SOW: Barbara Darby
By: EJ Barthelemy, Joy Chi
If you’ve walked into the music building before, you’ve probably seen Music Program Administrator Barb Darby greeting students and faculty alike with a welcoming wave and a smile.
Before coming to the Academy, Darby worked as a software project manager at PeopleSoft, Inc based out of Pleasanton, CA. With the arrival of her twin sons into her life, her career started to change. She transitioned to working as a paraprofessional in the special education field before finding a part-time job at the Academy.
Darby joined the music department in the fall of 2019, and since joining the department, she’s been an exemplary colleague and has been the backbone of the music department, according to Conductor of Orchestras Rohan Smith. “She is so open-minded and interested about everything that was going on in this incredibly complex music department,” he said. “She’s able to keep track of it all and make all the moving parts function smoothly.”
Director of Choirs and Music Instructor Kristopher Johnson agreed. “She is an advocate for students, families, faculty, and staff—she is strong but also kind...Mrs. Darby is one of the people that glues this campus together, helping its many strong independent pieces function as a whole.”
Music Instructors Jon Sakata and Jung Mi Lee added, “She has other people’s best interests fully at heart and is willing and able to do all she can to help others. We can’t think of another person who embodies non-sibi like her! She is driven by doing good for others as a daily way of living, not just as an exceptional one-off or as an occasional platitude to be serviced.”
Her coworkers have also admired her adaptation to the unprecedented school year. “Ms. Darby has done so much to help students reinvent their music study during the pandemic,” Johnson said, “she has really been the anchor that helped keep our music program stable and thriving through this difficult time.”
Lower Polly Vaillant noted Darby’s contribution to the music community, sharing a conversation between Darby and her following the most recent soloist concert. As Vaillant left the stage, Darby said, “I’m so sorry that everyone had to leave before you got on to perform… I hate it but I had to do it.” “It really shows she’s doing what’s safe and what’s the best for our community, which I think is really important,” Vaillant said.
Lower Jesalina Phan shared a similar meaningful story about Darby. “I had a piece and I wasn’t really sure about doing a piano accompaniment because the piano couldn’t be live and it would have to be a recording,” Phan said. “I talked to [Darby] about it and this was already past the deadline… for requesting for a recording, but she just pretty much laid out all the options for me so that I could have a better understanding of what was going on… and she [helped] me get a recording.”
Outside of her job at the Academy, Darby enjoys spending time with her children. “I love to spend time with my family and friends… My twin boys are now 19 years old and they are the best part of my life,” she said.
As part of the music department, Darby's colleagues noted her passion for piano. “She found resources online and started practicing. She bought herself a keyboard so that she could play in her home,” Johnson said.
Darby once asked Johnson and Smith to step into Powell Hall, where she surprised them by playing a piano piece she had been working on. “She’s got a lot of talent! I could see the pride and pleasure with which she played that piece on her face. I don’t know where she found the time to practice that, but that is a very special memory of Ms. Darby that I cherish.” Smith said.
Darby, through all of the complicated work, persists because of her love of the students. Smith said, “Her first and main sense of purpose and mission in this job, if you will, is her real love and caring for the students.”