copyright 2014 jai michael barry ~ open hands music bmi
Born in 1961, Jai spent the first 14 years of his life in the diverse terrain of
Northwestern Oregon...skateboards, snow skis, and dirt-bikes were the staples of he and
his close friends. He got his first guitar at age 6... a 3/4 scale student acoustic
model, and remembers immediately fashioning knobs of nickle-sized round scraps of paper
and gluing them to the instrument's top, hoping to look and sound like George Harrison.
Little did he know that the classic beatnik acoustic vibe of the 60's and 70's would
provide for much of his contemporary folk inspiration today.
A vagabond by nature, Jai spent many of his teen years backpacking the countryside. From
Florida, to Connecticut, to California, to Canada...ocean to ocean, border to border and
all points betwixt & between. Diverse climates, land/seascapes, cultures, philosophies,
and attitudes helped him learn to appreciate and cultivate his natural ability to
co-exist and co-create with those from many walks of life...vital lessons learned and
passed to his own brilliant and beautiful grown children... Dustin and Carly, who are
the inspiration of much of his lyrical content.
A member of several new-thought/metaphysical groups over the years, Jai has been blessed
with an abundance of support, inspiration, & appreciation for his music. His CD's, Back
to My Self, Travel & Transformation, Agape' Project, and his latest release Sacred Stone
contain a wide variety of musical styles and vibrations...from Americana, to Ethereal;
ambient; trance; Native American; folk, ballads; and contemporary fusion jazz, they
culminate to draw the listener into spaces of release, abundance, gratitude, energy
shift, and inspiration. Jai's music has won several awards, including Songwriter's
Showcases of America (SSA) Most Emotional Song, Most Creative Artist and many
International Songwriter's Guild achievement awards. He has also donated original music
to the National Arthritis Foundation and the Children's Miracle Network.
Jai's musical style has been defined as
"resonant, sonorous, radiant, mesmerizing, and captivating";
"Jai's messages run pure and deep...compelling & powerful";
"Jai does what he loves, but for him it's not about what he's doing...it's about who
he's being."
Northwestern Oregon...skateboards, snow skis, and dirt-bikes were the staples of he and
his close friends. He got his first guitar at age 6... a 3/4 scale student acoustic
model, and remembers immediately fashioning knobs of nickle-sized round scraps of paper
and gluing them to the instrument's top, hoping to look and sound like George Harrison.
Little did he know that the classic beatnik acoustic vibe of the 60's and 70's would
provide for much of his contemporary folk inspiration today.
A vagabond by nature, Jai spent many of his teen years backpacking the countryside. From
Florida, to Connecticut, to California, to Canada...ocean to ocean, border to border and
all points betwixt & between. Diverse climates, land/seascapes, cultures, philosophies,
and attitudes helped him learn to appreciate and cultivate his natural ability to
co-exist and co-create with those from many walks of life...vital lessons learned and
passed to his own brilliant and beautiful grown children... Dustin and Carly, who are
the inspiration of much of his lyrical content.
A member of several new-thought/metaphysical groups over the years, Jai has been blessed
with an abundance of support, inspiration, & appreciation for his music. His CD's, Back
to My Self, Travel & Transformation, Agape' Project, and his latest release Sacred Stone
contain a wide variety of musical styles and vibrations...from Americana, to Ethereal;
ambient; trance; Native American; folk, ballads; and contemporary fusion jazz, they
culminate to draw the listener into spaces of release, abundance, gratitude, energy
shift, and inspiration. Jai's music has won several awards, including Songwriter's
Showcases of America (SSA) Most Emotional Song, Most Creative Artist and many
International Songwriter's Guild achievement awards. He has also donated original music
to the National Arthritis Foundation and the Children's Miracle Network.
Jai's musical style has been defined as
"resonant, sonorous, radiant, mesmerizing, and captivating";
"Jai's messages run pure and deep...compelling & powerful";
"Jai does what he loves, but for him it's not about what he's doing...it's about who
he's being."