Edith
Barnard holds a bachelor's degree in Music from the University
of
Illinois and a Master's Degree
in Theater from the State University of New
York at Binghamton in
Music/Theater. Edith operated her own theater in
Maine for 15 years. As well as
being an accomplished performer, Edith has
enjoyed many years as a music
instructor. She combines practical
knowledge with intuition to
meet the needs of each student and guides
them to the next level with
patience and encouragement. Many of her
students are professional
musicians and teachers in their own right.
DAUGHTER OF THE SOIL
A daughter of the Illinois soil, her mother's father
was a corn farmer in
Effingham County. He played fiddle, was a raconteur of farm
stories and when
the state of Illinois took his driver's license away at the
age of 92, he
drove his tractor
into town! He died peacefully in his sleep at the age of 98. Edie's Grandmother was a
pianist and sang Rosemary Clooney and Dinah Shore songs. The Barnard side
of the family still raises acres and acres of cattle and hogs in Wayne
County. Her sister and family live in Peoria. Edith is excited about being home to
roost at her roots.
PRODIGAL DAUGHTER
Edith left Illinois soon after receiving her degree
from the University of
Illinois in music education to teach music and drama K-12 in
Bath, Maine for ten
years. Then she:
- Toured the southern
states as Folklorist Performer sponsored by the Smithsonian
Institute
- Represented the U. S.
Government as cultural ambassador to GREECE
- Operated her own theatre
for 15 years in Bath, Maine
- Received an award at the
WHITE HOUSE for her musical, "Courtly Appeal" which she
wrote about the US Constitution.
- Toured her one woman
show, "HARRIET BEECHER STOWE" to schools, museums, libraries
and historical societies in New England
- Narrated a Children's
Musical, Commissioned by The NAPLES FLORIDA PHILHARMONIC,
"The Magical Christmas" in 2001
- Directed "Oklahoma",
"Amahl and The Night Visiters","Guys and Dolls", "Li'l
Abner", "The Fantastics" and her own original historic
musicals
- Toured five Eastern Caribbean
islands performing in plantation homes with grand pianos with Livio
Caroli, principal oboist, AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE-"Bach, Beethoven,
Brahms and the Beatles"-a musicale soirée theatre piece
Edie
currently serves on the Board of the Apollo Theater, is music
chairman
for Peoria's Downtown Rotary,
is involved in the World Affairs Council, and
narrates The Peoria Pops
Orchestra.
Updated 19May,2024