sound it is a welcome introduction. It is definitely apparent that the songs on Illusions take on a life of their own in a live setting and this is something few artists can claim.
- Nu-Soul Magazing

Brooklyn’s Erin Barra has been making noise in her hometown of NYC and beyond. And, frankly, it’s kinda difficult not to be a little bit in awe when listening to her music— as it’s patently and immediately clear— that it courses through every bit of her being.

It’s always refreshing to come across an artist in today’s landscape where the that kind of talent takes you aback, straight away. Perhaps that’s why the legendary John Oates of Hall & Oates also lends an endorsement on Erin’s site.

“When I first met Erin Barra at Berklee… I sensed she had something special. After our first writing session together, my instincts were confirmed. She is an “old Soul” musician with a very modern songwriting sensibility. She is the type of artist who can have a long career in the music business.” – JOHN OATES

Wow, if that’s not a super-cool “co-sign,” we don’t know what is! Check out her lil’ sparkler of a track, “Skyline,” after the jump (oh, did we mention it’s free?) a poignant ode to her adopted town of NYC, maybe? - www.myxer.com

GFM is proud to present the music of Erin Barra. This Berklee College of Music alum who originally hails from Utah is making quite a name for herself through her distinctive mix of Pop, Rock and Soul with splashes of Reggae.

She has even garnered the attention of the legendary John Oates of the legendary duo Hall and Oates who says: “When I first met Erin Barra at Berklee… I sensed she had something special. After our first writing session together, my instincts were confirmed. She is an “old soul” musician with a very modern songwriting sensibility. She is the type of artist who can have a long career in the music business.”

Checkout her new single “Magician” below which is also being offered as a free download(by clicking the down arrow on the right side of the music player) to the GFM Fam. Special thanks to Fiona Bloom for bringing the music of Erin Barra to our attention. - Grown Folks Music

So just when a star is born- you quit your day job and shave your head- well that’’s what singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Erin Barra did. I first came across Erin Barra bartending at SOB’s - Served up great drinks-always thought she was funky, great look and fun personality- I had no idea she was an artist until J.J Brown(producer/MC) album release party at SOB’s last Summer.

I’d also heard that John Oates of Hall and Oates fame had taken a liking to this young girl and helped with some songwriting direction and mentoring.

Fast forward- Erin Barra has been busy working on an EP called ‘Illusions’ which is 6 songs that will be given away Free to the public when you log on to her website. Erin Barra. Every 3 weeks a new song will be offered starting with “Magician”- Listen here:

Other tracks are: “Good Man”, “Skyline”, “Satisfied”, “Another Way” and “Soul Revolutions 5G remix”.

Now she’s Erin Barra full time and the rock star she is- there will be many trips to the barbershop starting with the ‘Star Born’ experience.
Erin is immersed in urban culture. You can feel the soul and beat in her music and lyrically. It should come as no surprise that her audience will be a multi-cultural mix of fans across the board. Down the road I’m sure we’ll see a few collaborations with gifted MC’s- Just watch! - ihiphop

By Susan Chaityn Lebovits | October 9, 2005
Jared Salvatore stood in the Berklee College of Music recording studio in near disbelief as Grammy-winning singer Kathy Mattea performed the song he co-wrote.
The Needham resident's work was selected from among 35 submissions by Berklee students.
The competition came about as part of a collaborative lesson by a pair of multiple Grammy winners: visiting artist Elliot Scheiner, a record producer and engineer, and visiting professor George Massenburg, a producer and sound designer. They decided to record a track as a teaching exercise. Mattea, who was brought in by songwriting professor Pat Pattison, offered to choose and record the work of a student.
Salvatore, 22, and co-author Erin Barra of Salt Lake City did what any professional songwriters would have done: researched Mattea's work and wrote a song incorporating her style and values. Barra's roommate sang for the demo CD. - The Boston Globe

BERKLEE IDOL: When Berklee College of Music artist-in-residence Kathy Mattea put word out that she was holding a contest to choose a student-written song for recording, Jared Salvatore of Needham and Erin Barra of Salt Lake City knew they had to understand Mattea's mindset to win. So the song-writing majors listened to the two-time Grammy winner's recordings. They read Mattea's website where she had posted thoughts about Hurricane Katrina, and found inspiration. ''We wanted to produce something that she could connect with and bring out the best in her recording," Salvatore said. Their song ''A Matter of Time" recounts a parent's efforts to calm a child's worries about a storm. It was Mattea's favorite from more than two dozen entries that she listened to on Monday. She was to record the song Friday. School officials say it is not clear what will come of the song. Mattea, on her blog, wrote: ''These kids are just fearless . . . very serious about what they're doing. . . . It was very moving, and humbling. And inspiring." - The Boston Globe

