For the joy of it

Sep 5, 2025 | Singing and Self Blog

Joy flowering (THANKS TO my clematis, June 2025) I am channeling joy and gratitude this week as I begin the first of many “final firsts” in this, my final year of what has been a very rich and rewarding (and at times challenging and humbling) teaching...

We must persist

Aug 29, 2025 | Singing and Self Blog

Persistence (sourced on Snappa.com, August 2025) There has been considerable feedback from readers on the topic of “hiding” from my last post, and the fear of doing things that scare us off, make us feel vulnerable and question ourselves. So I’m...

Naomi for the win!

Jan 25, 2025 | Teaching

Naomi and Lucy at Laurier’s Ken Murray Competition, January 25, 2025 Barber Studio student Naomi Schlegel (class of 2025) was the first prize winner of Laurier’s Ken Murray Concerto Competition for 2025, giving an outstanding performance of the Doll Song...

Full Circle

Jan 24, 2025 | Singing and Self Blog

Big Red Ball (Kimberly Barber, taken December 2024, Vancouver, BC) This week I had the pleasure of coming full circle. I had a “debriefing” with one of my former students, Dr. Elizabeth Lepock, with whom I co-taught the new course “Pedagogy and...

Just a member of the band

Jan 17, 2025 | Singing and Self Blog

Girl Band (sourced on Snappa.com, January 2025) This week I made the decision to sneak back out of performing retirement. I’m joining a band. True story! Not just any band, mind you. And it’s not the kind of band you might typically think of; it’s a...