Barbie Wong is a music educator and speaker who has worked with thousands of parents and music teachers to inspire kids to make music. Barbie attended Stanford University with a music scholarship and graduated with a B.A. in music with honors. Barbie was then awarded a fellowship to teach and study music at Smith College where she received her M.A. in music.
“The purpose of music is to develop an admirable heart.” – Shin’ichi Suzuki
Barbie believes that everyone has the potential to learn music, to love music, and to play music with joy. She gives talks and workshops to parents and teachers so that they learn how to guide children to learn music in a natural and joyful way.
Barbie’s love of music is seeped in her passion for world cultures, bringing her to many parts of the world. Barbie has lived in Paris, France, where she researched Richard Strauss’ opera Salome with a grant from Stanford University. In Sarnath, India, Barbie attended the Central Institute for Higher Tibetan Studies where she studied Tibetan Buddhism and meditation, and received an audience with the Dalai Lama.
While living in Honolulu, Hawai’i, Barbie hosted a radio show called “World Notes.” For this show, she wrote and produced programs that featured music from around the world and interviews with local musicians such as the Brothers Cazimero. During her time in San Francisco, she played with J-Town Hui, an ‘ukulele ensemble that performs Hawaiian music.
Barbie has played percussion with the Oakland Public Conservatory Orchestra, performed tango music with Orquesta Z, and played classical music with the Accordion Chamber Ensemble. Barbie is currently a member of Music Teachers Association of California and Suzuki Association of the Americas.
Barbie studied piano pedagogy with Caroline Fraser and is a certified Suzuki piano instructor. She has taught over 200 music students and is passionate about helping parents raise joyful, musical kids. When Barbie is not making music, she loves to eat chocolate, do parkour, and hang out with her teenage kids.