Nick Barbieri
Nick Barbieri is a songwriter, musician, singer and producer from St. Louis. His core band of bassist Dave Melson, guitarist Mark Buckheit and keyboard player Jon Parsons, along with Nick mostly on drums and vocals, has been together since 2015. His music gets regular airplay locally on KDHX radio, and is available on all major digital music platforms.
His latest EP titled “Love is the Way” was released October 2021 and contains 3 new songs. Two are written by Nick - “River And Bay” and “Love Isn’t About Me, It’s About You” which features a duet with singer Beth Bombara. The EP title song was written with several friends.
His previous album (released in summer 2019) was titled “Greed Part 4 – The Rehearsals” and contains 21 songs, one for each stanza of Diane Wakoski’s poem “Greed – Part 4”. The album consists of rehearsal recordings for a live performance that had lighting and weather issues, so he decided to release the rehearsal recordings instead, and they cover a wide range of rock genres with an honest, relaxed feel. The core band is joined by Mike Martin on guitar and vocals and Danny Hommes on drums.
His 2019 EP “Ellis Island” features a score of the poem “Ellis Island” by Pulitzer Prize winner Peter Balakian, along with a score of the poem “Do Not Die” by Marine Petrossian, and an original composition of Nick’s titled “Time on My Hands”.
Nick’s 2017 EP “Just Smile” features two original compositions by Nick, “Just Smile” and “Living for Today”, along with “Called a Poet”, which was also part of the Greed release.
Nick’s debut release in 2015 is titled “Poetry Scored”. Collaborators on “Poetry Scored” include Mark Buckheit, Frank Catalano, Brian Henneman, Lyris Hung, David Melson, Carl Pandolfi and Mark Peterson and many others. Many of the songs are poetry scores where Nick sets to music poems by Mary Dalton, Andreas Embirikos (translated by Nikos Stabakis), Chris King, Josephine Miles and Albert Saijo.
Nick produced a poetry score of Newfoundland poet Mary Dalton’s “All the Clubs from Holyrood to Brigus,” a group effort by 13 songwriters that premiered in St. Louis at the Schlafly Tap Room in 2015. He was also a drummer and singer on several other Poetry Scores projects produced by other songwriters.
Nick worked on a Poetry Scores project with Laumeier Sculpture Park in St. Louis County, organized by modern composer Eric Hall. The recording “Man with the Briefcase #2968443” was featured at Laumeier Sculpture Park’s interactive Site/Sound multimedia in 2012 as part of the St. Louis collective Three Fried Men.
Nick performed a score of the poem “Christmas Day, 1972” by Hawaiian poet Wayne Kaumualii Westlake, playing with the band Three Fried Men, that was released in Honolulu on the CD “Down on the Sidewalk in Waikiki.”
In addition to his original band, Nick plays with local cover band Rock Opera, and before living out of town for most of 1991-2011, Nick was a former member of Boom, Cagney and The Heebie Jeebies. In addition to playing music, Nick has worked in the pro audio/musical instrument sales industry for over 25 years, including 12 years with St. Louis Music and now in his 8th year with his own independent rep firm Bedrock Brands.
Nick studied business at Saint Louis University, earning a B.S. in Business Administration with a major in Marketing. He played in the SLU Jazz Band all four years. Nick also helped to start the band program at his alma mater, De Smet Jesuit High School in St. Louis. He and his wife Beth are proud parents of three adult and college age sons. They live in Kirkwood, where Nick also sings in the choir at St. Peter of Kirkwood Catholic Church.
Greed Part 4 - The Rehearsals
Words by Diane Wakoski
Music by Nick Barbieri
Ready to Run
Unwanted Nuisances
Nothing Belonged to Him
We Who Had Nothing to Give
Secure Ourselves Against Loss
Called a Poet (Rehearsal)
River of Feelings
Possibilities of Loneliness
Collect My Rents, Regularly
Born as Diamonds
Sense of Mastery
The Intruder
The Turtle
Somehow Impervious
We Are Lucky
Condemn that Greed / Surrounded by Possessions
A Little Spark
We Are Authors
Greed
Another Greedy Man
Available on iTunes, Spotify, and other digital outlets
Ellis Island (EP)
Ellis Island
Do Not Die
Time on My Hands
Just Smile (EP)
Living for Today
Just Smile
Called a Poet
Poetry Scored
Theme for a Sunny Day
TIME IS MOTION IS GRAVITY
Longing to Find Myself Out
The Ground
The Shape of a Man
Fireworks
Desire
Midget’s
Man with Briefcase at #2968443
The Swallowing, Pt. 1
The Swallowing, Pt. 2
The Swallowing, Pt. 3
The Swallowing, Pt. 4
Available on iTunes, Spotify, and all other digital outlets