Noah Barker is a multidisciplinary pianist whose work spans 20 years of performing, recording, scoring and teaching. Noah’s musical journey starts in upstate New York at age 7, taking formal lessons studying classical music, then jazz. Shortly after, Noah picked up drums, playing along with his father and subsequently in bands. By his teens, Noah was playing drums and piano equally though in different contexts, drums in rock and punk bands, piano in jazz combos. Barker pursued piano and jazz in college, receiving a Bachelor of Music from the University of Louisville and a Master of Music from SUNY Purchase. During his time in college, Noah began experimenting with songwriting and production, releasing music under his name with FPE Records and Tableaux Records, and under the moniker Noisebody with Openers Records. This led to scoring documentaries, one of which, Beekeeper, was featured on PBS’s series Films By Kids. Noah continued to gig during and after college touring in bands Kate Bollinger, Jerry Paper, and Paul Cherry.
Noah’s experience in music has inspired him to share what he’s learned in his journey and has shaped his approach to teaching. Being engaged in hands-on learning, Noah incorporates that into his lessons through active listening and playing along with students, identifying technique, form, and emotion. Noah welcomes students of all ages, interests and abilities, teaching technique, harmony, accompaniment, improvisation and composition.
When Noah’s not writing or teaching music, he enjoys long walks to nowhere, being in dense forests, plunging into the ocean, philosophical talks with friends, taking photos, laughing, crying, dancing...
Noisebody is the alias of composer Noah Barker. As an outlet for experimental production and songwriting, Noisebody formed as a band in 2012. With its roots in jazz, the project has lush harmonies, expressive solos and syncopated rhythms. On Noisebody’s first album Upstream Dreams, recorded with bandmates Sean Liljequist and Aaron Latos, the keyboard parts are played like a guitar, inspired by Jimi Hendrix. After some years, the live band dissolved and Noisebody released three self-produced EPs on Amtrac’s label Openers, ADAF (2020), Heat (2021) and Abu Dhabi (2021). Gradually the sound evolved to smoother refined keys overtop punchy bass and drums with releases like Opening (2023). In 2025 Noisebody’s path took a turn from jazz-tinged psychedelia to quieter reflections demonstrated in Rush Hour. Inspired by walks around downtown Los Angeles and the highways, Rush Hour is a meditation on traffic.