Alumni Spotlight: Gyasi Barber ’13 MM
Gyasi Barber is the Senior Lead of Global Product Solutions at Indeed.com and a freelance Financial Coach. After studying music at conservatories for both his undergraduate and graduate degrees, he pivoted to a career in sales, where he has spent the last ten years. Prior to working at Indeed, he worked at a Boston-based environmental services company called Next Step Living.
Gyasi recently joined NEC’s President’s Council as one of its newest members, is a member and Board Director of the Oratorio Society of New York, and a Young Advisory Council member of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Syracuse University. Gyasi received his Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Syracuse University and his Master of Music in Vocal Performance from New England Conservatory. He divides his time between New York City and Orange County, New York with his wife and dog.
Why did you choose NEC?
I chose NEC primarily because I wanted to study with former voice faculty member, Karen Holvik. I also wanted to be in Boston which made NEC the perfect choice.
What have you been up to since graduating from NEC? What projects have you been working on? Do you have any goals you are looking to accomplish?
I have primarily worked in the private sector since graduating. I have been employed at Indeed since 2015, which has allowed me to allocate funds towards supporting the arts. Contributing to NEC has meant a great deal to me and I can't wait to continue to pay it forward to future NEC students.
What are some of your favorite memories from your time at NEC?
My favorite memories from NEC revolve around the time I spent with my classmates in the Opera department. A specific moment I remember happened before one of our very first movement classes in the fall semester of 2011. Everyone showed up early because we wanted to stretch before the class began, but ended up having a piggyback ride relay race in the hallway outside of the classroom. That memory remains one of the purest joys I've experienced as an adult. I also enjoyed being able to volunteer with the CPP program. The memory that stands out most was singing at the Boston Children’s Hospital. I always enjoyed singing – no matter the audience – but singing to children during the holidays was a special experience.
Learning from Karen Holvik was a huge part of my NEC experience as well. I always had trouble understanding the emotions behind the arias I would perform. They all sounded nice, but I didn’t feel like I could evoke the true emotion of the character. I particularly remember studying an aria from Simon Boccanegra by Verdi. Karen and I spent most of one lesson talking about the setting of the aria, the character, what he cared about most and what he was trying to communicate. To this day, it was the most communicative I've been while singing an aria. This taught me how important it was to emotionally prepare for any performance.
Share a story about one of your favorite faculty or studio instructors.
Before I attended NEC, I always knew I had vocal talent, but the ranges I was able to achieve were all thanks to Karen Holvik and Stephen Lord. They pushed me to new levels with my instrument that I didn’t know I was capable of reaching. They encouraged me to reach my full potential and would accept nothing less. Karen and Stephen were able to keep me motivated without burning out which is a challenging thing to do with young singers.
How have your NEC experiences shaped your artistic approach?
My time at NEC taught me how to prioritize my goals and work hard towards them. As I've continued to work in tech and sales, I've recognized that people with a musical background have such great work ethic. Although I'm not technically using the direct information I learned from my degree, the impact it had on my work ethic has been and will continue to be immeasurable.
Share any other stories about what has inspired you at NEC and beyond.
The opportunity to travel has been the most inspiring experience. In 2019, I traveled to Canada for my 30th birthday with one of my best friends, Chris Weigel ’13 MM, who is also an NEC graduate. We had an amazing trip, in large part because of the amazing friendship we made while at NEC. All the people I met through NEC were certainly the best part of my experience.
Do you have any advice for young musicians/current NEC students?
I would recommend prioritizing your finances. Even after I started making a reliable salary, it took some time to gain control of my finances. The more you have a plan for your finances now, the more financial freedom you will have in your future.
Learn More About Gyasi:
Current Job: Senior Lead, Global Product Solutions at Indeed.com
Major: Vocal Performance
Degree: Master of Music
Class Year: 2013
Instrument: Voice
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