Meet Bailey Barnes | Voice Teacher and Singer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bailey Barnes and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bailey, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
I used to think that making lots of money would make me happy, but I have realized that what I need to be happy is simpler than I thought. I want to do the work I care about – singing and teaching singing – and live a simple but comfortable life where I have time to do the things I want like spend time with my family, go for long walks, garden. For me the truth about having a music career is that I need to live simply and be resourceful so that I can do the work I want to do. I don’t go on expensive vacations, eat out very often, or even buy myself coffee more than a couple times a month. But I do get to do the work I love, spend lots of time with family and build a loving, comforting home for myself and my family.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a voice teacher who focuses on using coaching and mindfulness to help students set and reach their goals. Want to feel more comfortable singing at church? Start a career as a singer? Get lead roles in the local community musical theater company? Record an EP? I help my students with all of those things and more.

I am also a professional singer and my primary genre is classical music, particularly art song and opera that was/is composed by female composers. I use my passion for social justice to fuel my creative endeavors, centering historically underrepresented voices while introducing people to moving music that they didn’t know existed.

This path has not been easy! It has been challenging but in the best ways. I have had to learn how to get focused in what I want for my career and my personal life rather than spreading myself too thin amongst many interests. I have gone through many boom and bust phases, where I am working too hard for too long and then burning out and feeling like I have to start over. I have learned how to manage my time and energy better so that I can do the work that I care about most and still have time for relationships with my family, friends and myself.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would be sure to take them to some kind of sporting event – Rockies or Nuggets depending on the season – and go for a hike in Golden Gate Canyon State Park. We would be sure to eat on the patio at Linger and take a day trip to Fort Collins to bike around and drink beer at ODell brewing.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My grad school mentors at the University of New Mexico – Professor Paula Corbin Swalin and Professor Katie Dukes-Walker – for helping me believe that this path is available to me and that I can create my own career without anyone else’s permission.

Website: https://www.baileybarnessoprano.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bailey.b.sings/

Image Credits
Kara Cavalca Photo
Kelsey Kaplan Photo
Aelpha Collective
Mia Gurule