We were lucky to catch up with Michael Barclay recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Michael thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
During my college years I started playing guitar and ended up playing in a few bands for fun. After graduation, I started performing some of my own music with a trio. With a full-time job and being newly married, music became less of a priority. While working and raising kids, I continued to write songs, but didn’t perform. Right after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, I kept trying to think of how I could be a positive influence in the world. I knew that things had changed and a lot of people were in pain. I wanted to offer something that could help in some way. I felt strongly that I should perform music to provide entertainment and possibly some comfort for people. That was when I decided to start getting more serious about writing, recording, and performing music.
Michael, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
After I started to get more serious about music, I wanted to choose a brand name that represented me and my music. I chose the name Brother Chunky because I am a friendly and jovial person (Brother) and my music has a certain groove and sound (Chunky). Plus, people don’t often forget the name. The two main products I offer are music recordings and live performances. Clients have told me that I am very easy to work with (great communicator, reliable, and easy going). Audience members have told me that I am easy to listen to, easy to relate to, and entertaining. What sets me apart is my personality and my ability to relate to a wide variety of people. My overall goal is to help audience members have a positive experience and leave the show feeling better than when they arrived.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being a musician is being able to connect with people from different backgrounds and help them have a positive experience. I have found that performing music is the best way for me to relate with people. It is also satisfying to go through the process of creating something that didn’t exist before. In addition, it is cool to think that the music I create will remain after I am gone.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Since my main goal is to connect with people, I invite people to follow me on social media after my performances. I also put in the time to respond to and interact with people who follow me. I think it is important to try to support other artists that I meet. My advice is to not be afraid to reach out to people and always try to maintain connections you make along the way.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.brotherchunky.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brotherchunky/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrotherChunky/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0ZO2E1iSzBi0YVMbi5STnA
- Other: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/brother-chunky/695863214 https://brotherchunky.bandcamp.com/
Image Credits
Gregory Downs Jeremy Eldridge Alta Stewart Zachary Barclay