At the heart of NBSS are a diverse and dedicated team of staff, faculty, and strategic advisors. Together they provide a supportive environment for students to learn at the highest level, and they engage with a broad-based community of alumni and friends. In addition to the Staff and Faculty below, our community also includes dedicated Boards of Directors and Advisors.
Jamey is a 2006 graduate of the Cabinet & Furniture Making program an Instructor. Before becoming a custom furniture maker, Jamey was a general contractor. He currently manages a multi-tenant shop in West Concord, MA where he builds custom projects and musical instruments.
Will studied piano technology for two years in an apprenticeship before completing the Basic Piano Technology program in 2019, and is an Instructor in the Basic Piano Technology program. He has worked with the Sing For Hope foundation—a music outreach organization in New York City—since 2016, as both an intern and supervisor. After graduating, he worked as a field technician doing in-home service with Onigman Piano Craft in New Jersey, and is now the owner of Roper Piano Service here in Boston.
Ariana discovered her interest in the field of book and paper conservation while working as an undergraduate in the conservation lab at UC Berkeley. Before coming to NBSS for the Bookbinding program, she took a brief detour in her career to work as a cake decorator in her hometown of Eureka, California. During her summers as a student, Ariana interned at Thornwillow Press in Newburgh, New York, and in the Haverford College conservation lab in Pennsylvania. She currently works as a bookbinder at Harcourt Bindery in Charlestown.
Peter is the Carpentry Department Head and a graduate of our Preservation Carpentry program. He most recently worked for custom building and design firm David E. Lanoue, Inc, and previously supervised NBSS interns at Mt. Lebanon Shaker Village. Peter is also a former NBSS Continuing Education instructor, with additional experience as a camp counselor and a public school teacher.
Lily hails from Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts and finished the Cabinet & Furniture Making program at NBSS in Spring 2023. After graduation, she spent time at Needham Furniture Makers alongside other graduates of the program and held a fellowship at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Maine. She also has a degree in Economics and Psychology from Colby College and previously worked in the tech industry for seven years.
Fun Fact
Lily set a school record for high jump in the fifth grade and has been chasing that high ever since.
Emily is a 2007 graduate of the Basic Piano Technology program, a 2008 graduate of the Advanced program, and a Registered Piano Technician. She also holds a degree in piano performance from Trinity University. Emily was previously self-employed as a field service technician and piano rebuilder in San Antonio, Texas, where she served a robust private clientele including schools and universities. She is a sought-after instructor at nationwide Piano Technicians Guild seminars. Emily has served the PTG on several committees and as an active tuning and technical examiner. She is a 2021 recipient of the PTG’s Crowl-Travis Member of Note award.
Matt is an NBSS graduate and long-time NBSS Continuing Education instructor. He joined the full-time program faculty in 2017. Matt has also served as an instructor at The Windsor Institute and Penland School of Craft. He’s a long-time member of the Guild of New Hampshire Woodworkers and a contributor to Fine Woodworking Magazine‘s video series. Matt founded River City Woodworking in 2001, which produces high-end furnishings and millwork for residential and commercial clients.
Hillary York is a Registered Piano Technician and moved to New York after graduation from both Piano Technology programs. There she worked as an action rebuilder and eventually became the Director of Technical Services for a large dealer and rebuilder in the NYC metro area. Her duties included managing a rebuilding shop, a team of piano technicians, and the technical needs for four showrooms. She next worked as an independent piano technician in the Denver, Colorado area, doing both in home service and shop work. Additionally, she has traveled internationally for technical factory training and has consulted for various international piano factories.
Fun Fact
In 2019 she hiked the entire 2,200 miles of the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine.