As a bright, young light in the southern California music scene, he found himself opening for jazz greets such as Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, and Ramsey Lewis. However, these opportunities often accompanied expectations and obstacles. When he returned to San Diego, he vowed he would never again accept a job that prevented him from continuing his unique musical journey. Despite these small setbacks, Tom remains sanguine about the volatility of musical tastes. Everything, ultimately, is about love.
People simply express love and comprehend love at different levels.
These difficult early years as a live entertainer also influenced Barabas' style in a way that enhanced the discipline of his studio and classroom training, allowing him to develop his sensitive touch and trademark approach on piano and keyboards as a musical dance of the heart. He was asked to write and perform an original composition for the Heartkeys AIDS Benefit Concert and Heartkeys album. Tom Barabas currently lives in San Diego with his wife, Bea, and three music-loving cats in a lush garden house that doubles as a recording studio. Tomorrow does not exist and yesterday is history. I never know exactly where my music will take me, but I live for that.