Special Bios for Charley Harper's New Production: Earth-Art-Animals

Artist Bios for Charley Harper’s EARTH-ART-ANIMALS multimedia concert

Barry Green — Double Bassist & Artistic Director

Barry Green, a native Californian, served as Principal Bassist of the Cincinnati Symphony for 28 years. He is the former Executive Director of the International Society of Bassists and has served as professor of bass at The Ohio State University, the University of California, Santa Cruz, and the University of Cincinnati, CCM.

As a bass soloist, Barry has created numerous unique, entertaining multimedia family concerts. His inaugural 1977 CCM concert featured the premiere of six illustrations by Charley Harper set to music by Carmon DeLeone. Inspired by a recent five-week Australian tour, Barry has expanded this program—in collaboration with Brett Harper—into a full-length popular concert for audiences of all ages including more than 70 illustrations brought to life in video with narration, titled Earth, Art, and Animals.

Green is also the bestselling author of three books dealing with the philosophy of music—the mind, body, and spirit—including The Inner Game of Music, translated into ten languages, with over 300,000 copies sold worldwide.

Collaborating artists in tonight’s concert include his wife, the Reverend Mary Tarbell-Green, as narrator, and the celebrated pianist Dianne Frazer, who has performed with Barry at international bass conventions for several decades.

Reverend Mary Tarbell-Green — Narrator

Rev. Mary Tarbell-Green is an Interfaith Minister and retired hospice chaplain for adults and pediatrics. She currently serves as a funeral and wedding celebrant and as Assistant Minister for Pastoral Care at the First Unitarian Church of Cincinnati.

She especially values officiating funerals and Celebrations of Life for those who are “non-affiliated,” allowing her to co-create meaningful, personal services with families. Mary lives with her excitedly talented husband, Barry, and their dog, Scooby, along with cats Tai and Chi.

Her unique gifts in spiritual comfort, storytelling, and inspiration have carried naturally into her work as narrator for Barry’s many multimedia productions, including numerous performances of Earth, Art, and Animals.

Living along the beautiful Ohio River, Mary’s deepest spiritual practice is to sit outdoors with her morning coffee and marvel at the river’s metaphors for life—serene, choppy, reflective, deep undertow, compelling, and murky.

Encouraged by her dear friend William Spear, Mary has also completed an edgy and heartfelt book about children and families and their journeys on hospice. Bursting With Life: When Children Enter Hospice is currently seeking an agent and publisher.

Brett Harper — Guest Presenter

Brett Harper, son of celebrated Cincinnati artists Charley and Edie Harper, serves as steward of the Harper family legacy and director of the Charley Harper Art Studio. Raised in the creative world of his parents’ iconic Mid-Century Modern aesthetic, Brett has dedicated much of his professional life to preserving, curating, and sharing the vast body of work created in the Harper family home and studio. His responsibilities include archiving original artworks, overseeing exhibitions, managing publications, and collaborating with museums and communities to bring his father’s art to new audiences.

In tonight’s program, Brett offers a personal and intimate perspective on life as the son of Charley Harper. His presentation includes a special selection of rarely seen and unpublished illustrations drawn from the family’s private collection—images reflecting the Harpers’ home, their creative process, and the whimsical spirit that shaped their artistic lives. Brett’s storytelling provides a unique connection between family history and the visual world that continues to inspire generations of Harper fans.