Street 1

Stefan Street

Ms. Stein

P5

1/10/18

Solace in Music: A Biography

If you walked into the Gorham School of Music at 17 Railroad Ave, you may see Jim

Svendsen at the front desk. If you’re lucky he might have his Australian Shepherd at his side, but

he’d most likely be alone. The first impression you might gather from your interaction with Jim

may be something like this; soft-spoken, reserved, independent, and polite. After getting to know

Jim for a month or two, your impression might change to; attentive, detail-oriented, highly

driven, and brutally honest with a mix of dry humor. At the Gorham School of Music, there is an

incredibly welcoming atmosphere. Music-related art adorns the green, blue, and tan-painted

walls. Instruments lie neatly placed on stands among the various practice studios. The large

open-concert space is overshadowed by a crimson wall, painted and textured to give it the

appearance of a genuine brick wall. Most of this, the welcoming decor, the instruments, the

furniture, and more, can be attributed to one man-Jim Svendsen. As a music teacher, artist,

father, husband, and businessman, Jim has adhered to one sole principle for almost his entire life;

nobody will do it for you unless you do it yourself. This maxim of self-sufficiency has allowed

him to survive, to create, and to push through difficult challenges in his personal life, his various

professional pursuits, and in volunteer work.

Jim Svendsen was born May 28th, 1956 in Brooklyn, New York. He was born the

youngest of three kids. Jim’s sister was four years older and his brother was two years older than
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him. Jim’s father was not in the picture.They were all under the care of a single mother, who was

an alcoholic. At the time there were no significant welfare programs established to assist the

family in this unfortunate situation. Jim’s mother had no option but to work through adversity.

This meant that she had to do everything she could to care for her children and be a survivor.

Jim’s mother worked long hours as a waitress in New York City. She did her best to

support her children. At the same time her drinking habits were getting worse, which led to her

neglecting her children. She would go out drinking with her friends most nights, leaving the

young children alone at home. However, this could only go on for so long. Eventually the three

children, under a decision made by the state of New York, had to be separated from their mother.

At this time Jim’s sister was eight years old and placed in a girls’ home in upstate New

York. Jim was four years old and his brother was six when they were separated from their

mother. They were both placed into Angel Guardian Catholic Orphanage in Brooklyn, New

York. Jim’s best friend and only friend growing up in the orphanage was his brother. When

reviewing distinct memories from the orphanage Jim remembers, “Nuns. Nuns everywhere.

Everywhere you looked there were nuns. We had mass. Lots of mass. Every day after school we

had mass. The nuns were overseers in everything we did. We had cafeteria food everyday for

breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It felt like we never left school.” (Svendsen). As a child in the

orphanage, Jim was quiet. He kept to himself, and wanted to remain under the radar. His reason

for doing this was simple; by remaining under the radar he was able to avoid lots of problems

and pointless conflicts. After all, at such a young age he had already faced a difficult situation in

being separated from his mother and observing her destructive habits. Jim spent a total of eight

years in the orphanage.

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After the eight years, Jim’s mother got married, qualifying her to get her children back.

Jim, his brother, and sister were all drawn out of foster care, and reunited with their mother. The

day Jim’s mother came to pick him up was the first time he had seen her since he was four. Jim

did not know this woman. She was a stranger to him. There was never a time where he actually

knew his mother. The evenings she spent drinking out, coming home inebriated late at night,

followed by hangovers which took much of the next day to wear off. There was hardly anytime

for Jim to get to know his mother and what he knew of her were the faded drunken slurs and the

smell of bourbon whiskey.

At the age of 12 Jim, his siblings, and his mother all moved to Washington, Maine.

While in Maine, Jim’s new stepfather worked as a logger. His mother got a job at a sardine

factory in Rockland when the family eventually settled. The family was very poor, so Jim wasn’t

able to participate in sports or other activities at school. He had been tasked with either finding

his own job or working around the house constantly. Jim’s stepfather was a hard-working man of

8th grade education. Jim Describes him as, “The hardest worker I have ever met to this day.” His

stepfather taught Jim to work hard and be honest. Jim couldn’t ask for more. This advice and

observing his step-father’s work ethic finally gave Jim a sense of direction. He knew he had to

work hard at something if he wanted it done.

