Best known as a local Long Island cover band, High Note plays Reggae, R&B, Rock and Dance music from your favorite bands! The band has played venues all over Long Island, from Long Beach to Patchogue, NY. High Note has been featured at festivals such as Alive After Five and the Famous Food Festival. High Note is on the rise and can provide amazing live music to your event, featuring something as simple as an acoustic duo or as extravagant as a 10 piece band! They are versatile and passionate, and they are sure to make your next event a success!

John Paul

Vocals/Percussion

John Paul has performed with a diverse number of groups and acts including but not limited to acoustic duos, full bands, a cappella groups, variety/cabaret shows and Gospel choirs. More recently he has been focusing on singing with High Note as an acoustic act and with the full band, as well as honing his auxiliary percussion skills including the conga, tambourine, claves, etc. He has taken this opportunity to get back to using his counter-tenor like range, and melodic harmonies to extend his own range as a singer, showcasing his vocal flexibility, and harmonizing with melodic precision as if the two notes were one

Being a true artist and musician, his ability to imitate certain instruments vocally, along with his ability to solo as a vocalist, the way other musicians do with hand-held instruments, gives High Note a unique sound.

During the holidays he is the musical director and performer with the a cappella group, Celestial Singers. He has performed in theater roles including: Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, & Godspell, Paul in A Chorus Line, The Dentist in Little Shop Of Horrors, and has toured with the Long Island Shakespeare Festival.  He’s also danced with several troupes and dance studios.

John Paul owns his own entertainment company, using his eclectic skills to DJ, sing, run sound and also provide karaoke and trivia.  His varied education includes two Associate degrees in music (Vocal Performance) and Theater (Acting and Sound). He has also trained with Peter Pesco and Maria Argyos, has studied at the McClosky School of Voice, and attended the Steve Beauchamp Acting Workshop.

Chris Prestamo

Guitar/Vocals

Chris Prestamo has been performing on Long Island since the age of 12. His band 32 Pints started playing shows in 2010 and has since headlined venues such as the Crazy donkey (Farmingdale), Revolution (Amityville), 89 North (Patchogue), High Watt (Nashville), redwood bar (Los Angeles), The Camel (Richmond), Hermin’s Hideaway (Denver) and dozens more.

In high school Chris studied at the Center for Preparatory Studies in Music at Queens College as a violinist, but continued to tour with multiple bands on base, guitar, and drums. You can find his music on any streaming service under the monikers The Northeast Collective and Fellow Feeling.

After studying Music Management and Sociology at Baruch College, He started a studio and performance career working with Hank Lane and various Long Island cover bands as well as many studios including the Tone House (West Babylon) and The Cutting Room (Manhattan).

Now with High Note Chris has focused his time on a high-energy live performance and seeks to establish the band has the hottest party in town on any given night. 

Charles Buonasera

Bass

Charles Buonasera has played in the Tri-State area opening for bands such as Skid Row and Kings X.  Right out of high school, he toured Eastern Europe with the Long Island Youth Orchestra, performing in Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, The Republic of Georgia and Ukraine.  His adaptability has allowed him to play in jazz groups, rock groups and cover bands all over the Tri-State area, Nashville, Memphis Tennessee, and New Orleans.

Charles studied music at Hofstra University, SCCC, Molly College, Stony Brook, Aaron Copland School of Music, and received a BA in Music Education from Five Towns College. He performed in over 65 musicals from Long Island to New York City with Musician Union #802 at places such as: Airport playhouse, Gateway Playhouse, Symphony Space, Sag Harbor, and Downtown Brooklyn.  His studio work is still played on radio stations such as WSOU Street Patrol.  Additionally he played for the Dvorak society in Manhattan, and the Sound Symphony and was the Section Leader and Board Member for the Bay Area Friends of the Fine Arts (BAFFA) Orchestra. 

As a teacher he has taught music in the public school system on Long Island and New York City schools, privately, and at The Suffolk Music Center and Musicology, where he’s the director of the jazz and the classical string quartet, maintaining a studio of 50 plus students participating in SCMEA and LISFA as well as NAM in California, and had taught strings for 15 years.

In addition to his musical accomplishments, Charles has also served as a reservist in the Marine Corps infantry with the 2/25 out of Garden City.  He currently performs with Clover Curfew, and Phil Firetog trio.  Charles intends to obtain his MFA in Performance in Jazz and Commercial Music. 

Facebook: Charles Buonasera 

Instagram: CharlieBassist

Anthony Nicholson

Drums

Anthony became impassioned by music at a young age, burying himself in his parent’s cassettes and records. Artists such as Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and The Grateful Dead roaring through his Walkman gravitated him towards rhythm and the energy the drummer provided.

His musical journey began with studying Drums & Percussion privately at age 10. Like many young drummers his early influences included players like John Bonham and Stewart Copeland. His formative years were rooted in Orchestral and Theatre settings, playing in numerous pit orchestras and ensembles throughout high school. As his passion for all styles of music grew, his playing style followed.

He started filling in as a substitute drum/percussion instructor at local music studios at 16. In search of more complex sounds and productions. He discovered his most cherished musical influence, Frank Zappa, introducing him to a new level of musicians. The most impactful artists to him include Terry Bozzio, Vinnie Colaiuta, George Duke and Ruth Underwood, to name a few. These artists changed the way he experienced music and rhythm as a whole, as well as the role a drummer/percussionist plays in affecting a musical setting. From that point, music took its place permanently in his life.

Anthony continues instructing new and experienced drummers, focused on helping each student find their unique voice as musicians. When focusing on his own growth as a musician, He takes masterclasses whenever possible, more recently with artists such as Gerry Brown and Tom Brechtlein. Anthony currently teaches drums & percussion at ‘Suffolk Music Center’ in Patchogue and ‘Musicology Performance Center’ in Smithtown. He joined High Note in 2018 which has seen him play venues all over the island including Alive After Five in Patchogue and The Famous Food Festival.