Barbara Speed started on piano when she was nine. Flute soon followed, and she studied classical and baroque flute in New York and London. After moving to Berkeley, Barbara decided to take up the saxophone. Barbara's fascination with that era of Jazz led her to try out the clarinet too, where she studied with Bay Area classical clarinetist Jim Russell. Several years ago luck brought her in contact with Westwind, an international folk dance group, where a gig playing a Jazz suite led to a Klezmer suite. Thanks to this, Barbara now plays with the Red Hot Chachkas.