Roots

 

Nick Barr is a freelance musician, audio engineer, and video editor. He has been performing professionally since  2012, playing guitar and bass in rock bands and jazz combos. He also performed as a percussionist with the Glacier Symphony in Kalispell, MT through high school. Nick attended the University of Montana in 2015, where he studied Music Performance (Trumpet) and Music Composition. While there, he spent two years as principal trumpet of the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, three years as principal trumpet of the UM Symphony Orchestra, and one year as lead/section leader in the top Jazz Ensemble. In addition to large ensembles, Nick was also an active member in numerous jazz combos and chamber ensembles, including the premiere Celebration Brass Quintet. Nick studied trumpet with Dr. James Smart, John Driscoll, and Dr. Brendan McGlynn. He studied Composition with Dr. Bryan Curt Kostors and Dr. Emilie LeBel.

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Career

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Professionally, Nick performs all over the Missoula area on guitar and trumpet. Most frequently he plays guitar with his band Beau Akimbo, who have been together since early 2024 in it's current iteration. The group started as a duo with singer/songwriter Margi Cates in 2020. Since their first meeting, the two have been writing and performing all over Missoula, and have been steadily expanding their music and band size. Beau Akimbo released their debut album Spark Bird in October of 2024. It can be found on all streaming platforms.

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Nick has become a steady musician with the Missoula Community Theatre, playing guitar and trumpet in shows since 2016. On guitar, these include Rent (Guitar 1), 35 MM, Workin', Matilda, Bridges of Madison County (Guitar 1), Cabaret, Next to Normal, Nunsense Jamboree (Bass Guitar), Rock of Ages (Guitar 1), Suessical (Guitar 1), Songs for a New World (Bass Guitar), James and the Giant Peach, Mama Mia (Guitar 1 & 2), and Tarzan. On trumpet, Nick has played A Christmas Story, Wizard of Oz, A Christmas Carol, White Christmas, Assassins, Sister Act, Freaky Friday, Elf the Musical, Newsies, and The Happy Elf (all principal trumpet).

 

Nick also holds a section trumpet position in the Missoula Symphony Orchestra.

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Nick, like many millennial musicians, experimented with home recording at a young age. Over the years, he started recording and mixing his own music projects, and moved into doing the same with friends and colleagues. During the pandemic, he turned it into a profession alongside videography, creating virtual band and choir videos for local schools and University groups. In June 2020, Nick was hired as a student audio engineer for the student-led production crew KPCN at the University of Montana. In this job, he grew his skills as a sound mixer and re-recording mixer. Additionally, he had the opportunity to compose and record custom soundtracks for each video. In 2021, Nick took his skills to Warm Springs Productions, and became involved with several TV shows such as How America Works, Battles for America, Duck Family Treasure, and more. With Warm Springs Productions, he has worked as the re-recording mixer for Mountain Men, Outlaws and Lawmen, Duck Family Treasure and select episodes of The Tall Tales of Jim Bridger.

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Teaching

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Starting in 2007, Nick began attending Flathead Lake Music Camp, taking place once a summer on the shores of Flathead lake in Montana. This camp has seen thousands of students since its first week in 1985. Nick is lucky enough to have been a camper for eight years, and an instructor/counselor for an additional five. He credits the majority of his musical influences and motivation to this camp, and has had the opportunity to work with several renowned instructors and current professionals. This camp is a treasure not only for local Montana musicians, but for musicians and students all around the world. If you are able, please consider donating or becoming a sponsor of this one of a kind music camp. Your contribution could give life to a young student's music career. Click the link below to learn more, or email flatheadlakemusiccamp@gmail.com if you have questions.

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http://www.flatheadlakemusiccamp.org/home.html

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https://www.facebook.com/FlatheadLakeMusicCamp/?ref=page_internal