Diandra Interviews Barnaby Bright: Music Is Healing
Music heals. That is a fact! For Barnaby Bright music makes them doctors of the soul; prescribing and applying the heartfelt medicines that can alleviate any mind suffering from past wounds. This is especially true for the veterans they have come across, of which many struggle with suicidal tendencies since returning from the war. Their pain has inspired Barnaby Bright’s music as activism, of which, in our interview, they explain how the two connect.
Diandra: You have written music discussing PTSD. What makes trauma so different from other forms of suffering?
Nathan: I have never experienced that kind of trauma myself, but from the accounts I’ve heard and the stories I’ve been told, trauma hides behind an otherwise normal exterior. Someone can be profoundly wounded, but you may not know it to look at them. Compounding the problem, those suffering with PTSD often put on a brave face and bury the pain deep inside. But healing can only truly begin when we bring the pain out into the light. That’s why we are so grateful to be working with organizations like Warriors Ascent, who give those suffering with PTSD a safe place to share their experiences with others facing the same struggles. There is a massive epidemic of suicide among veterans right now, something like 20 new incidents a week, yet we rarely hear politicians or news pundits talking about the problem. It’s a disgrace and a failure of our democracy. We’ve got to do better.
Diandra: How do you feel music is a method of healing trauma?
Nathan: I know that, when I’m lonely and hurting, music makes me feel better. Many artists, songwriters, and composers have produced some of their greatest works while in tremendous pain. Music, and all art, is like an open window between two darkened rooms: allowing us to see that we are not alone in our sufferings. Music is also a sound vibration, and the right vibrations can heal disruption at a molecular level. A four chord resolving to a one chord is like watching a sunset or smelling the ocean. We take it for granted but it is miraculous nonetheless. And at the very least, music can be a powerful way to spark a conversation and help raise awareness.
Diandra: What is one memory that you have of music healing you?
Becky: the year that I moved away from Kansas City to live in NYC was exciting but also very overwhelming and sometimes lonely. I immersed myself in music- constantly! Walking around the city with my earbuds in, on the subway, at night in my tiny sublet apartment bedroom…it was a time of huge growth and emotional exploration for me. The music I listened to that first year was truly the soundtrack of my life, and hearing it now years later brings those memories back so clearly that if feels like yesterday!
Diandra: As a married couple, you being a higher, richer sense of love to your music. What has music taught you about love and how you love each other?
Nathan: When I play music I try to give myself to it completely. I just want to serve the song and nothing else. If I can maintain that meditation, the music moves through me and I can play with an effortless grace- I can even play things that would otherwise be beyond my ability. But self consciousness robs me of that meditation. I believe love is the same way. When we give ourselves to our beloved with selfless humility and devotion the power of love moves through us and we are able to experience levels of consciousness, otherwise, unattainable.
Barnaby Bright – Who I AmDiandra: If you could describe each other as a love song, which would it be and why?
Becky: oooh, this is a tough one. “I Can’t Make You Love Me”? Haha- just kidding. This is a weird one- but the John Mayer song “Comfortable” comes to mind. It’s a song about a new relationship, and how it feels forced and fake and not authentic like an old one. I sort of feel the reverse…comparing old relationships to what I have now, I feel to grateful to be in something authentic and interesting and comfortable. With a truly AMAZING human. There’s even a line that says “you could distinguish Miles from Coltrane”” which is VERY appropriate for Nathan.
Diandra: How have you seen each other grow as artists and persons since beginning Barnaby Bright?
Becky: I think we’ve watched each other grow in every way possible! As songwriters, as singers, as musicians…Nathan has explored the guitar and pushed himself in ways I could’ve never imagined. His skills in the studio have gone through the roof as well…this is our third record that he has produced now. I think our skills as performers have improved significantly as well…there’s an ease and comfort to being on stage that can only be achieved after a LOT of performing.
Diandra: With music being cathartic for you, how has music redefined what peace and clarity mean to you?
Becky: The music I listen to for fun is very different from the music I listen to when I relax. My musical taste is vast when it comes to listening in the car, listening while I cook, or just lounge around the house. When I’m truly trying to relax, I lean towards more eastern sounds…chants, mantras, or just peaceful instrumental music. I need to give my brain a break every now and then, and sometimes listening to regular music just engages my mind even more…”oooh what was that lyric?” “how did she hit that note?” “what instrument is that?” “man, he’s such a better songwriter than me” etc. etc.
Diandra: What can people expect from your upcoming record? What do you think it will say about you as artists and this moment in your life?
Nathan: We have both evolved quite a lot since our last record, both as people and as musicians. We have pushed ourselves, questioned ourselves, pulled ourselves back, then pushed forward again. Our sound is evolving, but it is sincere and the songs are true. Though this record reflects a change, there is a thorough line that connects all of our music- a soft yet strong, soul-calling sound that is uniquely Barnaby Bright.
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