In addition to being the Founder and Artistic Director of the Early Music at the Byron Colby Barn, Joel Spears is an active lutenist and guitarist based in the Chicago area.

Joel has performed both as a soloist and with ensembles of varying sizes, such as Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago Opera Theater, Seraphic Fire, Ars Antigua, Bella Voce, Music of the Baroque, The Chicago Early Music Consort, Scholars of Cambrai, Heroic Bard, and The Harwood Early Music Ensemble. Joel is currently Lute Instructor at the Music Institute of Chicago.

The beautifully restored Byron Colby Barn in Grayslake is named for the local dairy farmer who built it in 1885. Scheduled for demolition in 1992, this historic dairy barn was instead expertly deconstructed and rebuilt in Prairie Crossing, a nationally known conservation community.

The  Byron Colby Barn is located at 1561 Jones Point Road in Grayslake. From I-94, exit Route 120 west, turn south at Route 45, then right at Jones Point Road. Ample free parking is located adjacent to the Barn. 

The Byron Colby Barn is owned and operated by the Liberty Prairie Foundation, a 503(c)(3) non-profit organization, and is used in support of our mission. The Foundation also owns the Prairie Crossing Farm in Grayslake, and operates the Farm Business Development Center and the Prairie Crossing Learning Farm. The Byron Colby Barn's various uses are aligned with the Prairie Crossing guiding principles of life-long learning, a sense of community, and a sense of place.