DE228 George Barker

Today on the dHarmic Evolution podcast we are diving into a variety of great topics. I will be having a conversation with the man who was my first real mentor on the guitar. We’ll chat about his journey and life experience as well as his beautiful, musical talent.

In this episode, I am speaking with George Barker. George has influenced me in so many ways. I would describe him as a light in the wilderness. He is a brilliant musician, composer, author, and has an amazing sense of humor. For many years he performed up until he became paralyzed in 2003. He unfortunately no longer performs due to a rare disorder called transverse myelitis. This is a disorder where the immune system attacks the spinal cord. Doctors don’t know the cause of the disorder at this time. It’s extremely rare, as only one to four in one million people contract this rare disease.

George has continued to live his life and pursue his passions despite the disorder. He currently lives in Kentucky with his wife and two dogs. His dad was actually born in Kentucky and he always saw himself moving to Kentucky. His entire family had a love and talent for music. His dad was a guitarist who was a pro for a while before World War II and his mom was also involved in music. Music ran in his blood.

George went on to study at Berkley where he got really deep into theory and harmony. He focused mostly on harmony and guitar performance. He actually dropped out to join a band, which was encouraged at Berkley because you could always come back. Today George just really loves to play the guitar and help people. He continues to write when he can.

In this episode:

- George’s transition to Kentucky
- Music clips from George
- Amp set up and gear
- Who was on the record and time frame of the record
- The Berkley story
- Gear and recording at Mix-o-Lydian recording studio with Don Sternecker
- George’s family and upbringing
- What connected George to jazz fusion
- Rendition of Amazing Grace
- George’s diagnosis
- Maintaining a positive attitude in light of hardship
- George’s take on what’s going on in the world musically
- At the wire
- The experience of playing with another accomplished guitarist
- Big goals and plans upcoming

Follow George:

www.georgebarker.com
@george.barker


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Check out my interview with Don Sternecker from Mix-o-Lydian recording studios on DE14 recorded In NJ right here!