San Diego’s music community has plenty of musicians kept busy by their peers who want to incorporate their sound into new music. But even among ubiquitous local session cats such as David Fleminger (guitar), Larry Grano (drums) and Ed Kornhauser (piano), who can be heard playing on a multitude of local releases, fiddler and Point Loma resident Melissa Barrison is a standout.
It would probably be easier to list bands Barrison hasn’t played with. Among the groups she’s taken the stage with are Luneaux, Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels, The Nate Donnis Trio, T-Rex tribute Electric Warrior, The La Jolla Strings and the San Diego City Ballet Orchestra. Meanwhile, she has toured and performed with indie rockers Nervous Wreckords, San Diego Music Awards-winning Todo Mundo, Cure tribute band The Cured, singer-songwriter Steven Ybarra and hip-hop favorites Vokab Kompany.
Originally from Alameda, Barrison and her mother moved to San Diego when she was 9, “to be closer to family,” she said. By that point, she had already been performing for five years. “I started out as a dancer, performing with a nonprofit group, all ages, to raise money for homeless, Meals on Wheels, Save the Children,” she recalled. “That’s when I fell in love with performing and music.” Her musical inspiration was slightly closer to home. “The manager of the apartment I grew up in was a former member of the San Jose Symphony, and she and my mom were good friends. So she started giving me lessons, and I continued to play when I moved to San Diego.”
Nowadays an acclaimed virtuoso, she is amused by her first solo gig as a 10-year-old. “I performed at the talent show in fifth grade,” she said. “Let’s just say even though I executed the piece well, looking back I feel bad for the audience. Beginning violin is hardly considered ‘easy listening,’ but people encouraged me to keep going,” she laughed. Ironically, although she is an incredibly prolific artist, most of the music she has recorded to date has been the work of others. “I enjoy writing on guitar or using my loop pedal, then posting on Facebook,” she said. “I plan on doing a five-song EP of my original music before the end of 2016.” Despite the plan on of a solo release, she’s not sure she’ll form her own group to promote it. “I have thought about it, and many people have asked. I enjoy working with other artists and being a team. That’s my passion, collaboration and teamwork,” she said.
After several decades, Barrison is happy with her life in music. “I love the adventure of it all,” she said, “the amazing people I get to meet and establish lifelong relationships with, the neverending learning experience of new riffs and approaches to playing, the way you never know how your music is going to impact the listener.” She acknowledges that the music business is tougher than ever, but she points out that you should be a musician because you love it. “The words ‘make it’ don’t apply to me,” Barrison said. “I’m surrounded by phenomenal musicians who are professional and passionate about what they do. “They are not only my colleagues but my friends, my family and my inspiration. I’m always striving to be better and surround myself with even better people. I have musical goals, venue goals, travel goals. Having an attitude that your dreams are never impossible keeps me going. “Do what you love, and the money will follow.”