Jim’s family wasn’t in Maine for long. Within two years the family went bankrupt. His

step-father lost his house and they were forced to move. They were constantly moving from town

to town. This was difficult for Jim, not only because he had to pack up his stuff every few

months, but because he was always had to start at a new school. Everywhere he went, he was

always the shy, quiet new kid. There was never time to settle down. There was no time to make
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meaningful friendships. There was never a time where he felt comfortable in his new living

space, because eventually he would have to move. Most of the time Jim was alone, leaving him

to experience and do things himself, without friends and without help. Most of the time his

mother and step-father did not bother with any sort child-rearing, so Jim had free reign. Left to

his own thoughts, emotions, and actions. .

After moving among various towns in Maine and Vermont, the family eventually ended

up in Bristol, Vermont. For Jim, this would be the seventh and final move with the family. After

settling down in Bristol, Jim’s parents began charging him for room and board. Jim was only 15.

Outraged, alone, and in a powerless position, Jim decided that it was finally time to move

out. Jim had been working at a restaurant owned by Bruce and Tony Cousino in the downtown

area of Bristol. There was an apartment above the restaurant that was not being used. Bruce and

Tony welcomed Jim to live in the apartment upstairs under two conditions: He had to work at the

restaurant and he had to stay in school. Jim agreed, and he moved in.

Up to this point Jim had moved a total of eight times, crossing through six different

states, staying in 7 different houses, and at the same time was constantly surrounded by people

he hardly knew, besides his brother. At 15 Jim had done something that most people don’t do

until they are either 18 or 19. He was officially on his own. However this was nothing new to

him. Moving from town to town, there was no down time to start meaningful relationships.

Spending so much time alone, Jim had to learn to do things for himself. He had to be self-reliant.

It was an essential part of survival for him. Now at 15 years old, that’s exactly what he did, and it

wasn’t easy.
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Jim lived in that apartment until he graduated. In the mornings he woke up for school. In

the afternoons, he worked at the restaurant late into the evening. He needed every penny he could

earn to purchase sustenance and clothing. Of what little time he had in the evening, was spent

working on homework. His days were long and grueling. After moving around so much, he

didn’t bother trying to make friends, except for the occasional girlfriend. There was no time to

make friends, no time for sports, no time for other activities. Jim had to survive, he couldn’t

afford to waste his time on making friendships that may cause him trouble. He wasn’t able to

enjoy any of his passions early on. From an on-looker’s perspective, this may have seen like the

most difficult and stressful environment for a teenager to grow up in. How could Jim ever have

time to focus on and develop himself as a teenager? Jim looks at this experience in a different

light, “These times helped me have a better understanding of myself. Living on my own from

such a young age gave me a great sense of self-reliance. I have never “needed” anybody in my

entire life.” Jim has been able to carry this sense of self-reliance all through his family life,

education, and career.

After living on his own and supporting himself for three years, Jim finally graduated

from Mount Abraham High School in June of 1974. During his final years in high school, Jim

had picked up an interest in architecture. Since he was a child he had always loved art and

design, and how it was incorporated into buildings. When he had free time he would employ his

creative and artistic abilities by drawing or painting. In July of 1974 Jim got married. He wanted

to study architecture, but he also needed to work to support himself and his new wife. Jim now

had a big decision to make. Was he to continue working? Or was he going to continue his
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education? Jim had heard of the educational benefits offered by the Army if he enlisted. So that’s

what he did.

After basic training, Jim was stationed in Fort Carson, Colorado while his wife was still

back in Vermont. While in the Army, he attended Colorado State University. He studied

architecture for two years, and got his Associate’s Degree in Architectural Design. This was an

incredible achievement for Jim. He had now put himself through high school, and two years of

College on his own. The army enabled Jim to continue onto higher education. However, Jim had

hated the Army. After three years of enlistment, he left. Jim had struggled during the Army, not

only with balancing school and work, but with addiction.

