LISA BARRETT WAS BORN AND RAISED ON A CATTLE RANCH IN THE SANDHILLS OF

NEBRASKA. SHE STARTED PLAYING THE FIDDLE AT AGE FOURTEEN, UNDER THE

GUIDANCE OF CHARLIE PETTIS WHO WAS A LOCAL FIDDLER WHO SPECIALIZED IN WESTERN AND BIG BAND SWING. WANTING TO DELVE DEEPER INTO THE TEXAS STYLE SWING AND THE TRADITONAL TEXAS BREAKDOWN STYLES OF FIDDLING ,

SHE MOVED TO TEXAS TO ATTEND COLLEGE AND CONTINUE HER MUSICAL STUDIES. THERE SHE STUDIED WITH DICK BARRETT WHO EVENTUALLY WOULD BECOME HER HUSBAND, AND OTHER LEGENDARY TEXAS FIDDLERS. LISA HAS SPENT THE GREATER PORTION OF HER CAREER AS A COMPETITIVE FIDDLER, WHICH SHE HAS EXCELLED AT, WINNING MANY STATE AND NATIONAL TITLES. SHE HAS PLAYED WESTERN SWING IN AND AROUND, COMPETING, AND HAS WORKED AS STUDIO MUSICIAN ON MANY ALBUMS. SHE AND HER HUSBAND

HAVE TOURED EXTENSIVELY IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA, PLAYING

CONCERTS AND PERSONAL APPEARANCES AT MANY FINE VENUES, INCLUDING

THE GREAT AMERICAN MUSIC HALL IN SAN FRANCISCO, THE SMITHSONIAN IN WASHINGTON

D.C. THE MEMPHIS AND KANSAS CITY JAZZ FESTIVALS AND MANY UNIVERSITY

MUSICAL FUNCTIONS, PLUS THE APPROXIMATELY 5OO COMPETITIONS SHE HAS

PLAYED IN.

SHE AND DICK HAVE RECORDED AN ALBUM OF STRICTLY INSTRUMENTAL

WESTERN SWING WITH SEVERAL OTHER HALL OF FAMERS, WHICH HAS SOLD

WELL AT FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. .

SHE STOPPED PERFORMING TWO YEARS AGO AND TODAY SPENDS MOST OF HER

TIME TEACHING. SHE AND DICK OPERATE AN IN RESIDENCE. MASTER CLASS

TEACHING PROGRAM FOR ADVANCED PLAYERS, WHERE THEY TEACH

APPROXIMATELY 60 STUDENTS A YEAR, WESTERN SWING AND TRADITIONAL

BREAKDOWN FIDDLING. THOUGH NOT PERFORMING ANY MORE , SHE INTENDS

TO KEEP CONTRIBUTING TO THE PERPETUATION OF WESTERN SWING MUSIC

THROUGH THE LARGE BODY OF STUDENTS THAT SHE TEACHES .

LISA WAS INDUCTED INTO THE POWS HALL OF FAME IN 1999

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