Contact Info

Biography

With more than three decades of experience in the music industry, Barbara Adams is a distinguished audio engineer and educator. Specializing in production management and live sound, she brings extensive expertise to her work within Philadelphia’s creative music community, both in live and studio engineering. Her professional background features positions at historic Philadelphia venues such as The Trocadero, Electric Factory, Tin Angel, Grape Street, and World Cafe Live, and she recently contributed to the success of The Fallser Club. As a touring engineer, she has served as a monitor and Front of House (FOH) engineer for numerous bands and major festivals, including the Peach Music Festival and Musikfest. Additionally, she owns a small business that provides audio production services to organizations such as Gorgas Park, Exit Zero Jazz Festival, the Women’s Law Project, and Rock to the Future. Her company, BurnDown, LLC, also manages a small recording studio.

Since 2010, Barbara has been dedicated to educating and mentoring the next generation of industry professionals. Currently, she serves as an Associate Teaching Professor at Rowan University, where she is a vital part of the music industry program. In addition to teaching core classes in audio technology and live sound, she actively seeks opportunities for students to gain valuable, real-world experience both within and beyond the university community. As the leading faculty member for the technology concentration in the Bachelor of Science in Music Industry, she ensures that students develop essential professional skills, critical listening abilities, and technical proficiency in studio and live music production.

While women currently represent less than 10% of the audio production workforce, Barbara Adams is a dedicated advocate for increasing diversity and inclusion within the industry. By leveraging her extensive background as a live sound specialist and production manager, she actively inspires and mentors the next generation of technicians to pursue their professional goals in music. Her commitment to professional excellence and advocacy is further demonstrated through her active membership in the Audio Engineering Society, The Recording Academy, and College Music Society. Additionally, she has served as the Philadelphia chapter president of Soundgirls, an organization focused on empowering women and underrepresented groups in professional audio. Barbara is currently pursuing a doctorate in Educational Leadership for Higher Education. Her research focuses on addressing the gender gap within music technology fields and investigating educational strategies to expand professional opportunities for women in the industry.

Education:

• Master of Arts, Theater Arts Administration, Rowan University, College of Performing Arts 
• Bachelor of Business Administration, Legal Studies & Entrepreneurship; Management, Temple University, Fox School of Business
• Specialized Associates Degree, Recording Arts; Recording Arts, Audio, Full Sail University