Folk Musician Finds New Harmony in Philosophy

By André Walker

ATLANTA — When Barb Carbon (B.A. ’25) first arrived in Georgia, it wasn’t for school — it was for the Indigo Girls.

“I followed them like a Deadhead,” Carbon said, laughing. “My car broke down after a show in Atlanta, and I just stayed.”

That unplanned layover turned into a decades-long residency and the birthplace of her independent folk-rock band, The Ain’t Sisters. Formed with her musical collaborator and close friend Arrie Bozeman, Carbon said the band’s name reflects both their deep bond and shared spirit of independence.

“People think we’re sisters,” Carbon joked. “But we ain’t.”

Originally from Connecticut, Carbon began her artistic life as a poet. By high school, she realized music could make her words more accessible.

“If I told kids a poem on the playground, I might get beat up. But if I played guitar? That was different,” Carbon said. “I snuck into my brother’s room to play his guitar when he wasn’t home. Eventually, I found one in an old, abandoned building and just kept going.”

For years, Carbon’s whole life revolved around music. She and her band had built a loyal following, regularly touring across the Southeast and evolving from a local bar band to a rising name on the festival circuit.

“We were playing shows constantly — festivals, bars, community events,” Carbon said. “Then COVID hit, and everything stopped. I thought, ‘What if music never comes back?’”

That existential pause led her to an academic restart.

Carbon decided to return to school and pursue her bachelor’s degree, picking up where she left off more than two decades ago. She initially majored in sociology, inspired by the work of storyteller and researcher Brené Brown. But an Introduction to Philosophy class changed her course.

“It was sweeping, meta, about how to live a good life,” Carbon said. “That’s what I wanted.”

Carbon focused on ethics and found a mentor in Associate Professor of Philosophy Eric Wilson.

“He’d push your thinking and find holes in your arguments — in a good way,” Carbon said. “He was exactly the kind of professor I hoped to find when I returned.”

Studying philosophy didn’t just shape her academic worldview, it gave Carbon’s creative work new depth.

Her studies were supported by the Kay Craigie Scholarship in Philosophy, named for Georgia State alumna Kay Craigie, who earned a doctorate in folklore and pursued a career in radio. Like Craigie, Carbon has woven together a life of inquiry and expression, using her background in philosophy to shape her work as a songwriter and storyteller.

“It taught me to ask better questions,” Carbon said. “Now, when I write songs, I’m thinking about how love, community and purpose can help shape the world we want to live in.”

Philosophy also shaped the themes of her band’s latest album, “Atomic.” Many of the songs reflect the complexities of life in a turbulent world, Carbon said, but they’re anchored by a message of hope.

“The songs reflect the struggles we’re all going through,” Carbon said. “But at their core is a belief that kindness and connection can carry us through.”

Philosophy courses like Meaning of Life deepened her approach to songwriting, prompting her to ask bigger questions with each lyric.

While her passion for philosophy fueled both her academic and musical pursuits, Carbon admits life as a non-traditional student wasn’t easy. Between managing the band’s comeback, working side jobs and full-time studies, Carbon often ran on little sleep and lots of caffeine.

“I was tired, cranky and caffeinated. But I made it,” Carbon said, smiling.

Carbon will receive her bachelor's degree in philosophy from Georgia State this month.

Her advice to anyone considering a return to school is simple:

“If you feel called to go back, do it. There’s room for you here. Age doesn’t matter — curiosity does,” Carbon said.

After graduation, Carbon and her band will hit the road again, playing festivals like Strange Creek Campout in Massachusetts and continuing to tour behind “Atomic.”

“We’ve gone from playing local bars to needing a manager, a booking agent and a van,” Carbon said.

She’s also exploring how to use her philosophy degree to engage with global challenges — from biomedical ethics to community resilience.

Carbon hopes to eventually work in the existential risk space, using her training in ethics to explore how humanity can respond to complex global threats like climate change, technology overreach or public health crises. Carbon is particularly interested in public-facing work that bridges science and philosophy, helping communities understand not just what’s possible, but what’s responsible.

“Science shows us what we can do,” Carbon said. “Philosophy helps us figure out what we should do.”