Private instruction from North Shore organist, Marie Fairfield as well as piano studies from jazz pianist, Joe Carlton prepared Maes for his audition and acceptance to Berklee in 1975.
Maes was commissioned to return to the United Kingdom to work on other recording projects, acting as arranger, performer and conductor with Orrall bandmates, Charles (Kook) Lawry on guitar, David Stefanelli on drums and Don Walden on bass.
[3] Maes was currently the lead singer and keyboardist for Ernie and the Automatics which features original and former members of the band Boston, Barry Goudreau on guitar and Sib Hashian on drums.
Fellow RTZ and Peter Wolf's House Party Five bandmate, bassist, Tim Archibald is also a member of Ernie and the Automatics, along with tenor saxophonist, Michael "Tunes" Antunes from John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band.
The Automatics' new album, Low Expectations, was produced by Brian Maes and was set for release on February 17, 2009 on "Open E" Records, the new label owned by Ernie Boch, Jr, who is also a guitarist in the band.