Following in the successful footsteps of Karen Pang and Andrea Grant, previously featured in the SUCCESS 101 project, this next sexy candidate has inspired many with her determination to pursue her dream of becoming a recording artist. Her courage in the face of overwhelming odds teaches us valuable lessons in human perseverance and finding success on your own terms. It’s with great pleasure that I introduce you all to Barron S.
The Story
Barron S started singing in her friend’s kitchen; recording vocals through a cut up pair of panty hose into a $130 dollar microphone…it was a humbling beginning. Born and raised in small town Nova Scotia, Barron was always inspired by music, yet intimidated to consider herself a singer.
“I was born into a very musical family, my grandfather could play multiple instruments by ear, and my brother and sister were always strong singers; practically born harmonizing! Music didn’t come that naturally to me, and for years I thought it couldn’t really be taught, you either had it or you didn’t.”
So instead of competing with the natural talent that ran in her family she decided to express her passion for music by studying dance. Barron enrolled in an intensive training program at a local dance studio and soon found that anytime she wasn’t at school, she was in the dance studio. In September 2001 Barron moved across the country to Vancouver, British Columbia to attend Simon Fraser University’s acclaimed modern dance program.
“I wanted to dance in a company and SFU seemed to be breeding very strong and talented dancers. It especially interested me because their dance program was part of the university; therefore it was not only training the dancer’s body, but also training the mind. I remember one day in the studio after running this infuriating routine over and over again, one of my teachers stopped the group and singled me out she said ‘it’s easier if you work harder’. To this day her words still push me.”
As Barron was nearing graduation she became involved in a number of pre-professional dance groups and began looking into a variety of company options in both Canada and the U.S. She was well on her way when she became a victim in a high velocity impact car accident, in one life changing moment she suffered career ending injuries. The accident led her into a downward spiral of weight gain and depression which pulled her further and further from her performance career.
“I think there comes a time in everyone’s life when you hit a wall, a point where something that is so important to you just seems to go ‘splat’ all over the place. At this point lots of people turn around and go back the way they came, it took me a while to put myself back together after my car accident, but once I had, the first thing I wanted to do was to keep going towards my performance dream…and see what was so great that it had to be hidden behind that wall.”
Barron wasn’t physically able to dance professionally anymore, so she started to take voice lessons as an
artistic outlet. Next to her siblings she had previously felt inadequate as a singer, but after being injured she took her athletic, dancers work ethic into voice lessons. She practiced and trained until one day she felt a light switch turn on inside her.
“Each class I got a disk from my voice teacher of our lessons. One day I went to practice at home and I heard a different girl on the c.d. I thought, by accident, that he had given me someone else’s disk. I stopped, listened carefully and then realized it was actually me…and I sounded good! It was then that I understood that you really can have anything you want if you are willing to work for it.”
Barron S has been writing and recording her own original material for the past two and a half years. Hip hop artists the Sketch Bros described her as “one of Vancouver’s hardest working artists. In one year Barron S has accomplished what most artists get done in four”. Her music has been described as a cross between Evanescence and Avril Lavigne, after 20 cups of coffee. Her music crosses genres, but her signature sound is dark dance rock fusion. Her album takes the listener on a ride as each song is truly unique from the next. Some tracks include metal-like instrumentation, some have funky hints of jazz, and others are very classic sounding acoustic guitar based.
“Barron S uses captivating lyrics and catchy melodies to attract a variety of audience members. She is truly a talent to be reckoned with”
– Comment taken from Barron S fan site
Her debut album ‘Startin’ from Scratch’ will be released summer 2007. Keep posted for Canadian tour dates on www.barron-s.com and watch for her upcoming music video “More Than You’re In For”.
