Catherine Barnes is a classically trained drummer and percussionist who received her Bachelor of Music degree in percussion performance from Northwestern University in 2008. Her teachers included marimbist Michael Burritt, Chicago Symphony percussionist James Ross, Grammy winner Paul Wertico, and Latin percussionist Ruben Alvarez.
Barnes has traveled extensively as both a student and a teacher. She received the J. William Fulbright scholarship for percussion studies in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2008. She also studied traditional Anlo-Ewe drumming in Ghana, West Africa in 2007 on an undergraduate research grant from Northwestern University. In 2011, she traveled to Haiti for two months to teach classical percussion at music schools in Cap-Haitien, Cange, and Jacmel. Locally, she has taught at Scripps Ranch High School, Westview High School, and Francis Parker School.
Barnes has an occasionally comedic alter ego known as Queen Mab (formerly known as gbera) who specializes in taking all those things about life that make you want to crawl under something, and die, and turning them into funny songs. The project has included collaborators such as bassist Ernesto Garcia, Jr. and guitarist Emily Williams, aka Axis Evil.
Her first Queen Mab single was released in 2012, "No Te Quejes," a bilingual rap song that she produced at Miramar College. In 2014, she released another self-produced Queen Mab single, "In A Jam," based on her experiences at local jazz jam sessions. "My Hometown" was included on the 2016 Homegrown album compiled by local radio personalities Cathryn Beeks and Jim McInnes. Her next Queen Mab single "La Línea" featured lyrics in Spanish and a percussion-only instrumental arrangement. A debut Queen Mab EP was released in October 2017, What You Know, highlighted by percussion-heavy arrangements and 60s rock bass lines.
Barnes has created solo shows such as Yes, No, Maybe So and International Man of Mystery, both of which feature original music, characters, comedy, and multimedia under the direction and development of Jessica Lynn Johnson. Yes, No, Maybe So won the Spirit of the Fringe Award at the 2022 San Diego Fringe Festival and the Female Empowerment Award at the Whitefire Theatre’s Solofest 2021. International Man of Mystery won Best Show with Original Music at the 2019 Tucson Fringe Festival and an Audience Choice Award at the 2019 Hi-Desert Fringe.
The two-part 2020 audio drama Trouble! A Calamity Adventure was written and produced by Barnes, featuring the original music and acting talents of Calamity, a local all-female folk rock band.
(Photo: Robin Harris, provided by Catherine Barnes)