Studio History

A History of Designing, Building and Operating Music Studios

My name is EJ Ouellette and I am the Principle at Whole Music. I am a professional musician/multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter/music producer/engineer/music business consultant/teacher and music/film studio owner and entrepreneur. I am a long time voting member in NARAS, The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences aka as “The Grammys”. I belong both to the Recording and Production Wing and the Education Wing of the Recording Academy. I have operated and owned 2 large music teaching schools that included recording studios in the northeast of Boston. Both with 400 students each that employed over 75 teachers and full staffs. I am on a new mission now. Actually a living mission with more emphasis on a new vision in the new Music Business Environment.

EJO Whole Music has been developing musicians, singer/songwriters/recording artists for 40 years. We have trained 15,000 musicians in our studios and many have gone to music college from Berklee College of Music to Belmont College Nashville, the Boston Conservatory to the Guitar Institute in LA and more. Many of our clients now have professional careers in music and many just do it for the love. That is why we do it. For the Love of Music!

The Whole Music Journey

In 1978, I opened my first studio, Pro Lab Studio, in the basement of my home in Amesbury, MA. Pro Lab was a 4 track professional studio with a focus on recording bands, songwriters and jingle production. Business grew rapidly and Ouellette had to move to a more accommodating environment. At the time, I also taught guitar and bass at Amesbury Music.

In 1980, I built South Hampton Sound in South Hampton, NH. By 1983, I had grown out of South Hampton Sound and built Adlab Studios on Salisbury Beach in Salisbury, MA. At that time, my focus was on jingle and commercial production, corporate clients, record production, and surfing.

Though it was a commercial studio by day, many artist recordings were produced at Adlab Studios at night. Adlab operated for 10 years, until 1993. The studio also continued to offer high-end music instruction to the community.

In 1993 I designed and built Pine Island Music Studio on property purchased on Pine Island Road in Newbury. The Pine Island Music Studio supported more recordings, commercial production, instruction and Artist Development. Outgrowing the space, I made a decision to move and build a larger more acoustically-designed studio with more rooms.

In 1998, I opened Pine Island Music in Byfield, MA. This studio is a beautifully designed music environment carrying on my vision of high-end recording/production and innovative music instruction, classes, workshops and artist development. Pine Island Music has been operating consistently since 1998, serving professional musicians, corporate clients and students.

In 1998 our student population grew and I designed and built out a separate teaching facility 2700 sq.ft. that hosted high tech rooms and class rooms. Our academy grew to 400 students, 16 teachers and a full time staff.

In early 2010, Pine Island Music was re-named EJO Whole Music to bring together the numerous lines of business — production, recording, instruction and consulting — under one umbrella. Whole Music continues to serve the same professional musicians, corporate clients and students with high quality recording, production and music instruction and development.

Being a voting member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS; the Grammy’s®) in five categories: Producer, Engineer, Singer, Songwriter, and Instrumentalist gives me keen insight into today’s professional music world. EJO Whole Music applies four decades of experience from both sides of the glass to expertly guiding individuals and groups of all levels in making professional recordings.

Motown in the Desert: Desert Sound Studio in Nouakchott, Mauritania

In 2001, I was contracted to design, build and install a state-of-the-art digital recording studio in the West African country, Mauritania. I spent 2 months in the capital, Nouakchott, leading the effort. The studio, Desert Sound, was the first of its kind in the country.

I imported and installed the latest studio and audio equipment at Desert Sound. While in Nouakchott, I made many friends and business contacts. Always a performer I performed with many groups and was invited to play at celebrations including the U.S Embassy's 4th of July event. At the Embassy, I played with 8 Pular drummers, guitarists and Malouma — Diva of the Desert — a renowned national vocalist from Mauritania.  My love for African music was greatly enhanced by his extended visit to West Africa.

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