Helping Artists and Musical Instrument Brands Share Their Stories with Clarity and Impact

I have had the privilege of working as a music journalist, musical instrument marketer, and musician for more than two decades—experiences that have given me a unique perspective on communication within those spheres—and I have the knowledge and skills to help you tell your story.

Artists

More than a few artists experience difficulty effectively presenting themselves and their work to the world. Some would rather focus solely on their art, while others may struggle to articulate their full value or risk overhyping it. Publicists and marketing professionals at labels can help to remedy this—but not all artists have access to those resources.

During my 12 years as an editor at Guitar Player magazine, I had the opportunity to pick the brains of hundreds of musicians—from emerging artists to legends such as David Gilmour, John Frusciante, Bill Frisell, John McLaughlin, and Tony Iommi.

Telling their stories taught me to grasp and clearly convey the essence of who they were, what they were doing, and why. Being a musician myself made that easier.

My writings demonstrate my ability to tell artists’ stories, and together we can craft effective and coordinated messaging to tell yours.

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Brands

Brands are like artists—they each have a unique story to tell. Telling that story in a compelling way can be challenging, especially for companies facing language barriers.

As the Marketing Communications Manager for Yamaha Guitar Group, I helped develop consistent brand voices for the Line 6, Ampeg, and Yamaha brands and crafted written marketing content for more than 25 products. As the Line 6 Product Marketing Manager, I devised go-to-market plans for more than a dozen highly successful Line 6 products.

 Although I currently work with additional brands, I continue to collaborate with the good folks at YGG, creating marketing materials for the Line 6, Córdoba, Guild, and Ampeg brands.

Whether it be developing comprehensive brand and product marketing strategies or simply writing engaging and consistent content—I can help you communicate your story with clarity and impact.

