Guest Speaker Biographies
Barbara Martin
"Slice of life songs that ring with truth, wit and experience" The Washington Post, Barbara Martin's music is a rich stew of earthy blues peppered with sassy, swinging jazz. Her performances are rooted in a healthy respect for the traditions of American music from Josh White to Bessie Smith to Billie Holiday. Martin's sultry, soulful voice and skillful guitar playing captivate audiences.
From the time she bought her first guitar at the age of 13, Barbara Martin has never been afraid to explore and experiment. She moved from the folk coffeehouse circuit in her native Iowa to the new wave rock scene in Boston, to discovering her true love, blues and jazz, in the hills of Virginia. From her decision in 1990 to give up her job as a social worker and embark on a career as a full time musician she has never looked back. Her journey has taken her to festivals and concert venues throughout the United States and Europe. She has released seven recordings to critical acclaim from music lovers and reviewers alike.
As a film/TV composer, Barbara wrote the theme song for WVPT's "Streetcars and Cobblestones" documentary about Staunton, VA. Her song, "Part of My Plan" has been placed in the documentary, "Junior: The Terrance Cottrell Story". She has also scored the music for a theatrical production, Frank Albrecht's "Truthful Lies", which has been performed at theaters across Virginia.
Pat Peason
Patrick Peason spent much of his youth and early adulthood reading the works of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau and other transcendentalists. He became immersed in Eastern philosophy and the traditions of Zen and Tibetan Buddhism. Greatly interested in both psychotherapy and Eastern "ways of life", both of which are concerned with bringing about changes of consciousness by the practice of positive and empowering thinking patterns, Patrick studied under Richard Bandler to become a licensed practitioner of “NLP” or Neuro Linguistic Programming. NLP aims to increase behavioral choice by the manipulation of personal state, belief and internal representation. NLP allows the listener to fill in the gaps and make their own meaning from what is being said and find their own inner resources and solutions for problems Patrick is a licensed Ericksonian Hypnotist, also as a result of studying under Mr. Bandler.
Patrick has been a dedicated Vipassana meditation practitioner for the past 9 years, meditating with various formal and informal groups and maintaining a personal course of meditation at home each day.
Patrick is a licensed investment advisor, a certified speaking instructor, basketball coach for the Augusta Staunton Waynesboro Special Olympics, devoted husband and adored father to four completely spoiled cats.