Singer and songwriter Barbara Parker, from Worton, MD, introduces her new recording, “A Little Out of Focus” at The Mainstay in Rock Hall, MD on Sunday January 31 at 4:00 p.m. Admission is $15. For information and reservations call 410-639-9133. Information is also available at the Mainstay’s website https://www.mainstayrockhall.org.
Barbara Parker will bring an eclectic mix of music from her new recording, original music, and time-honored standards as she takes the Mainstay stage along with Joe Holt on piano, Pres Harding on guitar and Ray Anthony on drums. As a singer and songwriter, Parker has been honing her craft the last few years in the rich environment of Kent County, MD, drawing inspiration from the wide variety of styles and traditions in the local music scene.
Most heavily influenced by country, folk, and classic jazz, her original music creates a fusion of these genres to create something other. Covers range from Patsy Cline to Norah Jones, interpreted in her own unique style.
Parker came to Kent County from Seattle, Washington, where she had sung in bands in the 80s. For many years she has been known locally as an artist rather than a singer but several years ago a friend encouraged her to devote more time to her music. So now she finds ways to integrate painting with music, taking breaks from one to devote time to the other.
Over the years, Parker has had a number of careers, from copywriting and editing, to publishing, to having a perennial nursery. She has a degree in interior design, and a certificate as a gemological technician. She has designed and created jewelry, and taught courses in metal clay technique in arts organizations from Pennsylvania to Georgia all while finding time to garden, travel and write. But these days, she paints and sings. She says, “I mostly paint abstracts, feasting on the way color becomes form, becomes meaning. It is much the same with words, the way they fit together to become lyrics. The music usually comes along with them – which is a bonus.”
The Mainstay (Home of Musical Magic) is the friendly informal storefront performing arts center on Rock Hall’s old time Main Street.
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