Merritt Harris is a juggler.

In addition to being a husband and a father of two, he is a full-time student at Empire State College and has a full-time job at Hillside Children’s Center. But with all of this, he still manages to fit music into his busy schedule.

Harris, 25, formed the collaborative indie folk rock band Mountains & Valleys two years ago as a creative outlet for his music.

Instead of having a set lineup, Mountains & Valleys is a collaborative project headed by Harris. Ten people, including Harris, worked on the group’s upcoming album, “Mountains & Valleys.” The group’s next performance is on Friday, at the Bull & Bear Pub in Syracuse, where the group will be opening for the Zak Smith band.

Every time the group plays, its lineup grows or rotates, and the “collective” is always looking for new musicians to join — particularly orchestral instrumentalists. Harris said his favorite thing about the band is the collaborative aspect.

“In music, you want others to come in to what you’re doing and you want them to do better than they did last time,” Harris said.

Harris recorded the album in his “basic” home studio over the past year when he wasn’t busy studying or working.

Harris wrote and recorded most of the layers in his songs with the exception of the orchestral arrangements. His longtime friend Rachel Leigh provided violin to the album. Leigh has collaborated with Harris on and off since high school, and said Harris’ positivity made the recording process pleasant.

“I had never written or arranged parts for someone else like this,” Leigh said. “It was a very real musical challenge, and (Harris’) enthusiastic responses to the parts I sent him gave me a lot of confidence.”

“Mountains & Valleys” incorporates several eclectic instruments into the record, including horns, a glockenspiel and a wind-powered organ.

Local Syracuse English teacher Steven Carbone collaborated with Harris and provided flugelhorn and trumpet parts to the album. Carbone said Harris’ lyrics make “Mountains & Valleys” relatable and accessible.

“There’s a little something there for everyone, especially when it comes to the concepts of the lyrics,” Carbone said. “As I recorded this record, I really started to develop a respect for Merritt’s songwriting, but also his lyric writing, because the songs deal with topics that are all about being a human and what it takes to live life.”

Harris said inspiration for his songs root from his personal life experiences, but what makes his music most interesting to him is how it connects to people.

“What I’m most interested in about music and about Mountains & Valleys is that it provides space to meet people and to have relationships with people,” Harris said.

Harris’ emphasis on connecting the community through music has inspired him to host Third Space, a series of concerts in his living room. After moving to Syracuse, Harris noticed a lack of venues that provide a space for folk and acoustic-focused music and decided to create a comfortable space for local artists to perform.

Harris felt that a small, intimate setting like a living room would both facilitate conversation and form a community around music.

“I was really wanting to create a venue for people to feel comfortable to perform and share their music,” Harris said. “I think there’s going to be a shift within music, and that music isn’t going to be a huge production on stage, but is going to be more about sharing it and experiencing it together.”

Mountain & Valleys does not perform at Third Space, as Harris created both separately. He does, however, like to promote local musicians and sees it as an important part of his musical exploits.

The group’s album is scheduled to release in October, although a set date has yet to be established. Upon the album’s release, Harris plans to circulate the album by sending it to music magazines and indie blogs for feedback.

As the album comes closer to completion, Harris hopes to continue working towards creating a sense of community through music in Syracuse.

“I hope that this music creates a space for conversations, for interactions, for people to sit together and tell stories,” Harris said. “That’s kind of really my big aspiration for what the record can do on a social level.”

Published on September 30, 2014 at 12:01 am

Contact Isha: idamle@syr.edu