Mary Barba
Violin/Viola/Cello/Piano/Voice/Uke/Beginner Guitar/Ear Training and Theory
Mary began playing Viola at the age of eight years old, and hasn’t stopped since! Currently Mary plays Viola in the New Hampshire Philharmonic in Salem New Hampshire. Mary holds a Master of Music Education from Illinois State University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from the University of New Hampshire. Mary believes that each student will uniquely learn from individualized instruction, and therefore utilizes an eclectic mix of philosophies and literature in her classroom. She adopts literature and pedagogical philosophies from Suzuki, Roland, Zweig, and Reimer. Mary takes into account the skills and needs of her students in order to develop personalized plans of study for each individual. Mary works with students of all ages and abilities. She looks forward to meeting you and developing a strong working student/teacher relationship.
Michael Thompson
Drums/Audio&Video Production/Recording
Michael has been studying the drums since 2010. He is now a studio engineer here at On The Fringe Studios. He received his Pro Tools certificate in 2015, and has been working with video film & editing since 2013. We are excited that he is now teaching lessons here at the West Newbury School of Music.
Brian Nickerson
Brass/Winds/Piano
A life-long musician, a proudly accomplished and deeply passionate pianist of over 30 years, Brian has amassed additional educational, technical and performance skills on clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, percussion and voice.
An alumni of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, Brian earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education and Piano Performance in 2004 and a Master’s Degree in Music Education in 2011. Additionally, he has participated in conducting symposium studies with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the University of Rhode Island and directed music for countless community and semi-professional Musical Theatre productions across the state.
From 2005 – 2013 Brian was the Director of Music at the River Valley Charter School in Newburyport, teaching Kindergarten through 8th grade General Music, conducting Concert bands, Rock bands and Choruses. Since 2013 he has been the Music Director at the Nock Middle School in Newburyport where he teaches Music Technology and conducts the Concert Bands. Additionally at the school, he is the Music Theatre Artistic and Musical Director, directing such favorites as The Lion King, Singin’ In the Rain, Big Fish and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Though primarily trained in and geared toward Classical and Heavy Metal, he is comfortable in an array of musical styles and enjoys teaching all levels, ages and styles of musical enthusiasts.
Erica Cloutier
Piano/Voice/Audition Preparation/Songwriting/Theory
Erica graduated from Berklee College of Music with a bachelor degree in songwriting and a focus on voice. While at Berklee, her coursework varied from theory and sight singing classes, to keyboarding and vocal style labs, as well as many songwriting classes. Currently Erica teaches Piano, Voice, Songwriting, Music Theory, and Audition Preparation lessons to a wide range of students starting from age 5 to adult. She is also running “Quarter Notes” a program designed to bring young children and their parents together through song, movement, and the use of percussion instruments while interacting with other kids their age and learning about music at the same time. Since being at the West Newbury School of Music, Erica has helped her students prepare for and get accepted into music colleges. She has helped students audition for and perform in New Hapmshire’s Jazz All States Chorus and the Northeast District Chorus. Many of her students have gotten lead and supporting roles in school and community plays. She is very patient and conscientious teacher who goes above and beyond for her students. We are thrilled to have her on our staff.
Les Harris
Theory/Composition
Les Harris Sr. is a drummer and retired Berklee College of Music professor. He recalls listening to his father and uncle’s vocal group, The Three Blue Aces, on the radio in the 1930s. A time when jazz all but dominated that medium; the dance halls and record stores of America.
Peter Davis
Guitar/Bass/Drums/Ukulele/Theory
Peter has been playing percussion for 14 years and guitar for 11. He works as a studio musician here at On The Fridge Studios. Peter has performed with David “Bucket” Colwell, formerly of Bad Company. He also works with several local bands performing various gigs. He has even traveled across the country on tour with a local band.
Joe Cannatelli
Owner/Director
Joe has been engineering music since 1976. On The Fringe Studios began as a home studio in 1993 when he chose to design and build a custom home with a live room designed by an acoustic architect. By 2003 his house was not a home but a studio. The decision was made to purchase a building and transfer the business from home to a separate, stand-alone facility. He purchased the property where they are now conducting business in August of 2003. At that time the facility was approximately 2,000 sq./ft. When purchased it was a single story building with parking and ground floor access (perfect for loading/unloading gear). Soon after acquiring the building, he set out retrofitting the new studio and began enjoying the new recording space.
(Stories, Local. “Meet Joe Cannatelli of On The Fringe Studios in North Shore.” Boston Voyager Magazine | Boston City Guide. October 23, 2017. Accessed July 16, 2018. http://bostonvoyager.com/interview/meet-joe-cannatelli-fringe-studios-north-shore/. )