Barb Hazenveld

• 9 Years of Piano training

• University of Alberta - Introduction to Strings course (Violin, Viola, Cello and Bass)

• Trebas Institute of Recording Arts - 1 yr training full time in Production and recording, Vancouver

• 2 yrs Cello private lessons

• 1994- 1999 - Community music programs with Linsey Pollak in Australia, playing djembe and Marimba

• Hubbub Music   http://www.hubbubmusic.org/  Played and performed in several venues/festivals in Australia

• Barb Dwyer - performed extensively in many festivals throughout Australia, Canada, Germany and New Zealand from 1998-2005

• Barb Dwyer - recorded 3 CD's

• Completed Bachelor of Music degree at Southern Cross University 2006

• Created the band "Hurly Burly" in Australia with Hurdy Gurdy, vocals, Double Bass, Drum Kit and Cello.

• Completed Post Grad. Education Diploma with a specialization to teach High School music 2009

 

Barb is currently working with accordionist Randall Scott on Gypsy, and European Folk music in Turner Valley, Alberta. Since her return to live in Canada in 2008, she has been focussed on playing solo or with her husband.  

 

Barb lived in Australia for 14 years but in 2008 returned to Canada to settle down and raise a family.  Her love of the Hurdy Gurdy started while working in a world music record store in Vancouver in 1987. She fell in love with the sound of the instrument while listening to a record by “Musikas” (Hungarian band featuring Marta Sebastyen). She was then possessed by recurring dreams about the Hurdy Gurdy for the next 9 years. When she finally received her first instrument (a guitar shaped Boudet) the dreams mysteriously stopped. 

Barb lived on a community with 200 other “alternative life-stylers” for 8 years in SE Queensland, where she first taught herself the Hurdy Gurdy. She practiced for 3 years straight, completely obsessed, without too much distraction other than the kangaroos, possums and snakes, which regularly came into her large army tent, where she lived. During this time she developed many of her own techniques and styles for playing the instrument. Her first lessons on the Hurdy Gurdy were with Nigel Eaton, after one year of playing. She then went on to study with Cliff Stapleton, Ricardo Delfino, Pierre Imbert, Valentin Clastrier and Matthias Loibner. These lessons spanned over several years and a lot of travelling to many countries. Barb now plays an alto instrument from Wolfgang Weichselbaumer.

While living in Australia, Barb organised a Hurdy Gurdy Conference in Australia in 2004 which was a great success. There were 8 players present, nearly 1/3 of the Hurdy Gurdy players in the country! Michael Hannan, a composer and music teacher of Barbs from Southern Cross University, was commissioned to write a 4 part Hurdy Gurdy piece for the event. He used ideas of harmonisation from the Georgian tradition, and created a dark and beautiful minimalist work.