Barbara Hubers Drake

BARBARA HUBERS-DRAKE (alto and soprano saxophone, clarinet) – Barbara began on saxophone in 4th grade when Carl Hoon, her music teacher, told her that she was made to play saxophone. She put down her saxophone during her sophomore year at Iowa State University after being told the marching band wasn’t for girls. Twenty-five years later, the longing to play saxophone resurfaced, and she embraced it once again, proving it’s never too late to revive or begin a new musical journey. Since then, Barbara has built an impressive resume, encompassing performing, founding new bands, and arranging/composing. She has formed notable quartets, including Bamboo and Brass LTD, Our House Jazz Quartet, and Hornheads West, and co-founded the 17-piece Seattle Women’s Jazz Orchestra (SWOJO). Her performance repertoire has included appearances with SWOJO, Moonlight Swing Orchestra, 85th Street Big Band, Kings of Swing, South Sound Saxophone Ensemble, Yellow Hat Band, Carnival Band, Fidgety Feet Jazz Band, Cascade Symphony Orchestra, Formation Wind Band, and Highline Symphonic Band among others. In addition to performing with Critical Mass Big Band, she currently performs with Our House Jazz Quartet, Bamboo and Brass LTD, Fidgety Feet Jazz Band, Hornheads West, South Sound Saxophone Ensemble, and Highline Community Symphonic Band. Despite not having studied music in college, she is a testament to lifelong learning. As a “late bloomer”, she is currently honing her jazz skills with Bob Reynolds, Greg Fishman, and Dr. Evan Smith and studying classical saxophone under Dr. Erik Steighner at Pacific Lutheran University.

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