[citation needed] Neoclassical composer Walter Piston (1894–1976) was born and raised in Rockland before moving to Boston at the age of ten.
Composers from Maine include Charles Whitney Coombs, John Knowles Paine, Frank Churchill, Aaron Robinson, Claude Demetrius, Peter Garland, and Harold J. Crosby.
His band, the Kahtadin Mountaineers, was formed in the early 1950s and still performs regularly today at county fairs, fiddle contests and for many charities.
The group has also played with singer Kate Smith, best known for her rendition of "God Bless America" (written by Irving Berlin).
Maine has a long folk fiddling tradition, including Mellie Dunham, which has helped inspire many modern bluegrass musicians.
Maine's contributions to bluegrass include Clarence and Roland White of the Kentucky Colonels and Jimmy Cox.
Many prominent singer-songwriters grew up in Maine, including Patty Griffin, Ellis Paul, Slaid Cleaves, David Mallett and Rod Picott.
The Maritime- and Celtic-inspired folk duo Castlebay continues these traditions by researching archives for songs and ballads sung in Maine and performing them.
In addition, members Julia Lane and Fred Gosbee write and perform songs about Maine's people and history.
Newer Maine-based progressive folk artists have been emerging since the 1990s, including Heather Caston and Nancy Cartonio.
The southern coastal region both in and near Portland, Maine is home to many jazz instrumentalists, composers, singers, songwriters and arrangers.
[14][15] He was also a very well versed classical guitar player, known for his distinctive fingerstyle technique and ability to incorporate two-note comping, harmonics, quartal harmony and three-against-two rhythms.
Don Doane, a jazz trombonist and music teacher within the Maine school system, has played with Woody Herman and Maynard Ferguson.
[16] Dave Bowler, a professional jazz drummer born in 1957 in Portland, helped found the jazz/rock band the Franklin Street Arterial and recorded an album called Blue Hills.
is the indie rock band Weakened Friends, who were named "Unsigned Artist of the Year" in 2017's Boston Music Awards and collaborated with J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. on the track Hate Mail.