Biography

Carol Barbieri is a freelance writer and musician.  Her articles have been published in newspapers including, The New York Times, the Bergen Record, and the Asbury Park Press, where she wrote a rotating column.  Her weekly humor column, “The Lemonade Stand,” appeared in the Atlantic Highlands Herald for many years.  Her articles about adoption have also appeared in online publications including, Adoption.com and MyStoryRelated.com.

            An adoption reform advocate for nearly twenty years, Barbieri has testified tirelessly in favor of adoptee access to original birth certificates at New Jersey state hearings.  Recently, Barbieri has begun telling her incredible adoption story to audiences including the American Adoption Congress's National 30th Annual Convention, Rutgers University's Let's Talk Adoption Conference, CHATS (Connected Hearts Adoption Triad Support) and library groups like, Books Sandwiched In.  This year, she will be speaking at the Adoption Crossroads "Adoption Healing" Conference at the Park Central Hotel in New York City.  Barbieri is also a member of NJCARE (New Jersey Coalition for Adoption Reform and Education), and is part of their Legislative Team.  Barbieri combines her presentations with a musical performance.

            Also an accomplished singer and guitarist, Barbieri has been performing for over thirty years, performing as a solo acoustic act, as part of a duo with her twin sister, and even as the lead singer of blues band, Doc Lawrence and the Blues Fix.  She’s graced the stages of venues as diverse as Bleecker Street’s legendary Back Fence in New York City (where she was a regular for many years), Central Park’s famous Naumburg Bandshell Stage (as part of New York City’s Revlon’s Breast Cancer Walk) and famous blues venues like Crossroads, Mexicali Blues, Jason’s, and Red Bank New Jersey’s annual Riverfest.   International blues artist, Joe Taino, asked her to co-write the song, Half a Man, which appears on his CD, Blues With an Accent.   Barbieri continues to perform locally and hosts a weekly acoustic open mic night in Rumson, New Jersey, with fellow singer/songwriter, Cook Smith.

            Barbieri’s recorded two CDs of her original music, Let It Go and the single, Your Secret’s Safe With Me, a song she wrote to her birthmother, who died before Barbieri had a chance to meet her.

            Carol says she owes her lifetime love of songwriting and performing to Joni Mitchell, her greatest influence.  It was from Mitchell that she learned how to play and write, using open tunings.  Other influences include, Shawn Colvin, Alison Krauss, Sarah McLachlan and the Indigo Girls.

            Barbieri received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, graduating summa cum laude, from Monmouth University, where she was awarded the Trustee Scholarship.  Her humor column for non-traditional, “returning women” was a favorite in the university’s publication, The Monmouth Review.  When just a freshman, Carol became a Bedford Books Writing Contest honorable mention.  Carol also holds a degree in Education. 

            Carol Barbieri has two grown sons, Jonathan and Christopher.  She resides happily in Atlantic Highlands with her husband, Joe, their two Yorkies, Rocky and Rosy, and their adopted cat, Pumpkin.

All Carol's original songs can be heard at www.ReverbNation.com. Songs include tracks from her CD, Let It Go, and her song about adoption, Your Secret's Safe With Me, which features Carol's niece (Sara Wastog), who was adopted from Bucaramanga, Columbia. 

Carol's CD's are also available for purchase.  Contact Carol at: BarbieriCa@aol.com.  Sales from "Your Secret's Safe With Me" are donated to Carol's favorite adoption agency, The Humane Society.