September 26, 2005 marked a new
kind of experiential learning for
Berklee. Students gathered in the
Uchida Building clutching two lyric sheets and a demo for Berklee’s very first pitch session. Pat Pattison, head of the Songwriting Department,
directed this event in hopes that students would “observe the process [and] see, first, how subjective it is, and second, how good the song has to be to stand out...A pitch session like this almost automatically raises the level of writing for those paying
attention to what works and
what doesn’t.” (Pattison)
Kathy Mattea, Artist-in- Residence and close friend of Pattison served as the artist in the pitch session. She was the sole decision maker when
it came to what song would be recorded. According to Pattison, “[Kathy] wanted a song that touched her somehow --- that she could
make her own and sing with
conviction.” With this as her only criteria for choosing the song, the pitch session was underway.
...
Following the pitch session, Erin Barra and Jared Salvatore were approached by Pattison, who requested their company the next day at a luncheon with Mattea,
her guitarist Bill Cooley, and several
elite Berklee faculty members. “We were walking to the luncheon and we hadn’t found out if we had won or not. Jared and I are having this conversation...I’m saying, ‘we should tell her that we wrote the song for her and try and convince her that
ours is the one she should pick’ and Jared says ‘no no no, wait until she picks it for the right reasons and then we’ll tell her after and she’ll be totally flattered...” (Barra) The two
songwriters, who have no prior experience trying to pitch or sell their songs to industry professionals,
argued all the way to the luncheon
until Pattison put their discussion
to rest. “We get there and I say ‘Pat, I have a question.’ And he just says, ‘you won.’” (Barra) The elation swept
over the two as they realized that a signed artist would be recording their own song, a song they themselves had written.
Barra and Salvatore began writing
together about four months ago. Both are songwriting majors though Barra is a piano principal and Salvatore is a vocal principal. They found out about the pitch session only four days before its date. “We were in the midst of writing a couple of songs that just weren’t working out...We were really just looking for something to do.” (Barra) The
two went on Kathy Mattea’s website and read her online diary to find out what was on her mind, hoping it would spark some ideas for a song. When they learned how much the Katrina disaster was affecting Mattea, they decided to write a song based on the catastrophe for her. The strategy worked. When Barra and Salvatore’s song was pitched in the original session, the song moved Mattea to tears. “Most of the
other songs probably would’ve been better suited to her voice or her style, but she just felt really passionate about the content of
the song and I think that’s why she chose it.” (Barra)
The song, ‘Matter Of Time’, was recorded in Studio A on September 30. A student band met with Mattea, Massenburg, and Scheiner to record the song live while Barra and Salvatore watched. “I have never seen such attention to detail as far as production and tracking go”, says Barra, “Watching that in such a professional settting...was amazing.” Barra was also taken aback by
Mattea’s poise and control in the studio. “She really has a great knowledge of her own voice. She knows what she can do, what sounds good...just the command and
presence she has with the other musicians and knowing what she wants, knowing how to say what she wants” was all an important lesson for Barra as a performer. Now that the song has been recorded, Barra and Salvatore are doing a lot of
waiting. Mattea released a new CD the day that she recorded their song so, what they are hoping for is for the song to be placed on some sort of hurricane relief compilation. “[The song] does have a lot of potential because [the Katrina disaster]
is still a current issue and people are still passionate about it.” (Barra) Until that opportunity arises, both songwriters are taking things as they come.

- The Berklee Groove

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ERIN BARRA
nWhen John Oates told Erin Barra she should pursue a career in music, did the Brooklyn singer reply, “I can’t go for that (Oh, no)?” Oh, no way! Barra, who, until her chance encounter with half of Hall & Oates, penned songs for other performers including country star Kathy Mattea, bought into the idea that she might actually be an artist and set about recording a proper solo LP. The result is Soul Evolutions, an album that drips with R&B and soul, not to mention well-written tracks including the Oates co-authored “Waiting,” which should appeal to anyone who’s ever done time in the service industry. Barra begins a two-night tour of Utah with tonight’s free Park City locals’ concert followed by a Saturday gig in Salt Lake City’s Urban Lounge. Harry O’s, 427 Main, Park City, 9 p.m.

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http://www.cityweekly.net/utah/article-6871-music-picks-jan-29-feb-4-live-laser-gold-erin-barra-city-weekly-music-awards-i-love-ibiza-stacey-kent.html
- City Weekly

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http://dirtydurty.com/post/219114213/five-quick-hit-questions-for-singer-erin-barra

Singer songwriter Erin Barra is quickly making a name for herself in New York City. Her stage persona is warm and welcoming, creating an intimate feeling no matter where she plays- from Sounds of Brazil to Bowery Poetry Club. Her newest heartfelt single “A Good Man” is available now for a free download at erinbarra.com until October 31.

