![[the square] Portland's creative hub](http://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68f9dad1d76b7d3c7ff3b85f/be2b5ac8-8bb3-4037-ab1f-6ac35da5020c/The+Square+logo+transparent.png?format=1500w)
![Sam Monaco @ [the square]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68f9dad1d76b7d3c7ff3b85f/09b8896a-90c2-4d47-a345-29fa456efc42/20251122_TheSquareEvent-48.jpg)
Sam monaco
[THE SQUARE] MEMBER #001
CURRENT CREATIVE WORK
• Studio Owner, Monaco Studios: Solar-powered recording sessions & lodging in the woods of Falmouth since 2020
• Executive Director, Equal Measure Arts (EMA): Making music production & audio engineering training more accessible
• Radio Show Host, WMPG Local Motives: Live performances & interviews with local musicians on volunteer community radio
• Band Manager, Alma June and the Persian Cats: Local seven-piece who recorded their debut album at Monaco with EMA support
• Web Designer, Videographer, Fine Art Photographer, and Tech Support Therapist
• Drummer for 25+ years in rock bands and musical theatre pit bands
• Raising two children and two cats with his wife Melanie in Falmouth
SAM Monaco: MUSICAL HIGH NOTES
CHAMBER BAND
Percussionist in Chamber Band, a Brooklyn-based indie/nerd-rock five-piece active from 2011-2019, with fellow band members Ellen Winter, A. Sarr, Anthony Cerretani, and Chris Littler.
Released three full-length albums: Deities, Careers, and Governor’s Square, each one a concept album inspired by a different fantasy realm (Dungeons & Dragons, Hunger Games, and the works of H.G. Wells, respectively).
Embarked on three west coast tours (Seattle > Portland > SF > LA > San Diego > Phoenix), often syncing up with ComicCon events.
Played numerous shows all over NYC, including beloved venues like Brooklyn Bowl, Knitting Factory, Rough Trade, Glasslands, Sidewalk Cafe, and Pianos.
The band was also featured on the Chris Gethard Show, and developed a theatrical stage show at renowned Off-Broadway theater Ars Nova.
Sam played percussion on bandmate Ellen Winter’s debut solo album Every Feeling I’ve Ever Felt, with lead single “Mantras” amassing 2.3 million Spotify streams and counting
36 Questions — The Podcast Musical
Chamber Band’s reputation for narrative-driven concept albums led to a collaboration with Two-Up Productions (HIM, Limetown) on the groundbreaking podcast musical 36 Questions.
Sam composed and performed all percussion, accompanying Tony & Grammy Award-winner Jonathan Groff (Hamilton, Frozen, The Matrix Resurrections) and Jessie Shelton (Hadestown).
The show became the first Broadway-caliber musical produced exclusively for the podcast format and received praise from The New York Times, The Guardian, and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
As soon as Sam got his hands on a pocket-sized point-and-shoot camera in the early ‘00s, he has enjoyed using the medium of video to document and share experiences with others. While his practice started with posting clips of teenage antics to social media, in recent years Sam has employed videography to provide another dimension to his work with musicians and visual artists—as a means of telling their stories, and giving their fans a peek behind the scenes. He also offers affordable rates for local artists in need of live concert footage for promotional use on social media, with clients including the Rigometrics and Angelikah Fahray.
SAM Monaco: VIDEOGRAPHY
SAM Monaco: FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY
Sam has over a decade of experience in fine art photography, with work featured in The New York Times and Hyperallergic. He has produced thousands of images for artists, galleries, museums, and private collections from NYC to LA, Atlanta to Armenia, and throughout Europe.
After photographing artwork in every type of environment—from cramped studios to cavernous museum halls to unconventional retail spaces—Sam is uniquely equipped to produce high-quality digital renderings of artworks and installations under any conditions. He has utilized his photos to design books, album artwork (CDs and vinyl), hats, shirts, dresses, scarves, and custom wallpaper. He continues to offer his expertise to the arts community in Maine, providing polished digital photos that honor and elevate the artwork—ensuring that each artist he collaborates with is presenting their work in the best possible light.
SAM Monaco: WEBSITE & BRAND DESIGN
website design
Sam started experimenting with rudimentary graphic design on Kid Pix in preschool, and began building websites on Geocities when he was seven years old—so if you need help with either, he’s got a literal lifetime of experience to pull from as a tech-savvy millennial.
Here are some of the websites he’s built:
[the square] aka what you’re looking at
Gail Rothschild (visual artist/painter)
Anne Ireland (visual artist/painter)
Arlene Vidor (visual artist/photographer)
Betty Brown (art collection)
Sheridan Lord (art collection)
Wendy Kout (writer/producer)
Jacob the Baker (film)
Well Brewed Productions (voiceover artist)
Love Collab (t-shirt business)
Crosby Contracting and Real Estate (contractor)
BRAND/LOGO DESIGN
Here are some of the logos Sam has designed:
SAM MONACO: BIOGRAPHY
Sam Monaco is a musician, community organizer, and small business owner based in Falmouth, Maine. Raised in Portland from the age of two, his lifelong passions have always included music, technology, and interpersonal connection. He started learning & performing music in grade school, and has been building websites and managing online communities (like this one!) for more than three decades. He began developing community fundraising skills during his middle school years, when his Odyssey of the Mind team qualified for the World Finals and ran successful campaigns to cover travel expenses over three consecutive seasons.
Sam spent his most formative adolescent years immersed in Portland’s local music scene: browsing the racks at Bull Moose, catching shows at the State Theatre, and participating in the Reindeer Rock-off with his band Norwood. He developed an early love of arts education with his first job at the Children’s Museum of Maine—where he pioneered a youth music program—and through a service trip to Guatemala City with Safe Passage, where he led a hands-on art workshop at an after-school program.
