Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Spadafore, Sampson, Benjamin Lachapelle

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Sampson Spadafore is a 27-year-old queer, transmasculine person who currently lives in Westbrook, Maine. They are originally from Syracuse, New York, and attended Nazareth College in Rochester, New York. They graduated with a degree in musical theater. Spadafore discusses shifts in their gender self-presentation and gender fluidity as well as media erasure of trans men. They then moved to Portland, Maine, to work for Maine Boys to Men and have also worked with Speak About It; Maine Renters United; and Democratic Socialists of America. A political current focus is using social media and art to raise awareness about Palestine. Writing …

Geist, Dale, Abby Milewski

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Ever since his coming out in a Facebook post, Dale Geist has championed queer representation in one of the most conservative music genres. Country. He is the founder of the online blog called Country Queer, where his goal is to shine a light on LGBTQ+ country and Americana music artists. He talks about influential artists such as Bob Dylan, The Indigo Girls, Elton John, Brandie Carlile, and David Bowie. In this 50-minute interview, Geist covers many stories from his life, including discovering his sexuality, the importance of media representation, David Bowie’s positive influence on the bisexual community, and the cultural …

Gormley, Quinn, Liam Dunn, Katherine Sucy

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Quinn Gormley, who uses she/they pronouns, is 27 years old and lives with their husband and dog in Auburn, Maine. Quinn became involved in activism and trans liberation in 2011 after attending a support group with Maine TransNet, a grassroots trans organization serving Mainers. Since then, they have been highly involved with the organization and took on the role of Executive Director in 2016. Prior to Maine TransNet, Quinn worked in public health managing an HIV testing program for the Health Equity Alliance, one of the state’s main AIDS service organizations. She attended the University Church of Chicago for Percussion …

Clough, Travis, Josh Allen, Rachel Shanks

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Travis Clough is a 44 year old trans man who grew up in the small town of Bucksport, Maine. He uses the pronouns he/him/his, and identifies as queer or trans. From a young age, Travis felt different with his gender identity. He attended the University of Maine Farmington in the late 1990’s, and was the only school he applied to because it was “where all the queers went”. Having been into music since the age of 14, he began playing in bands while in college. Him and his band would make the long drive from Farmington to Portland every week …

Kawamoto, Eric, Cosette Holmes, Tiana Cope-Ferland

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

This interview with Eric Kawamoto reveals a journey of self-discovery in Chicago, L.A., Boston, and Portland; an intersection between being Asian American and being queer; and survival of AIDS as a result of reserve. Kawamoto places these personal themes among his account of the LGBTQ+ and Asian American communities’ overarching struggles, like the fight for domestic partnership benefits, representation of Asian American gay men, and spreading awareness about Japanese American internment in California.

Citation

Please cite as: Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer+ Collection, Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in …

Quezada, Alzenira, Wendy Chapkis

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Alzenira Quezada, also known as Lady Zen, is a queer artist, singer and performer. Quezada was born to Brazillian parents and raised by white adoptive parents who were members of the Church of the Nazarene, a branch of evangelical Christianity. She was cut off by her adoptive parents when she came out at 17. She studied music at Evergreen College in Washington State. She grew up in Arkansas and spent many years in Portland, Maine before moving to Mexico where she currently resides. Quezada owns a production company in Mexico and also works at a queer run bar. Her current …

Undated Book Of Poetry, Songs, And Sheet Music, Marie-Jeanne Laurendeau

Marie-Jeanne Laurendeau

Undated book of poetry, songs, and sheet music written by Marie-Jeanne Laurendeau in French and English.

Songbook 2, Thérèse Laurendeau

Thérèse Laurendeau

Songbook compiled by Thérèse Laurendeau, undated. Text in French.

Songbook 1, Thérèse Laurendeau

Thérèse Laurendeau

Songbook compiled by Thérèse Laurendeau, undated. Text in French.

Grindle, Charles, Gwendolyn Wolf, Johnna Ossie

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Charles Grindle is a 66-year-old man from Ellsworth, ME. He is a piano player, as well as a minister. He has been heavily involved in church, music and theater since childhood. He has also done a lot of traveling- he’s lived in Portland, Boston, San Diego and England. He has years of experience working for churches- doing sermons and weddings, etc. In his earlier years, he played piano at many hopping places- such as The Front Porch and the Inn By the Sea. He worked at Blackstones when it first opened. Other bars that he frequented were Styxx and Rollins. …

String Lights, Amanda Jennifer Pleau Mfa

All Student Scholarship

String Lights is a nonfictional, creative exploration of relationships. Themes in this collection include digital communication, the cultural influence of music and music retailers, coming of age, sex, love, true crime, and travel.

Summer 1993, 90.9 Wmpg Fm

WMPG Program Guides

WMPG program guide for Summer 1993.

Spring 1993, 90.9 Wmpg Fm

WMPG Program Guides

WMPG Program Guide, Spring 1993.

Winter 1992-1993, 90.9 Wmpg Fm

WMPG Program Guides

WMPG Program Guide Winter 1992-1993

Brochure 1988, 90.9 Wmpg Fm

WMPG Program Guides

Promotional brochure, 1988.

Summer 1988, 90.9 Wmpg Fm

WMPG Program Guides

WMPG Program Guide, Summer 1988.

Summer 1987, 90.9 Wmpg Fm

WMPG Program Guides

WMPG Program Guide, Summer 1987

Winter/Spring 1986, 90.9 Wmpg Fm

WMPG Program Guides

WMPG Program Guide, Winter/Spring 1986

Summer 1984, 90.9 Wmpg Fm

WMPG Program Guides

WMPG Program Guide, Summer 1984,

Fall 1983, 90.9 Wmpg Fm

WMPG Program Guides

WMPG Program Guide, Fall 1983.

Holy Parish Family Choir Photograph, Franco-American Collection

Franco-American Music Traditions Exhibit

The Holy Family Parish Choir, directed by Roland M. Roy, performed at the 100th anniversary of the Sisters of Charity held at SS. Peter and Paul Church. Diane J. Biron was the organist.

Roland M. Roy was director of the Holy Family Parish Choir for 15 years until 1989. He organized workshops for Maine parish choir directors and recorded an album. With accompanist Diane J. Biron, he produced cantatas and concerts composed Masses and psalms performed by the choir.

Diane J. Biron served as organist and choir director for 5 years at St. Mary’s Parish and, for 15 years, as …

Maurice Gagnon Photograph, Franco-American Collection

Franco-American Music Traditions Exhibit

Ethnomusicologist Bau Graves has written about Maurice Gagnon (1927-1973): “Maurice Gagnon is remembered as a dynamic performer by those who him play. At the age of ten, he was already an ace harmonica player and could attract an audience and earn money playing in clubs. He played a repertoire of jigs and reels and also composed a number of tunes some of which he recorded as 45’s and one LP album. These recordings, released between 1964 and 1970, are a historical scarcity: only a relative handful of disks of traditional Maine Franco-American music have ever been available to the public.”

The Mountain Dews Photograph, Franco-American Collection

Franco-American Music Traditions Exhibit

Chuck Frechette, Bill Beauchesne, and Marcel Larrivee [L to R] have performed together since 1965. They began playing for Le Club Musicale Literaire, and after adding more members, became The Mountain Dews. Their repertoire includes western and bluegrass music. Bill first heard a bass washtub on the Ted Mack Amateur Radio Hour. He figured out how to make one and how to play it. Bill was 12 when he got together with a group of neighborhood friends playing guitar, harmonica, and washboard. Their gigs included bean suppers in church basements. Other members of the Mountain Dews have been Roland Boileau, …

The Guitar Class Photograph, Franco-American Collection

Franco-American Music Traditions Exhibit

In the 1960’s, church services experimented with folk masses. As part of her responsibilities as music teacher at Our Lady of the Rosary School in Sabattus, Marie Jeanne Laurendeau (center) organized folk masses. She learned guitar chords along with her other students. Eddie LaGrange was the instructor. Two other adults, Roger Cadrin and Sister Rita Pelletier, studied with the class.

75e Anniversaire Du Club Musical-Littéraire (Jubilé De Rubis 1888-1963), Club Musical-Littéraire

Club Musical-Littéraire, Lewiston, Maine

Souvenir program for the 75th anniversary of the Musical-Literary Club of Lewiston, Maine.

La Fanfare Montagnard (The Montagnard Band) Photograph, Franco-American Collection

Franco-American Music Traditions Exhibit

This was one of many bands in the St. Jon’s Day parade in Lewiston. The Dewitt Hotel near City Hall was considered a local landmark.

The Dominican Band regrouped in 1939 under the auspices of The Montagnard Club, a well-known Lewiston snowshoe club, and was renamed La Fanfare Montagnard. The band played in parades and at social functions around the state.

The Pastime Snowshoe Club Drum And Bugle Corps Photograph, 1948-49, Franco-American Collection

Franco-American Music Traditions Exhibit

This parade for a snowshoe festival in Lewiston’s Kennedy Park, shows an ice palace in the background. Bert Dutil is in the front row playing the glockenspiel. Bert Dutil, his grandfather Louis Sr. (“Pitou”), father Armand, and uncles Raymond and Louis Jr. Were known as “The Snowshoe Family” for their involvement in the International Snowshoe Union. The three sons of Pitou formed a drum and bugle corps associated with the Pastime Social Club (Le passe Temps) in Lewiston. The Pastime Drum and Bugle Corp was the first to introduce the glockenspiel and color guard. Bert Dutil, who joined the snowshoe …

Les Petits Chanteurs De St. Pierre Photograph, Franco-American Collection

Franco-American Music Traditions Exhibit

c.1948-1949

60e Anniversaire Du Club Musical-Litteraire De Lewiston, Maine (Album Souvenir 1888-1948), Club Musical-Littéraire

Club Musical-Littéraire, Lewiston, Maine

Souvenir program for the 60th anniversary of the Musical-Literary Club of Lewiston, Maine

The Franco-American Collection is one of the largest repositories of its kind in the North-East. The Collection contains tens of thousands of printed books, photographs, newspaper clippings and audio-visual recordings. Please review the Collection's Terms and Conditions of Use of Collection Material regarding use of its material.

L'Orpheon Lewiston City Hall Photograph, 1947-1948, Franco-American Collection

Franco-American Music Traditions Exhibit

Alexis J. Cote is a celebrated music director who taught in the Lewiston school system for over 20 years and later as the director of the vocal music program in the Portland school system for over 15 years. He was the choral director and church organist at St. Louis Parish in New auburn and organist and choir director at the Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland. Since 1940, he has served a director of L’Orpheon. The group continues to perform programs in French, English, and Latin.

Row 1: Maurice Champoux, Conrad Doucette, Gilbert, (unidentified), Gerard Lajoie, Roland Mutty, …