Barbara McOwen founded the Boston Harbor Scottish Fiddle School in 2003 with Marcie Van Cleave.  The school had about 40 students in its first year.  During her tenure as Music Director Barbara grew the school to over 100 students (which is full capacity) and attracted a high-powered faculty consisting of many rising and established Scottish and Cape Breton fiddlers along with well-known proponents of other instruments.  Barbara retired as Music Director of BHSFS after our 2009 season, having achieved her goal of creating a Scottish fiddle school that she would enjoy attending as a camper.  She has certainly succeeded in that!

Barbara began playing fiddle for Scottish dancing in 1971, the same year she gained her B.A. in Music from the University of California, Berkeley. She subsequently drew upon source books and recordings when forming her first band, the Berkeley Scottish Players, and currently leads Tullochgorum, a Scottish country dance band based in Boston. Barbara is also co-founder of the Boston Scottish Fiddle Club and the N.H. Strathspey & Reel Society, and directed the Boston Harbor Scottish Fiddle School until her resignation in 2009. The Glengarry Collection, her  book on the music of Highland fiddler Aonghas Grant, has recently been published by Mel Bay Publications, Inc.  It is available at www.amazon.com and elsewhere.