During his years in the Army, Jim became addicted to speed. Jim felt he needed

something to keep him alert and energized to get him through his long and grueling days. Once

he tried it, he became addicted. Jim’s addiction quickly became a problem. He was alone in

Colorado. Jim’s pregnant wife was back in Vermont. This was an extremely difficult time for

him. He sought out rehab, which Jim explains, “Helped me turn my life around.” (Svendsen).

Jim realized it wasn’t so much behind the substance abuse but more about the reasons behind it;

the way that he grew up.

After terminating his Army career and obtaining an Associate’s Degree in Architectural

Design , Jim moved back to Vermont, where his wife became pregnant again. At first it was a

struggle finding a steady job that he liked. He drifted between a few small jobs, before finally

landing a job in construction. While he was working full time, he enrolled at the University of

Vermont (UVM) as a full time student. He studied at UVM from 1979 to 1981, eventually

obtaining a B.A. in Art. During his time at UVM, Jim had been climbing the ranks of the
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construction company, and when he finished school he got a job in the design department. He

finally was able to do what he loved to do; employing his artistic abilities in design. However,

after working for a couple of years in the design department, Jim realized that he liked building

more than design. So he went back into the field, learning as much as he could, eventually

becoming a project manager.

Jim worked tirelessly to support his wife and growing family. He did everything he

could. He had gone to school, maintained a job, and climbed the ranks of the construction

company. Meanwhile, his marriage was deteriorating through no fault of his own. During his

marriage Jim had to make difficult decisions. He and his family were either going to starve, or he

was going to have to work two or sometimes three jobs to provide for his children, causing him

to miss much of his home life. Jim and his wife had a very limited social network. The only

social interactions he and his wife had, besides each other, were with his wife’s family. Jim

explains, “She came from a very large family (11 siblings) and they were our entire social

network for 20 years.”(Svendsen). His wife had severe control issues. She also did not help earn

a living for the family, she assumed that responsibility to be Jim’s entirely. Jim had planned to

file for divorce by the time his son would graduate high school. During that time, his wife was

diagnosed with melanoma, and he never got the chance to file. He was tasked with taking care of

her through this time. Jim describes it as so, “It was really hard to nurse someone through the end

of their life under those circumstances, but I’m glad that I did it.” Jim’s wife died in 1996 at the

age of 40. By this time, both of his children were adults. Jim raised his children to be

independent like himself, “My top priority was to teach them to be self-reliant. This way no man

would be able to abuse my daughter because she’s stuck with him, and my son can fix a water
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heater, his car, or build a house, so nobody gets to rip him off.” (Svendsen). Today both of his

children are just as creative and independent as their father is. Jim remarried in 1999. He wanted

his new marriage to be on equal footing. Jim explains, “We are together because we want to be,

not because we need each other. We communicate, and that’s the most important thing.” Today,

Jim’s marriage is still going well.

In 2004, Jim wanted to go back to school. He attended Goddard College in Plainfield,

Vermont. He graduated in 2007 with a B.A. in Music Therapy and Art. In 2006 Jim moved to

Maine. He still worked in construction as a project manager across southern Maine. However, a

new passion had taken over his personal life. As much as Jim loved art and design, he began to

love music equally as much. Jim had been in construction for about 30 years. He wanted to leave

and put his hard-earned degree to good use. He cut his work week back from five days to four, to

give the younger workers more hours and to free himself up from construction.

Jim had heard of a man from Augusta named Matthew Audet. Matthew had been abused

his entire life, both physically and mentally by his mother. When Matthew learned that his

mother was having a sexual relationship with his wife, he strangled her. He was sentenced to 5

years in prison. Obviously there are many factors at play here, Jim explains his view on it, “He

had been abused by this woman since he was born. He found out that she had been having a

sexual relationship with not only him, but his wife, so he choked her to death. So who’s the

victim? His mother is the victim that first comes to mind when reading the headlines, but if you

take a deeper look you’ll find out the Matthew had been dealing with the abuse his whole life.”

