Looking at the outside of his Gorham home, there is no clue that John Stuart produces music for stars.

But inside, Stuart’s sound studio links him with music artists worldwide. While Stuart’s home studio is equipped with the latest in computer technology a restored baby grand piano, a family heirloom for nearly a century, looms as a central piece.

In a 30-year music and sound career, Stuart, 53, has worked with an array of political leaders, music stars and even a scientist. He did engineering work on the CD, “The Beavis and Butthead Experience.”

Stuart said the disc, based on the popular MTV cartoon went platinum. “It sold like gangbusters,” he said.

Stuart’s career in music began when Noel Paul Stookey, the Paul of Peter, Paul and Mary fame, called him in 1979. “He gave me a jump start,” Stuart said.

Stookey, who lives in Maine, called Stuart when he had a technical problem in his studio and Stuart solved the problem. “A great musical relationship developed,” Stuart said. “We hit it off and have been great friends ever since.”

Stuart arranged and sang on an album for Stookey produced in Stookey’s studio. That album was nominated for a Grammy Award. “I walked around with a big head for about a week,” Stuart said.

The experience with Stookey led Stuart to a gig writing music for “Sesame Street.” “It played all over the world,” Stuart said.

He said his kids, when they were younger, would hear his music. “Dad, dad, your music is on television,” he said his excited children would say. “I was almost as cool as Big Bird.”

Stuart and his wife, Anne, who teaches at Narragansett School in Gorham, have two children. Their daughter, Charlotte, will graduate Gorham High School this year and their son, Ian, will be a college junior in the fall. “We’re going to be empty nesters,” Stuart said.

Relocating from Portland, the Stuarts bought their home in Gorham eight years ago. He spent a year building his studio.

Music has been Stuart’s life. At five years old, he studied piano and violin. His mother, who had an arts background, studied piano from the same teacher as composer Leonard Bernstein. She inspired her son to strive to be the best and encouraged him.

When he was in junior high school, Stuart joined a rock band. “I just fell in love with the whole thing,” he said.

A base baritone, Stuart is a vocalist. “I do a ton of singing on people’s albums,” he said. About 15 years ago, he produced a rap song with Stookey, he said.

Several years ago, Stuart toured with Stookey, arranging music and singing. “It was a lot of fun,” he said. “We got picked up and chauffered around.”

Stuart also at times served as the road manager for Stookey while on tour. Stuart carried a briefcase that contained $20,000 in cash. “It was sometimes nerve wracking,” he said.

Stookey was the star, but Stuart said the band members referred to themselves as chopped liver. “We had planes held for us,” Stuart said. “Pilots wanted autographs.”

But he said touring the country with the band was hectic, and it wasn’t all glamour. “On down days, you buy toothpaste and do laundry,” he said.

The hectic tour schedule didn’t usually allow time for sightseeing. On one occasion, he and Stookey went bowling in Hartford, Conn. Other bowlers appeared to be trying to figure who Stookey was.

Sometimes Stuart would be away from home for a week or 10 days at a time. “It was tough for her,” he said about his wife.

He said he traveled a lot when his children were young. Now, producing and staying in touch by computer, Stuart likes to stay in Maine. But Stuart would hop on a plane to Los Angeles, if an old friend called.

Ten years ago, he was eating lunch in a restaurant in Malibu, Calif., when movie star Liz Taylor arrived. “People buzzed when she came in,” Stuart said.

Stuart said he has worked for a “pile” of artists. He did engineering work for the “Beavis and Butthead Experience” CD for Mike Judge, the creator of the “wildly successful” cartoon. “He’s so funny,” Stuart said about Judge.

He’s also produced music for Captain Kangaroo. “I feel lucky that I’ve met interesting people,” Stuart said.

Now, Stuart helps write songs and plays in the band for Rick Charette. He’s genuine with kids,” Stuart said.

Charette said Stuart works with him on the creative end, plays and serves as the sound engineer. “He’s very talented, very gifted,” Charette said. “He’s a lot of fun to be with.”

He said that Stuart’s wife and their children, when they were younger, would often attend concerts. “He’s dedicated as a family man,” Charette said.

With an office and studio at home, the commute for Stuart is simply from one room to another. He said working at home has both pitfalls and beauties. “I need milk,” he sometimes hears, interrupting his work.

But there’s an upside to working at home. “I can go to my daughter’s tennis matches,” he said.

From his own studio, he has worked for legends. Over the Internet, he links up with artists from all over the world to produce music. Sometimes 130 people are working on computers at different sites for one project.

He said a studio once required equipment costing $500,000. Now, he said a computer and other equipment, costing $10,000, have replaced a “whole room” of equipment. “It’s a huge change,” he said.

Stuart did engineering for country and western star T. Graham Brown and has done voice over work on commercials for McDonalds.

Stuart has also met famous people outside the world of entertainment through his work. In Kennebunkport, he once hung out for a few hours with the senior President George Bush. They talked about fishing and kids but didn’t discuss politics. He recorded Bush for a public service announcement.

He recalls meeting the physicist John Wheeler, who coined the term “black hole” while producing a documentary for Italian public television. Stuart said Wheeler had unusual beliefs and had worked with Einstein. “The guy was so brilliant,” Stuart said. “He was a genius.”

Stuart enjoys what he does and is open to learning everyday. “I enjoy the challenge,” he said. He enjoys all music – classical, rhythm and blues, Motown, rock. “I like it all,” Stuart said.

Stuart said soul is the key to success in music. ” Soul. Music has to have soul,” he said. “A little spark of divinity.”

“Soul. Music has to have soul,” says John Stuart of Gorham.Putting the soul in sound