Tom Barr - Violin Maker, Music Store Owner, and Labor Union Organizer

Rosin the Bow with Joe McHugh

Tom Barr was one of the first people I interviewed for the Rosin the Bow project. He grew up in Grayson County in the mountains of southwestern Virginia where he now makes violins and banjos and runs a music store in the town of Galax with his son Stevie. Tom learned the art of violin making from Albert Hash who taught many violin makers in that part of the Appalachian Mountains. Tom has also worked as a labor union organizer fighting to improve the lives of working people.