(Svendsen). Not long after that, Jim had heard of a proposed budget cut in Maine’s department of

Corrections. In an article by Bill Nemitz the following is stated about Jim, “​ Svendsen heard
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about the proposed $2 million cut in Maine's Department of Corrections budget. It got him

thinking about all those people behind bars - especially the ones who were there because from

the day they were born, they “just never had a break.” ”(Nemitz). Jim also states in the article,

“As a culture, we have come to expect the government to do everything that needs doing, but

recent events have shown that we need to rethink that mindset and start doing things for

ourselves.” (Nemitz). This was a perfect opportunity for Jim to put his degree to use, and for a

noble cause. Jim wrote a letter and sent it to the Department of Corrections, offering to spend an

hour or two a week teaching inmates how to write songs and play guitar. Jim put together a

twelve week program, with weekly 1-2 hour lessons, and called his new non-profit Guitar Doors.

Over the twelve week program, Jim would teach men and women at the Maine

Correctional Center in Windham, as well as kids at Long Creek Youth Development Center, how

to play guitar, write songs, and express themselves through their lyrics and performance. An

excerpt from an article in the Portland Press Herald details one woman’s experience, “‘I think we

all have a story’, Anderson said. 'If I can reach other people with my words and if I can influence

one kid in a positive way with my writing, then the mission is accomplished here on earth.'”

(Keyes). Anderson is one 33-year-old inmate out of many who helped write several songs for

Guitar Doors’ CD ​Beats and Bars ​which included eight songs and an 80-page anthology written

by men, women, and children in the Maine Correctional system. When asked why he would

ever volunteer his personal time to inmates Jim answers, “Inmates are easy to ignore, because

they are behind bars and barbed wire. But the vast majority of them are getting out. When that

happens, we have to deal with them. Whether we like it or not, these people are part of our

society...They are our cousins, our daughters, our uncles and our fathers, and they are coming
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back. The question is, are they coming back better or the same?”(Keyes). Jim goes on further to

explain that the goal is not only rehabilitation, but to get people to listen to the inmates and to be

able to understand their stories.

On top of working construction four days a week and with the heavy task of teaching

inmates how to play guitar and write songs, Jim’s schedule was tight. However, he wasn’t

satisfied. Jim placed an ad online ​to start a group that was doing string arrangements of some

jazz tunes that had an emphasis on the cello. A man named Matt Wasowski saw the ad and

contacted Jim and he explains, “We ended up having coffee together and talking about his

non-profit Guitar Doors.” (Wasowski). Matt had already been doing some volunteer work of his

own at Tree Street Youth Center in Lewiston, offering free after school music lessons to the

youth. Matt recalls his first impression of Jim, “My first impression was like wow! This guy is

doing God’s work. To go into the prisons and volunteer, to really participate in a true

rehabilitation process, to show prisoners and convicted felons how to express themselves

artistically through songwriting and guitar is just incredible.” (Wasowski). Matt was immediately

inspired by Jim, so much so that he offered to volunteer in the Correctional Center alongside Jim.

Matt recalls going into the prison, “The work was very satisfying. It’s heavy duty going into

those prisons.To go in there several times a week [which is what Jim was doing] is just really

incredible. It takes a special person to do that.”(Wasowski). Jim was equally impressed with the

volunteer work Matt was doing, offering free after school music lessons to the youth, so he

joined alongside Matt in his youth outreach.

Together the two would travel between Windham and Lewiston. Packing a van full of

guitars, amps, and songwriting materials to bring to the Correctional Centers. While also on
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certain days packing the van with various instruments such as the marimba, drums, guitars, and

microphones to the Tree Street Youth Center. After a multitude of trips between Windham and

Lewiston and the laborious task of assembling/disassembling drum kits and marimbas, the two

realized that they needed their own creative space to continue their music outreach. Since they

were also spending much of their own personal time in music outreach, they decided to turn their

passions into a feasible source of income. So Jim and Matt began searching for studio spaces in

Southern Maine. Matt describes the searching process as so, “We started looking at places in

