Barb Catlin, Director of Arizona Young Sounds
Barb Catlin
Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Barb Catlin has become one of the Southwest’s leading jazz educators and pianists. Her extensive touring, cruise ship, and show playing include work with top entertainers including Smokey Robinson, Ben Vereen, Lou Rawls, Bobby Vinton, Michael Crawford, and Wayne Newton. Barb’s performances have gained her local and national recognition; her trio was voted as an Arizona Favorite
by KJZZ’s 2003 Listener’s Poll and Barb was named by Downbeat Magazine as a Player to Catch
.
Barb majored in music education on woodwinds at California State University at Fresno and completed her Master’s in Music Education with an emphasis in Jazz Studies on piano from Arizona State University. Aside from directing the Young Sounds, Barb is Director of Jazz Studies at Mesa Community College in the Phoenix-metro area. Her students have recently been featured in the Grammy Jazz Band in Los Angeles, Wynton Marsalis’ All-American Jazz Ensemble, the Dave Brubeck Institute, and the Mancini Institute. Currently serving her second term as Secretary on the Board of the Arizona Association for Jazz Educators, Barb was the clinician for the Arizona High School All-State Jazz Clinic Band at the Arizona Music Educator’s Conference in 2009. Her enthusiasm for playing, real-life
approach to education and expertise in the rhythm section has made Barb a popular clinician and adjudicator at the high school and college levels. This is Barb’s sixth year as musical director for the Young Sounds program.