Barbara Higbie: Piano

At 13, classical music student Barbara Higbie, who grew up in a small Indian town, found herself moving with her family to Ghana, West Africa, where she immersed herself in a vibrant new culture. She later studied with African drummer Mustafa Terry Addy and traveled widely. Higbie completed her degree at Mills College in Oakland and also traveled to the Sorbonne in France. It was there, while playing on the streets of Paris, that she discovered her calling as a musician. She later returned to Africa on a Watson Fellowship, where she collected indigenous music. Higbie, who has performed on more than 40 albums, lists Carole King as one of the several early influences in here musical life.