After graduating from Deering High School, Sam attended Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY. He earned his B.A. with a focus on music, live sound engineering, digital photography, and writing, before spending the next decade living and working across New York City—his original birthplace.
Sam’s one experience recording during high school in the basement studio of Adam Woronoff (then drummer of Portland punk band The Leftovers)
“Music with Sam” at the Children’s Museum of Maine circa 2007
Though he initially pursued live sound engineering work in NYC, Sam’s career took an unexpected turn when a mutual friend connected him with Brooklyn visual artist Gail Rothschild, who needed help photographing her paintings and organizing her digital files. While he hadn’t been actively seeking work in the visual arts, he quickly realized that his natural skill set—organization, problem-solving, digital workflow, and clear communication—was a perfect match for many of the tasks artists often struggle to prioritize.
What began as a small photography and file-management project evolved into a decade-long career as a Studio Manager and Business Administrator for visual artists. Over those ten years, Sam worked with countless artists, galleries, and collectors, managing photography, inventory, bookkeeping, website development, graphic design, social media marketing, sales outreach, event planning, exhibition coordination & installation, and the design of books, apparel, and even custom wallpaper. His photography has been featured in The New York Times and Hyperallergic, and he has helped artists get their work in front of curators at institutions including Gagosian Gallery, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the British Museum, and the Louvre.
Sam began his career in the NYC Fine Art world by photographing paintings
After finishing an installation for artist William Buchina in a Brooklyn gallery
Accompanying artist Gail Rothschild to Berlin’s Bode Museum for her exhibition
Throughout his time in New York, music remained a constant through-line in Sam’s life. Early work experiences at CBS Radio/last.fm and BMI provided valuable insight into the music industry. Once he settled into his career working with visual artists, he continued to spend his off-hours moonlighting as a drummer in rock bands and musical theatre productions. He played percussion in pit bands for college productions of RENT, Reefer Madness, and Spring Awakening—in which he met his future wife Melanie! Other career highlights include regular performances at the after-party of the immersive theatre hit Sleep No More, and appearing at renowned Off-Broadway venues including Ars Nova and Joe’s Pub
He eventually found his musical family in Chamber Band, an indie rock group with whom he recorded three albums and toured nationally—often following the ComicCon circuit, as the band’s lyrics drew inspiration from Dungeons & Dragons and other fantasy storytelling. Chamber Band’s reputation for narrative-driven concept music led to a collaboration on the groundbreaking podcast musical 36 Questions, starring Jonathan Groff (Hamilton, Frozen, The Matrix Resurrections) and Jessie Shelton (Hadestown). The show was widely acclaimed and became the first of its kind to feature Broadway-caliber production in an accessible podcast format.
Sam played percussion in Chamber Band, 2011–2019
Chamber Band workshopping the podcast musical 36 Questions with Jonathan Groff and Jessie Shelton
In early 2020, Sam returned to Maine with his wife, Melanie, and opened Monaco Studios out of their home in Falmouth. A passionate collaborator, he has overseen dozens of recording sessions with local musicians & engineers, and has curated a popular series of intimate studio performances called Salon Night. After completing a major renovation of the second floor in 2023 which added a lounge area with lodging, the studio began hosting visiting artists from across the country for destination recording sessions. Over time, Sam’s focus shifted towards supporting students and emerging artists through subsidized studio time and educational opportunities, especially after hiring engineer/producer Ethan Woodman Fowler in 2023—a longtime educator in the music program at Portland Arts and Technology High School (PATHS).
In 2024, Sam and Ethan formalized this mission by founding Equal Measure Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to professional recording and engineering training for students and under-resourced musicians. Sam has led the organization’s partnership efforts, including with community radio station WMPG, where he is a regular host of the long-running live-performance series Local Motives. Equal Measure Arts and Monaco Studios have supported multiple WMPG initiatives, including the award-winning documentary An Extraordinary Place and the biannual USM Battle of the Bands, offering free studio time to the winner.
A live studio performance for families with Unique Unknown and Friends
The Loft at Monaco Studios offers lodging for visiting artists
Equal Measure Arts Board Members, from left: Victoria Stubbs, Kristopher Kleva, Noah Love, Sam Monaco, and Ethan Woodman Fowler
By summer 2025, Sam’s community outreach led to a collaboration with Maine College of Art & Design and the Maine Academy of Modern Music to offer an eight-week Studio Recording 101 workshop for teens. When the program filled nearly instantly, Sam began seeking additional space to meet the growing demand for accessible music education and recording in downtown Portland. That search brought him to Prism Analog at 34 Preble Street, where director Nick Johnson shared that after six years in the space, Prism would be shutting down before year’s end. Determined not to see a vital arts resource disappear—or become another vacant storefront—Sam spent months coordinating an amicable and thoughtful transfer of the studio from Prism to Monaco Studios.
In November 2025, Sam launched [the square], a newly reimagined venture at 34 Preble Street and the new home base of Equal Measure Arts, continuing Prism’s legacy of nonprofit recording services. Building on the maker-space and co-working models, the square expands the studio’s potential into a multidisciplinary creative hub—offering bookable space, membership tiers, educational workshops, studio-grade equipment, and commercial services across music, photography, videography, digital arts, and community programming. Designed to foster creativity, collaboration, and accessibility, [the square] reflects Sam’s lifelong commitment to nurturing the local arts ecosystem that shaped him.
Now a father of two, Sam is more motivated than ever to contribute meaningfully to his hometown—supporting the next generation of Portland artists and giving back to the creative community that raised him.
Sam after setting up the new studio desk at [the square] in Portland