Kirk Barnes has been playing guitar for 16 years, but has been involved with music since middle school. Originally playing trumpet, he performed for 4 years with the Lancaster High School Marching Band. His high school band director, John Rhodes, helped him learn the finer points of theory and encouraged his love of music. During this time, he was inspired to pick up and learn the guitar.

After earning a degree in Sport and Entertaiment Management from USC, Kirk toured the southeast with his band Opus and The Frequencies, playing small club shows, weddings, USC’s Annual Tiger Burn, 5 Points’ St. Patrick’s Day Festival and the Columbia Food and Wine Festival. He also performs with local Columbia acts Say Femme and Death Ray Robin, as well as using his love for My Chemical Romance as inspiration for Emo Night Cover Sets in Greenville, Augusta and Columbia.

Kirk has been working as a substitute guitar and bass teacher at Freeway since 2023 and thoroughly enjoys sharing his love of music with every student he teaches.

Kirk currently teaches on Wednesdays at Freeway Music Downtown Columbia in Forest Acres.