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Contact
Originally recruited to Line 6 in a Product Marketing role, Barry quickly demonstrated his extensive product and industry knowledge and the depth and strength of his relationships. As we expanded, he seamlessly transitioned into a Marketing Communications role.
Simon Jones
Simon JonesDirector of Marketing, Yamaha Guitar Group
Barry’s real-world musical experience and educated research—as a recording musician, as a composer, as a published author, and as the best kind of guitar+tech nerd—certainly mark him as uniquely qualified to advise and help other musicians.
David Torn
David TornGuitarist, Composer, Texturalist, Producer (David Bowie, k.d. lang, Tim Berne, John Legend)
Even after two decades in this industry, it’s exceedingly rare to find someone with more talent or creativity than Barry. He oversaw the launches of many successful Line 6 products—and singlehandedly created Model Citizens, a wildly popular brand-agnostic blog.
Eric Klein
Eric KleinChief Product Design Architect, Yamaha Guitar Group
Barry has been writing articulate and perceptive pieces about music and culture for decades. It comes as no surprise that he is inaugurating this project, wherein he helps artists and inventors in the worlds of music and sound tell their stories.
Nels Cline
Nels ClineGuitarist, Composer, Sonic Adventurist (Wilco, Nels Cline Singers, Consentrik Quartet)
Barry literally changed my life when he wrote the very first review of our EL8 Distressor and effectively put it and our fledgling company, Empirical Labs, on the map. Most recently, Barry created marketing materials for a new product launched at the 2025 NAMM show.
Dave Derr
Dave DerrPresident/Chief Engineer, Empirical Labs Inc.
As Product Marketing Manager for Line 6, Barry led launches for some of the brand's most successful and influential products. His ability to strategize, create, and write is complemented by his ability to collaborate and foster positive working relationships.
Matt Ferguson
Matt FergusonDirector of Content Marketing, Yamaha Guitar Group
Barry possesses a vast knowledge of music and recording—and one of his greatest strengths is helping others clearly communicate their vision to a potential audience. Barry is a valuable asset within the contemporary musical landscape.
Jeff Schroeder
Jeff SchroederGuitarist (formerly with Smashing Pumpkins)
Barry has decades of technical, marketing, and creative writing experience and writes in a friendly style that distills the technical down to something all levels can understand. He also possesses firsthand knowledge of what he writes about.
John Loose
John LooseDirector of Audio Production, Dolby Labs
Barry is a thoughtful and insightful writer with a deep understanding of music and the music industry. He knows what questions to ask in order to prompt meaningful conversation and content, and he is a great connector of people and ideas.
Mary Halvorson
Mary HalvorsonGuitarist, composer, MacArthur "Genius" Grant recipient
During my tenure as Senior Director, Product Management at YGG, I had the pleasure of working with Barry for several years. He has consistently surprised me with his vast experience and deep insights into the minds of musicians and MI consumers.
Adrian Haselhuber
Adrian HaselhuberVP Product Management, Presonus Hardware
Barry has got a serious brain on him, a miles-wide streak of (and appreciation for) innovation and creativity, a true Renaissance Man palette of available skills, a ferociously reliable work ethic, and is an eternally loyal friend and collaborator.
Mike Keneally
Mike KeneallyGuitarist, Keyboardist, Vocalist, Composer (Frank Zappa, Devin Townsend, Joe Satriani)
Working with Barry has been a consistently outstanding experience. His writing and communication skills are second to none—he’s clear, compelling, and always on point—and his insights are both strategic and deeply informed.
Dan Boul
Dan BoulPresident, 65amps
While Barry was the YGG Marketing Communications Manager, he and I worked together in creating marketing messaging for multiple Ampeg products. Barry is an asset at every level.
Dino Monoxelos
Dino MonoxelosAmpeg Brand Marketing Manager, Yamaha Guitar Group
I’ve been reading Barry Cleveland’s writing for more than 20 years and his thoughtful, deeply informed approach has influenced the way I listen to and think about music. I’ve also been inspired by his adventurous spirit and originality as a musician.
Paul Richards
Paul RichardsGuitarist with California Guitar Trio and Robert Fripp String Quintet
Barry is one of the most talented and multifaceted individuals I've ever had the pleasure of working with. I've served as editor for two international music publications, and I can attest that Barry is one of today's finest music journalists.
Joe Gore
Joe GoreMusician, Writer, Music Tech Geek
The questions Barry posed to me were different in nature from those of the many previous interviewers I’d spoken with. His ideas are formed from the point of view of a music practitioner who happens to be able to use words to describe the indescribable.
Rez Abbasi
Rez AbbasiGuitarist, Composer, Educator, Guggenheim Fellow
I’ve known Barry since 2002 and have relied on his deep knowledge of audio recording and guitar tools and applications. His ability to educate and communicate with musicians—and members of the media—has been a hallmark of his career.
Jon Levy
Jon Levy Publisher, Premier Guitar Magazine
I first met Barry years ago when I was the Editor of Mix magazine. He reviewed the Empirical Labs Distressor and speculated that the unit might someday become a studio classic, which, of course, it did. Not bad for his first shot at being a journalist!
George Petersen
George PetersenEditor, Front of House Magazine
Barry is a generous collaborator with broad expertise in music and music production. He has a keen eye for detail and meticulous standards to get things right. Every asset on which I worked with him was improved through the process.
Dave Miner
Dave MinerBrand Manager, Yorkville Sound
In the more than two decades that I’ve worked in music publishing, Barry Cleveland is a name I’ve always recognized. During his time at Guitar Player magazine, he proved that he was not only an exceptional writer and editor but also an incredible guitarist and musician.
Paul Riario
Paul RiarioTech Editor, Guitar World Magazine
I've worked with dozens of editors over the past half-century, and Barry is my all-time favorite. In addition to being a superlative editor, he's a highly skilled and much-respected writer with a deep knowledge of the music industry.
Jas Obrecht
Jas ObrechtAuthor, Editor, Music Journalist
More Testimonials
Jeff Beck
John Frusciante
David Gilmour
Allan Holdsworth
Tony Iommi
Eric Johnson
Nels Cline
Joe Satriani
Johnny Marr
Ry Cooder
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