Melissa Barrison: Out of the Box, Onto the Stage

Don’t try to put Melissa Barrison in a box. “Bluegrass folks say I play the violin. Symphony folks say I play the fiddle. I don’t really fit in anywhere.” The truth is Melissa fits in everywhere. From bluegrass and country to jazz, rock, gypsy, blues, and reggae, she owns the stage no matter what kind of music she is playing. And she has earned her spot honestly, through dedication and hard work dating back to her childhood in California.

Born in the Bay area of San Francisco, Melissa was raised by her mother. “We didn’t have much, and my mother thought music would be a way for me to go to college one day.” The manager of the apartments where they lived played with the San Jose Symphony, and Melissa began taking violin lessons. “I was also taking lessons in jazz and ballet.” At age ten, Melissa moved with her mom to San Diego, where she still lives. “We couldn’t afford lessons in San Diego. I got involved with the elementary school music program, and I was pretty much self-taught.” In high school, she was put in the back section of the orchestra. “It was humiliating for me. The instructor put clothes pins on either side of my bow and told me to play ‘bunny ear to bunny ear.’”

Most of Melissa’s peers took private lessons, but she had to find another way. “I practiced at home and checked out books and VHS tapes from the library.” By her senior year, she was concertmaster of her high school orchestra and the Civic Youth Orchestra. She played for a professor at Point Loma Nazarene College, the summer after high school. “He asked to hear my audition pieces. I was so unprepared. We worked out a deal where I would clean house for him and his wife in exchange for lessons.” Melissa got a partial scholarship to the small Christian college that overlooked the ocean.

Soon, she was playing in area rock bands, city ballet orchestras, and for parties and weddings. “Music became a major part of my life.” To make ends meet, she began doing financial care planning for senior adults and people with disabilities. She also teaches music lessons.

“My first job out of college was working for a non-profit, Rock ’n Roll San Diego. I worked in the office and as a camp counselor. Five years into it, I was COO of the company.” Melissa began learning the business side of the music industry, including scheduling rehearsals and performances for bands and production while still performing.

While Melissa says she is inspired musically by her friends and others she sees in the music industry, she has always been inspired by French jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli. “I studied him a lot in college. The first video I saw of him, Grappelli, was in his 90s in a wheelchair, and he was shredding. He started out busking in Europe before playing on stages around the world. He is so timeless and cool.”

Melissa has done her fair share of busking as well. “I started doing it to help get over stage fright. I would go to the Gaslamp district of San Diego, pull out my violin, open the case, and practice my college pieces. Restaurants would give me food to thank me for playing in front of their business.” Her busking paid off when a band at a restaurant bar invited her to play a few songs. “A week later we played at Casbah and then won the award for the Best Americana Band at the San Diego Music Awards.”

Melissa describes her music as “Charlie Daniels and Lindsey Stirling having a baby.” Melissa has met Lindsey and played with Charlie Daniels’ drummer, who told her that if Charlie heard her, he would be proud. That meant the world to me.”

Melissa, a big country music fan, moved to Nashville for a few years to be close to the action there. “I played Broadway and all the big venues – except for the Ryman.” She has played for artists such as Rihanna and opened for Miranda Lambert, Dierks Bently, Cee Lo Green, POD, and The Killers. She has appeared on television on CMT, the Ellen DeGeneres Show, the Marie Osmond Show, and Clash of the Cover Bands. She has also performed for multiple NFL, MLB, and NHL games and the NBA All-Star Game Half-Time Show.

To watch Melissa play is electrifying. She is a ball of energy, and she never stops moving. Melissa loves to dance and creates fun outfits to wear when she performs. “I am always adding fringe or bedazzling something in my closet. I think I play better in shorts or a dress so that I can move better. My energy goes to a whole different level.” She has different themes for corporate events, from a 10-foot-tall goddess to a bright LED-lit dress. There’s also “A Night in Paris” and the DJ and Violin, where she can be paired with your favorite DJ for an unforgettable experience.

When she has time, Melissa also enjoys writing music. “I’ve become passionate about that.” See more at melissabarrison.com.