Denise Barbarita

I was recently in NYC and I had the opportunity to meet up with Denise Barbarita, staff engineer at Kampo Studios of New York.  Denise gave me the tour de jour of the Kampo site and treated me to a bit of her time so I could get an insight as to what makes her tick.

Sitting there with Denise in Studio A of Kampo, the SSL 4056 G+ as our backdrop, showed me that she is every bit as passionate about the engineering side of the industry as she is about the entertainment side, in which she plays both roles. The multi-talented Barbarita holds both in her hand.  Since her first introduction to NYC as a little girl she knew this would be her home.  In 1994, just a recent graduate of Berklee and far from her Delaware home, she decided to make her little girl dreams come true and she moved to NYC.   

Her first four years in NYC were tough as noted by Denise herself saying she embarked on her new world alone and that it was a tough bit of solitude from the family life she knew as she grew up.  Her mother is a pianist and her grandfather was the pianist for none other than Jackie Gleason; Denise’s formative years were steeped in music.  Denise honed her talents in such NY studios as RightTrack, The Looking Glass, and Battery Studios, but they proved to not to be her passion and she went searching for a more diverse niche of the music industry. 

Her Kampo career started in 1998 when she was put in on a Kenji Shimoda session at the last minute.  Turns out it was a last minute of fate.  Executing the Kenji session was the key because he is a very particular engineer and producer.  The session provided as a viable catapult for Denise.  Kenji was very pleased with her work and wanted to keep her on at Kampo.  Denise is no stranger to the heavy hitters.  Since her tenure began in NY started she has worked with Angie Stone, Karin Allyson, The Roots, David Byrne, Mary J. Blige, Herbie Hancock, and Phillip Glass.   Denise’s secret is she knows both sides of the booth making her a valuable factor in a session.  She is able to connect with the artist on a level that most producers and engineer cannot get to with the artist and this enables her to get the best possible performance from her sessions.

All the while Denise was making her way as a noted engineer she was carving another path, the path of an entertainer.  Denise has been featured in Billboard magazine, Underground Beat, and Women Who Rock magazine and her songs can be heard on and ongoing basis in the daytime drama, “One Life to Live.”  Denise has wowed audiences all over the U.S. and she can be found on the NY scene almost every night of the week.

Denise is a diva extraordinaire that pushes the envelope and keeps you wanting more.  Her sounds are an eclectic mix that is ear catching and soul grabbing.  Catching one of her performances is a must.  She can be found at www.myshytune.com.  Find her, find where she is playing, and go catch her show.  Show a little love and buy her a CD.  You will wear this CD out and that is a promise.

GirlAuDio Productions

www.myspace.com/girlaudio