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Photo by Antonio Rossetti

Justin Schumacher (left) and Peter Barry (right) perform "the Color Green" at Christ Church at Grove Farm.

The fall season marches in, the sun sets before most get home from work, and the leaves begin to fall. Nonetheless, Peter Barry, a musician and singer from Boone, North Carolina, assures that even though a period of uncertainty approaches, spring will return, and “the color green survives.”

“I really love the idea that music can help people and I don’t want to write a song and play it for someone if it doesn’t help them,” Barry said. “Music is special to me because you can create an environment and you can create an experience for someone that they can be helped by.”

Barry released the album “the Color Green ” earlier this year. Justin Schumacher, a musician and singer from Nashville, Tennessee, also released an album called “Childish Ways” and the two two toured and played at Christ Church at Grove Farm, along with Lindsay Bosco who was the opening musician, on November 12, 2022.

Schumacher and Barry played in Franklin, TN, Boone, NC, Pittsburgh, PA, and Plymouth, IN from Nov. 10-13.

Their journey in the music industry took years of writing music and learning music. Barry was inspired to write music after a college friend showed him the song “The Color Green” by Rich Mullins.

“At first I didn’t take to it but then as I started listening to the poetry of the lyrics, I started listening to the music and how they complimented one another,” Barry said. “I slowly started to appreciate it and then I wanted to imitate it and then I started with songwriting.”

Barry released “the Color Green,” an 8-song album on Spotify, while paying homage to Mullins. He had certain goals for his album.

“It’s lamenting the brokenness of the world and then rejoicing in the fact that spring is coming, regardless of how broken the world is, and the hope that we can find in that and how it reflects a greater story,” Barry said.

That greater story is the hope in Jesus. Barry noted that his faith was a motivation for him to write music. The first song of the album is “Sail” and it sets a melancholy tone.

“It’s so helpful to play at the beginning of a set because it’s about having poured your heart and soul into something or having attempted to pour your heart and soul into something,” Barry said. “It’s having to deal with the fact that that thing, you’re going to have to let go of it. You’re going to have to loosen your grip on that thing.”

Barry belts lyrics like Ed Sheeran, while also giving it the traditional folk-style feel. The opening song “Sail” says “you didn’t build this ship to send it to another harbor, It’s made to sail in the ocean,” showing that the ship needs to sail and be free.

The album progresses and turns into a positive album that foreshadows hope. The final song is “the Color Green” and it’s a turn of the page. Spring is back and hope has arrived.

Barry released his first album and he’s grateful for the support he’s received on the tour.

“Just being in front of a microphone and having stage lights and singing a song and then you think back in a heartbeat, ‘Oh, I remember where the song came from,’ and it’s small beginnings,” Barry said. “Now I’m playing in front of these people and they’re enjoying it and they’re thanking me and saying we should do it again. It’s mind-blowing.”

Barry is overwhelmed with support and he is grateful for his family and his fiance, Hannah Hubin. His family played a factor in his decision to keep writing music.

“They have influenced me more than I could possibly articulate,” Barry said.“It’s family, and it’s other loved ones as well, but I couldn’t even begin to say how much of an influence my family’s had on me and I recognize that not everyone has that.”

One of those family members is his cousin, Thomas Barry, who helped put the tour together. He is also the one who distributed his music onto all platforms.

“None of my songs would be recorded without Thomas,” Barry said. “He helped me write the first one. He recorded it in his home studio. It sounds like a professional studio because he’s that good. But it was recorded in one of the rooms of his house. This show happened because Thomas advocated for me up here.”

Thomas Barry enjoys working with Peter and commends him on how far he’s come as a musician.

“Peter is a joy to work with,” Barry said. “He takes the songwriting craft very seriously, and it shows.”

Schumacher also had a family that got him into music. He performed before Barry as the second act at Christ Church. He also played guitar with Barry during the closing songs.

“I got into music, started playing guitar, just taking lessons and then that evolved into listening to what my dad listened to, and that inspired me to write,” Schumacher said. “All of it just came to head when I took a trip to Memphis and listened to blues.”

Similar to Barry, Schumacher also attributes his passion for music to his faith.

“It’s a joy to play,” Schumacher said. “I think the motivation for me is taking the truth of the gospel and how Christ has worked in my life in the scriptures, and articulating that in different ways, and through music that I love playing, and ultimately, glorifying God.”

Schumacher released his second album “Childish Ways.” Schumacher’s first album “Sticks and Stones” dropped in 2019 and he also released a single “Same Time Tomorrow” this year. Schumacher said there was struggles to begin, but he persevered, and he credits his mentor, Bryce Cain.

“There was just lots of trial and error and the way I recorded it was actually my bedroom just on an interface with a microphone,” Schumacher said. “I had a mentor at the time who helped me mix it, master it, and just gave me a lot of guidance.”

Schumacher has a style of blues and plays the harmonica while he plays the guitar. He draws inspiration from Bob Dylan and Bruce Springstein and gives it a Memphis music city kick.

His wife, Audrey, is another reason why he continues to write music.

“She’s everything in this world to me,” Schumacher said. “I don’t know where to begin and she inspires me. Since we’ve been dating to now we’re married, she’s part of why I write. Just her the way she compliments me, she’s just amazing. It’s hard to not write songs about someone like her.”

Schumacher is grateful for the experience of traveling in his latest tour with Barry. He is thankful for all of those who helped make the tour possible.

“My father-in-law was able to lend us gear, which is a huge blessing,” Schumacher. “It’s just lots of planning, logistics, and then getting together to practice. And it’s a lot, but it’s, those steps in themselves are fun. It’s so worth it just getting to come to different states, talk to awesome people and meet new people.”

Lindsay Bosco, a musician and music teacher at Montour High School, was the opening performer at the concert. She sang singles she released on SoundCloud and Spotify.

“An opening act is pure fun,” Bosco said. “You have the chance to start the night. What a beautiful opportunity to reel people in. I was honored.”

Bosco said that she doesn’t overthink her performances. She just shows up and lets people into her world.

“My experiences motivate me to write music,” Bosco said. “I have a desire to share relatable music with others. I want people to feel vulnerable when they hear my music and that it is a safe place to sit in.”

Bosco’s motivation in music is rooted within her family.

“Music dates back to my childhood,” Bosco said. “My mother and father funded my piano lessons. They exposed me to timeless musicals. Our house was filled with singing. It was our culture and still is. My desire to learn music stems from there.”

Thomas Barry, the one who put the concert and tour together, is thankful for those who helped make it happen. Barry also did the stage lighting and stage set-up and he considers the concert at Christ Church at Grove Farm a success.

“The Pittsburgh show was amazing to work on,” Barry said. “Anna Porter and Tess Sentell did so much to make it happen.”