BOUNTIFUL—There’s a small music studio tucked just off 500 South in Bountiful that most people probably don’t know about – but they’ve been doing big things for 40 years. Platinum Sound & Mastering Labs has produced and recorded with artists like Gladys Knight and Kurt Bestor and worked on Broadway and movie scores.

“We also bought Jackman music,” said co-owner Barry Gibbons. “They’re the leading sheet music company for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They have licenses for music for the Tabernacle Choir, broadcasts and (General) Conference. It’s for any denomination, it’s faith based sacred music.”

“We create all of the sheet music and send it out to have copies made,” said Grant, Barry’s son and co-owner.

“Sometimes we’re asked to do an arrangement,” said Barry. “We have a huge pool of writers to work with.”

“We’re one of the longest recording/production studios in Utah,” said Michael Gibbons, another son and co-owner. “We’ve worked with a lot of amazing musicians. There’s some incredible talent. We’ve worked on albums, film, radio, TV and Broadway music that’s been used all over the world.”

The music is all over the map, he said. “Classic, rock and roll, jazz, pop – we love it all.”

Barry’s father started the business in 1983. “My grandfather, dad and my wife’s dad were all music educators,” he said. “It’s the water I swam in my whole life.”

They were originally in Utah County, said Barry. “We played with the Osmonds for a few years. Merrill Osmond told me I should move to Salt Lake.”

The Osmonds helped people realize they could make a living as a musician, he said. “When the (Osmonds’) show went away those of us who lived here had to figure out how to do the music industry in Utah. A lot of different companies started forming. They were all offshoots of the Osmonds.”

“Utah doesn’t strike you as a music metropolis,” said Michael. “But the talent level is staggering. It’s amazing and world class across the board.” 

The Gibbons children learned an appreciation of music at a young age, said Michael. “We’d get in the car and my dad would have us dissect the music. He’d have us name all of the instruments we could hear and relationships between them. We were getting ear training as little, little kids.”

Both Michael and Grant have children but they don’t know if they’ll join the family business of music. “Our goal is not to force it upon them,” said Michael. “We’re not trying to build an empire of musicians.”

The Gibbons are putting on a concert tonight Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m., Dec. 3 at 2 p.m. and Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. called “Finding Christmas – a musical celebration with the Gibbons family & Friends.” It features special guest performances by vocalist Yahosh Bonner, cellist Nicole Pinnell and recording artist Brett Raymond. The show will be held at the Farmington Community Arts Center, 120 S. Main St., Farmington. Tickets are $20 and are available online at bit.ly/FindingChristmasEvent or at the door.

“It’s about finding Christ in Christmas,” said Barry. “At the end of the day it’s really in trying to make lives better through Jesus Christ. That’s where our hearts are.”

“When we’re recording our goal is always to create emotion,” said Michael. “We want the end listener to feel what we want them to. If it’s not emotionally moving it’s probably not worth doing.”