Erin Barra’s sound draws from a diverse range of musical influences: a distinctive mix of Pop and R&B with splashes of Reggae. She infuses both substance and consciousness into her songwriting with penetrating skill.
Here are just a few questions for the soulful Erin Barra.

Q: Your songs are of a very personal nature, many dealing with your relationships- case in point “A Good Man”. How do you feel about putting yourself out there in such a raw self-exposing way?


I feel like the best songs I’ve written always come from exposing myself truthfully in one way or another. I seem to get the best responses to the songs that were the easiest to write because it wasn’t a matter of creating a story, it’s only about telling it like it is. People react to what’s real in a very immediate and sincere way. With my second release it’s gonna pretty much play out like reading my diary, so I’m hopeful and interested to see what the response is. No part of me is afraid to share who I am or how I feel, probably to my detriment in my personal life.
As far as ‘Good Man’ goes, writing that song was cathartic for me and it still is every single time I sing it. I DO want a good man!!! And if I didn’t say it out loud, or in my case, sing it on stage, I would probably find some other less productive way to express that. I’m lucky I found songwriting, or rather, songwriting found me.

Q: Have any of your exes given you grief or positive feedback to your songs?

In retrospect, what I remember mostly about their responses was a lack of response. BIG SURPRISE!!!
Once, when I was in college, I fell in love with a co-writer of mine. We wrote songs with each other, we wrote songs about each other, and we wrote songs for each other… it was kind of disgustingly cute. When we broke up, which was one of the most profound experiences in my life, I wrote a song about us that was it’s own form of truth and one that I know hurt him deeply. A year later, when he released his solo album there was a song about us that was his side of the story. I almost puked when I first heard it and it still brings up a lot of emotions every time I listen. But, you know, that’s one of the things that’s so amazing about songwriting – it’s beyond words and melodies, it’s art imitating life

Q: Who were your musical influences growing up?

My parent’s listened to a lot of singer/songwriters like James Taylor, Billy Joel, Bonnie Raitt, Annie Lenox and Cat Stevens, which probably shows up in my writing. I was trained as a classical piano player from a very young age so there’s a lot of that in there too. At one point or another I definitely went through a pretty huge Stevie Wonder phase and then a little later in life I was obsessed with Bob Marley. When I got to Berklee it opened me up to a massive spectrum of music and possibilities that, frankly, I didn’t even know existed growing up in Utah.
But beyond all that and I think more than anything, my father has had the biggest impact on my ears. His business is in high-end audio so I grew up in a house with a constantly evolving stereo room that was meant for listening. This, in and of itself, has provided me with a huge vocabulary as to how great recordings should sound and I strive towards that in all my work. I don’t just want to write songs, I want to provide a sonic experience!


Q: You worked with the legendary John Oates (Hall & Oates). What was the project you two collaborated on, and how did that come about?

John and I met while I was at Berklee. I co-wrote a song titled, ‘A Matter Of Time’ about Hurricane Katrina that won a contest, which was groundbreaking for Berklee at the time. The song was recorded by a Grammy winning country artist and engineered and recorded by two of the heaviest cats in the industry. When John came to Berklee a few months later they used me as a student liaison to show him around campus and during that time we became friends. He’s about as big of a song geek and word nerd as I am and he’s also one of most intelligent and grounded people I’ve ever met.
When it came time to release my first album, which I don’t think I would have done without his initial response to my writing, I asked him if he wanted to co-write a song with me for the project. To my surprise he said yes, and so my sister and I took a trip out to Aspen, where he’s located and spent a weekend with his family. Needless to say, we wrote a great song titled, ‘Waiting’ which is on my first release. He is an inspiration to me in a lot of ways and has helped me without ever asking for anything in return except that I succeed.

Q: What is next for Erin Barra?

That’s a good question – one that I wish I had more of a solid answer for. Right now I’m focusing on creating the best recordings of these new songs that I can and gathering a team of people around me to help release them. Who, how and when all of those things will happen is still somewhat of a mystery to me but I believe in the power of the universe and the ultimate effect of good songwriting.
It’s a tough game out here in NY, and even that’s an understatement. I’m just trying to stay healthy and happy despite all the things that are at work against me. I’m lucky to have a lot of people that truly believe in me and support me through all the opportunities (not obstacles) that present themselves.
Erin Barra’s upcoming shows can be found at erinbarra.com

The Him Book is now available at www.maya-contreras.com - The DirtyDurty Diary