Barry Burns is a Scottish

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 musician

Musician

A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....

 best known for his work with post-rock

Post-rock

Post-rock is a subgenre of rock music characterized by the influence and use of instruments commonly associated with rock, but using rhythms and "guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures" not traditionally found in rock...

 band Mogwai

Mogwai

The word mogwai is the transliteration of the Cantonese word 魔怪 meaning "monster", "evil spirit", "devil" or "demon".-Mogwai/Mogui in Chinese culture:...

.

Early life

Burns went to Cardinal Newman High School in Bellshill

Bellshill

Bellshill is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, 10 miles south east of Glasgow city centre and 37 miles west of Edinburgh. Other nearby towns are Motherwell , Hamilton and Coatbridge . Since 1996, it has been situated in the Greater Glasgow metropolitan area...

 before enrolling with the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama

Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is a conservatoire of music, drama, and dance in the centre of Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Educational Association, it is the busiest performing arts venue in Scotland...

 in Glasgow

Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

, taking up a Bachelor of Education degree in teaching music. He did not finish the degree, completing only 3 years of the course. He broke his finger, which is why he did not go back, though he has also said that he was not at ease with the teaching part of the course.

Mogwai

Burns joined Mogwai just before the recording of their second album, Come on Die Young

Come On Die Young

Come On Die Young , is the second full-length studio album by the Scottish post-rock band Mogwai, released on 29 March 1999 by Chemikal Underground.-Overview:...

. He had already played a few gigs with the band beforehand as a flautist

Flautist

A flautist or flutist is a musician who plays an instrument in the flute family. See List of flautists.The choice of "flautist" versus "flutist" is the source of dispute among players of the instrument...

 and occasional pianist

Pianist

A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...

. According to Stuart Braithwaite

Stuart Braithwaite

Stuart Leslie Braithwaite is a Scottish guitarist, bassist, drummer, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the guitarist of post rock band Mogwai, with whom he has recorded seven studio albums.-Early life :...

, Burns joined the band because he was a "good laugh". Burns is a versatile multi-instrumentalist

Multi-instrumentalist

A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...

 and contributes (among other things) keyboards

Keyboard instrument

A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...

, guitar

Guitar

The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

, vocals (mainly through a Vocoder

Vocoder

A vocoder is an analysis/synthesis system, mostly used for speech. In the encoder, the input is passed through a multiband filter, each band is passed through an envelope follower, and the control signals from the envelope followers are communicated to the decoder...

), and flute

Flute

The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...

. He is also the only member of Mogwai with a formal foundation in music theory

Music theory

Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...

, but he claims he is "a bit rusty".

Other

Burns contributed piano

Piano

The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...

, and organ

Organ (music)

The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...

 to the Arab Strap

Arab Strap (band)

Arab Strap were an indie rock band from Scotland that consisted of core members Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton. The band were signed to independent record label Chemikal Underground, and split in 2006...

's albums, Elephant Shoe

Elephant Shoe

Elephant Shoe is the third album by Arab Strap, released in 1999.The album's title is apparently the phrase said by Scottish teenagers afraid of saying "I love you", where they mouth "I love you" under their breath, but when asked what they had said, answer "elephant shoe" or elephant juice,...

, The Red Thread, Monday at the Hug and Pint

Monday at the Hug and Pint

Monday at the Hug & Pint is the fifth studio album by Arab Strap, released on April 21, 2003 on Chemikal Underground. The album features Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis from Omaha-based indie collective Bright Eyes, and Barry Burns from Mogwai.- Press :...

, and The Last Romance

The Last Romance

The Last Romance is the sixth and final studio album by Arab Strap, released on October 17, 2005 on Chemikal Underground. Upon release, vocalist Aidan Moffat stated that the album is "a lot more upbeat, but still deals with some of the darker aspects of relationships...

. He contributed piano

Piano

The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...

, organ, rhodes, and vocals to Malcolm Middleton

Malcolm Middleton

Malcolm Bruce Middleton is a Scottish musician best known for his work with Aidan Moffat in post-folk indie band Arab Strap as well as his solo career writing and producing...

's albums, 5:14 Fluoxytine Seagull Alcohol John Nicotine

5:14 Fluoxytine Seagull Alcohol John Nicotine

-Personnel:*Malcolm Middleton – guitar, vocals*Paul Savage – producer*Aidan Moffat – vocals*Emma Pollock – vocals*Alun Woodward – vocals*James Woods – vocals*Geoff Allan*Barry Burns – vocals*Stewart Henderson – vocals...

, Into The Woods

Into the Woods (album)

Into The Woods is the second studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter, Malcolm Middleton, released on June 13, 2005 on Chemikal Underground.-Overview:...

, A Brighter Beat and Sleight of Heart

Sleight of Heart (album)

Sleight of Heart is the fourth studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter Malcolm Middleton, released on 3 March 2008 on Full Time Hobby. The album was recorded in the summer of 2007 at Chem 19 Studios in Blantyre.-Artwork:...

. He has also played keyboards on the 2009 album "Prevention" by Scottish band De Rosa

De Rosa (band)

De Rosa was a Scottish rock band from Bellshill. Its components were Martin Henry , Chris Connick , James Woodside , Neil Woodside and Andrew Bush...

. He often plays DJ sets, often alongside fellow band member Stuart Braithwaite

Stuart Braithwaite

Stuart Leslie Braithwaite is a Scottish guitarist, bassist, drummer, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the guitarist of post rock band Mogwai, with whom he has recorded seven studio albums.-Early life :...

.
Along with wife Rachel, Burns owns the bar Das Gift in the Neukölln

Neukölln

Neukölln is the eighth borough of Berlin, located in the southeastern part of the city and was part of the former American sector under the Four-Power occupation of the city...

district of Berlin.