Episode # 4: Castaway - Barb Truex

Barbara Truex has been absorbed by music for as long as she can remember. Encouraged by her father with his banjo, she continually explored the instruments that collected in the basement playroom: piano, guitar, banjos, mandolin, accordion, ukuleles, etc. She learned old American folk songs like “Camptown Races”, sang in the church choir and longed to have hands big enough to play the guitar, which was the instrument of choice for the late 50’s and 60’s. There were also many hours spent in that basement “noodling” on all those music machines, making up melodies and simply exploring sounds. Much later in her life she realized she had been planting seeds for her work in improvising and sound experimentation.

In the mid 1980’s Barbara got involved with community radio in Bridgeport CT on WPKN. With a move to Maine in 1989, she continued her interest in radio and joined the staff of WMPG in Portland, where she hosts a world music program weekly. Her work in radio coupled with collaborations with artists of all types has introduced her to music and cultures worldwide and is constantly feeding her creative projects, whether it be writing music or designing a soundscape for theater, dance, audio drama, visual art, film or her own repertoire. From her perspective there is a sound or a piece of music for every emotion and situation. Barbara’s passion is to find and create those sounds.

Barbara Truex has been absorbed by music for as long as she can remember. Encouraged by her father with his banjo, she continually explored the instruments that collected in the basement playroom: piano, guitar, banjos, mandolin, accordion, ukuleles, etc. She learned old American folk songs like “Camptown Races”, sang in the church choir and longed to have hands big enough to play the guitar, which was the instrument of choice for the late 50’s and 60’s. There were also many hours spent in that basement “noodling” on all those music machines, making up melodies and simply exploring sounds. Much later in her life she realized she had been planting seeds for her work in improvising and sound experimentation.

In the mid 1980’s Barbara got involved with community radio in Bridgeport CT on WPKN. With a move to Maine in 1989, she continued her interest in radio and joined the staff of WMPG in Portland, where she hosts a world music program weekly. Her work in radio coupled with collaborations with artists of all types has introduced her to music and cultures worldwide and is constantly feeding her creative projects, whether it be writing music or designing a soundscape for theater, dance, audio drama, visual art, film or her own repertoire. From her perspective there is a sound or a piece of music for every emotion and situation. Barbara’s passion is to find and create those sounds.