Bibi Farber is the daughter of talk show legend Barry Farber, niece of comedian Jerry Farber and the sister of investigative journalist Celia Farber. Bibi chose the path of singer, songwriter and guitarist. She has so many musical achievements under her belt I wasn’t sure what to concentrate on. I decided to catch up on her most recent activities and her thoughts on the important role of music in our culture today. I encourage the reader to peruse Bibi’s bio at the end of this interview.
At one point you describe your music as “upbeat, driving and rich in hooks and melodies”. Is that still how you would describe it today? And if not, why not?
Thank you for this interview Heather, and thanks for asking! That description is accurate for my band recordings. It’s even been classified as Power Pop. When I perform solo on acoustic guitar, I’d say the tunes are thoughtful, a little out of the ordinary, upbeat and melodic yes, also whimsical and reflecting on issues of our time.
I notice you come from a family of big communicators, whether it be radio and a master of several languages (your dad Barry Farber), comedy (your uncle Jerry Farber), or investigative journalism (your sister Celia). Music is also a form of communication. What is your message?
Thank you! I must mention I am so proud of my sister’s new book: Serious Adverse Events, with a foreword by Mark Crispin Miller and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s praise on the back dust jacket. Just released on March 23rd. Incredible, what Celia has bravely exposed on AIDS, and how the past crimes (of Pharma, media and beyond) are a direct precedent to what we see now.
I love writing, but music won out. I feel that songs are one of the best things in the world. They can change your mood or outlook in seconds. They can bring humor, courage, sweetness or food for thought.
The messages my songs carry are everything from mourning the bleak sadness of how NYC felt during lockdown, to songs set the futuristic world of everything we are going to have to make for ourselves ( Billion Things) to a song about hope for a global awakening (World Is Waking Up Right Now)
Covid was a major “show-stopper” for musicians that refused to get the jab. How did you navigate those years? Did you come up with any new directions in your career as a result? Any new philosophies on life?
I thought live music and events in general would be downsized forever more. I thought all of society would be segregated, that vaccinated and unvaccinated would occupy different social universes.
I was despondent, sad, angry thinking about all the people and livelihoods that were forever crushed. I doubted the world would ever return to previous levels of celebrations and gatherings.
I am still despondent, sad and angry about all the businesses – entertainment related and globally speaking – that were not able to survive those years. I had just enough resources to see me through until late year.
In the spring of 2022, bookings started coming in. It was truly like coming out of a nightmare. When you wake up and realize you are safe again- back into life! Of course I have to sing in a mask, without exception. Sometimes an N 95! Most of the places I work have, as of late March, dropped rapid testing upon entry.
Colleagues of mine have been barred from opportunities, up to an including being able to play at Lincoln Center, as recently as last August. This is criminal.
Do you have any fears that instruments and musicians may “go away” and be taken over by the digital world?
What a great question! While I am concerned about the digital realm and how it cheapened the experience of music, and in general concerned about the advances of AI, I believe people – the human ear- will always respond to fellow humans making music.
It’s a great sign that vinyl sales are now outperforming CD sales. Real music on instruments played by humans will never go away.
Where do you think music is going in the future? I find a lot of young people still come back to the “oldies” understanding their value. Do you agree?
Absolutely! The enduring value of that music is more and more clear all the time. There is a purity to music developed in the pre-digital age, before you could cut, paste and alter any track to sound like anything. AI will now make it possible to “sing” in any voice you like. And we thought Auto Tune (effect for adjusting vocal pitch, used across the board these days) was cheating!
I see you do a lot of volunteer singing and playing your guitar – in nursing homes – particularly with an organization called Musicians on Call. Why is this so important to you?
I did volunteer for them back about 15 years ago. They got me started, going bed to bed in hospitals and rehab facilities.
Now I have a thriving business, playing about 12 gigs per month in nursing homes. These are all paid jobs, mostly in Brooklyn where I began in earnest focusing on this. I drive down to NYC several times a month and do two or three days in a row, as I have a “residency” in several places. Here in the Hudson Valley I do hour long programs in about eight different facilities. 
I’m always looking to add more! I offer a free 45 minute show to any new client, to see if I may be a good fit for the residents and the facility. They always end up booking me, so it works out great!
This is so important to me because I love connecting with people. Seniors in nursing homes are often stuck in bed, staring at the TV all day, sometimes in pain and heavily medicated. When I can bring them back to their spirit, to get them singing, clapping or even enjoying music silently without a visible response – it makes my day! In Brooklyn I play in several facilities in the Crown Heights neighborhood, with a huge Caribbean population. I go to every lounge, dayroom and every bed. I play songs from Trinidad, lots of Bob Marley, old school soul and R&B. In Bay Ridge I play at a place with elderly Italian ladies, who want to hear Sinatra standards. For them I play more Burt Bacharach, John Denver, and whatever standards I can. The seniors in Poughkeepsie and Saugerties are BIG into Johnny Cash and Elvis!
I value the older people for the reason that they are the Pre Internet people. They still have manners, they make eye contact. They are not poking at their phones the whole time!
I would never have the chance to interact musically, and study such a wide range of popular music from different cultures if I were pursuing the usual “cover gigs” in clubs, restaurants, breweries etc. Also: I love getting home at 4:00 p.m. instead of 4:00 a.m.!
I have finally figured out how to make a living playing music, without having to tour and be in clubs. I call it being in music- without the Music Business!
I see you have a show coming up on April 15th. Tell our readers about the event. Will you be playing Tulula hits, your original music?
I am so excited to finally be playing my original music! The audience will hear songs new and old. I used to sing with Tulula! And I hope to sit in on a few of Jason Broome’s wonderful tunes!
Click Here for Event Info and Tickets!
From Bibi’s Substack
https://bibifarber.substack.com/
Listen to Bibi’s Music: