Maine Memory Network

Music in Maine - PLAY

"PLAY Watching musicians sing and play music in public is an important communal experience for the performer and the audience."

We Used to be "Normal": A History of F.S.N.S.

Farmington's Normal School -- a teacher-training facility -- opened in 1863 and, over the decades, offered academic programs that included such unique features as domestic and child-care training, and extra-curricular activities from athletics to music and theater.

Strike Up the Band

Before the era of recorded music and radio, nearly every community had a band that played at parades and other civic events. Fire departments had bands, military units had bands, theaters had bands. Band music was everywhere.

Summer's Favorite Game

Baseball often is called the National Pastime. For many people, baseball is encountered in the backyard and down the street, a game played by a few or the full contingent of a team.

Rumford's Notable Citizens in the Civil War

A number of Rumford area residents played important roles during the Civil War -- and in the community afterwards. Among these are William King Kimball, who commanded the 12th Maine for much of the war.

Of Note: Maine Sheet Music

Of Note: Maine Sheet Music features captivating covers of original sheet music along with stories about Maine connections to the songs. Before people had easy access to popular music from records, radios, and the internet, they played songs of the day on instruments at home, using sheet music purchased at music stores. Iconic Maine subjects like lobsters, pine trees, and winter were perfect for lyrics sung by luminaries like Rudy Vallée of Westbrook, and intricate artwork of Maine’s landscape graced the sheet music covers.

Summer Camps

Maine is home to dozens of summer-long youth camps and untold numbers of day camps that take advantage of water, woods, and fresh air. While the children, counselors, and other staff come to Maine in the summer, the camps live on throughout the year and throughout the lives of many of the campers.

Music in Maine - Music Makers

"Emma played piano, their daughter Pearl the pump organ, and Pearl’s husband Nathan Noble, accompanied Dunham on bass fiddle."

Music in Maine - Bluegrass Music

"During this time Nellie played bass with the Misty Mountaineers, and Joe played harmonica with Bluegrass Supply Company, and for a time, bass with…"

Music in Maine - Military Marching Bands

"Associated with Bowdoin College in Brunswick since 1875, Chandler’s Band plays annually at graduation ceremonies. Chandler's Band uniform, ca."

Music in Maine - Country Music

"There were a few folks around who played guitar and sang at local grange halls and school events. A teacher in our elementary school, who played…"

Music in Maine - Community and School Marching Bands

"John Susep played the bass horn in the Penobscot Band and the Indian Island Orchestra, gaining the nickname Johnny Basshorn."

Remembering Mellie Dunham: Snowshoe Maker and Fiddler

Alanson Mellen "Mellie" Dunham and his wife Emma "Gram" Dunham were well-known musicians throughout Maine and the nation in the early decades of the 20th century. Mellie Dunham also received fame as a snowshoe maker.

Music in Maine - Rock and Roll, Punk, and Elvis

"… what was it about Maine that attracted them to play in Old Orchard Beach, Portland or Lewiston? The Maine Turnpike."

Le Théâtre

Lewiston, Maine's second largest city, was long looked upon by many as a mill town with grimy smoke stacks, crowded tenements, low-paying jobs, sleazy clubs and little by way of refinement, except for Bates College. Yet, a noted Québec historian, Robert Rumilly, described it as "the French Athens of New England."

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Overview & Introduction

"… Historical Society/MaineToday Media Maine played a central role in the United States' gradual—and sometimes riotous—move towards drinking…"

The Kotzschmar Memorial Organ

A fire and two men whose lives were entwined for more than 50 years resulted in what is now considered to be "the Jewel of Portland" -- the Austin organ that was given to the city of Portland in 1912.

Elise Fellows White: World Traveling Violin Prodigy

Elise Fellows White was a violinist from Skowhegan who traveled all over the world to share her music.

A Soldier's Declaration of Independence

William Bayley of Falmouth (Portland) was a soldier in the Continental Army, seeing service at Ticonderoga, Valley Forge, Monmouth Court House, and Saratoga, among other locations. His letters home to his mother reveal much about the economic hardships experienced by both soldiers and those at home.

Guarding Maine Rail Lines

Black soldiers served in Maine during World War II, assigned in small numbers throughout the state to guard Grand Trunk rail lines from a possible German attack. The soldiers, who lived in railroad cars near their posts often interacted with local residents.

Music in Maine - HEAR

"… the radio, changed home entertainment from people playing instruments to people listening to recordings."

Music in Maine - Music in Maine

"… and is organized by the themes of MAKE, HEAR, and PLAY, exploring musical experiences over thousands of years."

Music in Maine - Radio Cowboys and Country Music

"… in Auburn, Lenny Breau (1941-1984) toured and played music with his parents Betty Cody and Hal Lone Pine, starting as a child."

Music in Maine - Sacred Music

"Sacred Music People play and sing sacred music during religious services and events. Singing allows worshipers to participate in the liturgy, with…"