Barbara is a native of California. She took up the trombone at the age of 9, benefitting from music in the public school system in Vallejo, California. She played 1st chair in high school, the Vallejo Junior Symphony, and Vallejo Symphony. Barbara moved to Sacramento to attend college, where she majored in Social Work and minored in Music. After completing her college work she accepted employment in San Jose, and kept playing her horn in many groups including, San Jose Wind Ensemble, Fremont Symphony, Women's Philharmonic, TheatreWorks, the Johnny Lampson Orchestra, the Adrian Davis Orchestra, the Bob Saul Orchestra, and Menlo Brass Quintet, in addition to freelancing throughout the Bay Area, Santa Cruz, and Monterey.