Biography
Lee James Barbara has been studying and performing music since the age of 5. Throughout his childhood, he studied piano, clarinet, trumpet, alto saxophone, and baritone saxophone before finding the guitar at age 12. From that moment forward, he secured his concentration exclusively on the pursuit of music through the lens of guitar studies. Throughout high school, he attended jazz camps and seminars, finding mentorship from some of the music industry’s finest educators, and at 18, he attended the University of Oregon School of Music on scholarship, eventually earning dual Bachelors Degrees in Music and Arts and Letters.
For the past fifteen years, Lee has lent his talents as a performer and songwriter to innumerable musical ventures, which have given him the opportunity to tour North America and share stages with many of his field’s notable talents. He has also made his residence in Portland, Barcelona, and New York City. Throughout this extended period of frequent travel and performance, he maintained a steady schedule as a private guitar teacher, and has now found a permanent home in Portland, Oregon, where he owns and operates Portland Guitar Studio.
Though he continues to regularly record and perform, Lee remains a dedicated, focused educator to his ever-expanding roster of students. Thankful to finally be back in Portland for good, he looks forward to many years of sharing his love of music with the city he has called “home” since originally moving there almost a decade ago.