Meet Barry Valiasek

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

Hi Barry, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Music has always been a big part of my life. Growing up there was always music in our home, from my mom playing the piano and accordion to my parent’s folk, classical and jazz records playing in the background. My siblings and I were encouraged to learn an instrument at an early age. After dabbling with piano lessons, but really wanting to be a drummer, I eventually gravitated to the guitar because I could split the cost of a guitar with my brother. After a few years of guitar lessons at the age of ten and eleven, I eventually started learning music by ear and by my teenage years I started a rock cover band with some friends.

I knew a profession in music would be a hard path, so I ended up getting my master’s degree in engineering. After starting my career in engineering in both design and manufacturing support, I eventually moved into project management positions, first managing engineering design projects and later managing customer orders for large industrial custom equipment. In addition to traveling all over the world, this gave me the opportunity to learn all aspects of the company and oversee the operations process; from understanding the customer needs and providing quotes, through the design and manufacturing process and ending with the shipping and international exporting requirements. Eventually I would go on to manage factories and be part of the executive management team for various companies.

Throughout my technical and management career I always stayed close to music, mainly creating original songs on the guitar.

When I felt I had achieved everything I wanted in my business career, I left the corporate world and started investing in real estate. My career had given me the ability to successfully evaluate real estate investments from an analytical business approach. This was a strategic shift that gave me the opportunity to have a flexible schedule and more time to focus on my passion of music. I had always wanted to professionally develop and produce my songs and now had the opportunity to do that.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
For me the greatest part of being a musician/artist is creating something original and different. It’s all about tapping into your creative side and coming up with something that grabs your attention, evokes feelings and leaves a lasting impression.

Songs usually start with a rhythm and lyrics, but it’s how you develop, shape and layer a song that makes it special and unique. You never really know where the song will take you or what it will develop into, but with the right focus and persistence, you help the song find its natural path. It’s this process that is one of the most rewarding experiences of being a musician for me.

Prior to releasing my debut album, “Eye of the Beholder” in 2024 under the artist’s name Explorander, I decided I was going to design my own artwork for the album cover and make videos to accompany the music for YouTube. Making videos allowed me to extend my imagination to a different medium and add another dimension to help shape the story and message of my songs in a way I hadn’t anticipated. In the process I gained a whole new appreciation for the profession of film editing, but also learned that creating, directing and producing videos was another creative love of mine, almost as much as music.

While having an analytical mind helps with the technical aspects of recording music, sometimes it can be hard to switch quickly to the creative side. Many musicians will say once you start thinking, you lose the feel of the song. It requires a Zen-like state to feel the music.

I’ve found blocking off large uninterrupted periods of time devoted to song writing and production allows me to let go of my analytical side and cultivate the creativity to find the feel of the song. It’s also important to know when to walk away and listen to the progress in totally different settings so you can hear a different perspective. This always instantly triggers new ideas for me.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in northern California in Sonoma where there’s a vibrant wine and culinary scene, but also great outdoor activities like mountain biking, hiking and camping. I love variety, exploring new places and experiencing new things, so my adventures may include wine tasting, exploring the coastline, hikes with views overlooking the ocean, day or night trips into San Francisco. I have so many different local places I go to, but a few of my favorites include Ty Caton winery, Kamen winery, and restaurants like Salt and Stone, Yeti, The Girl and the Fig, and Café Aquatica in Jenner.

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 mom was an artist, and my dad was an engineer. Looking back, I now realize how fortunate I was to have this unique – if not somewhat opposing – combination from my parents. I have my mom’s artistic vision and creativity and my dad’s analytical and pragmatic approach to things. My parents designed and built a summer house on their own and blended their artistic and engineering ideas and approach into the house. This, and many other experiences from my parents, taught me that you can do anything you put your mind to with hard work, perseverance and an optimistic attitude.

Website: https://explorander.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/explorander

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barry-valiasek-0760238/

Facebook: https://facebook.com/explorandermusic

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Explorander