Westbrook, specifically the mill areas. But we realized the noise would be an issue with the other

tenants. So we kept searching. Eventually Jim called me and said he found a spot right in the

middle of town in Gorham, right next to an elementary school. This was ideal for the after school

programs we had in mind.” (Wasowski). It was a bland office space filled with cubicles, set in

the middle of a building that was also shared by a Fitness Center on either side. Obviously there

was quite a bit of remodeling to be done in order to create multiple creative studio spaces. Matt

had his thoughts on the remodeling issue, “My thinking as an elementary teacher and a [frugal]

touring musician, [was that] we can’t possibly budget and spend thousands of dollars to add

these additional studio spaces. But Jim’s thinking was totally different...Jim’s thinking and his

experience has a commercial developer was critical in helping build up a Gorham Music

School.” (Wasowski). The two were able to secure a loan and negotiate with the landlord on

expenses. Jim Svendsen and Matt Wasowski combined their creative mindsets to give rise to

what is now the Gorham School of Music. Which boasts 100+ students, and a beautifully

furnished space. Matt explains working with Jim, “I look forward to coming here. I love coming

to work. I love coming to the school. Jim makes it very nice to work here. He’s somebody you
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can count on and depend on. He’s very honest. Very very honest. I mean I never have to wonder

what Jim is thinking, because he just says it. And sometimes it can be a wake up call.”

(Wasowski). Matt is continually inspired by Jim’s work ethic and way of teaching as well, “I

really admire his positive attitude towards running a business, especially an arts-based business

because it can be very difficult. I also really admire is ability to facilitate song-writing and

creativity in people. He has a sort of music-therapists way of drawing ideas out of people. I write

songs, but I have no idea on how to teach someone to do that. He’s turned it into an art form.”

(Wasowski). Jim’s education in music therapy as well as his experience of teaching songwriting

in prisons, has enabled him to inspire children, teens, and adults to take an inward look, to find

their deepest thoughts and emotions, and then express those feelings creatively through music.

Jim’s life story is hardly one of glamour and glitz. Growing up in his struggles as an

orphan to living on his own at 15, have made him wary of being dependent upon others. His

addictive personality has caused him to pick up some unfortunate self-destructive habits but it

has also enabled him to complete magnificent projects. For Jim there are two things that are

always there for him no matter what. Looking back on his life, Jim explains his two biggest

influences, “Art and Music. Through both I’ve been able to express myself in a way that I can’t

with words. Aside from helping myself, I’ve been able to help others through art and music. I’ve

been able to help inmates, juveniles, children, teens, adults, and even you [Stefan]. Art and

Music have given my life another meaning, one that I would not have otherwise found.”

(Svendsen). Right now Jim is the happiest he has ever been in his life. He works on his own

terms, has a healthy marriage, and has a thriving business. Art and music have helped him find a

stable rhythm in life, and he plans to keep to this rhythm until the drum beats no more.
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Stefan Street Interview with Jim Svendsen

November 28, 2017
Openers:
- Who are you? Meaning...How would you describe your life today? What you do, how
you spend your days, passions, hobbies, what’s your life about? ​JIM: “I am a music
teacher and businessman. My hobbies include woodworking and various visual arts
pursuits.”
- How would you divide up the timeline of your life? What were some pivotal moments in
your life that started new chapters/journeys of your life?​JIM: “I would divide my life
into three chapters, so far. The first 20 years growing up, the next 20 married,
raising a family and pursuing a career, and the current phase, which has involved a
new marriage and new career.”

Birth:
- Where were you born? When? ​JIM: “Brooklyn, New York. 1956.”
- Was there anything unusual about your birth? ​JIM: “Not that I recall…”
- What do you remember about the first years of your life? ​JIM: “I don’t have any real
memories of my earliest years before the age of 4 or 5, like most people I suppose.”

Childhood 3-9:
- How would you describe your mother/father’s personality and emotional qualities? ​JIM:
“My mom was an alcoholic, single mother of three in an era before there were any
social safety nets, like welfare or food stamps, so she learned to be a survivor.”
- What traits and qualities do you think you inherited from your parents? ​JIM: “My mom
was an alcoholic. I’d say the thing that I inherited from her is an addictive
personality. Through some tough times I have learned to channel this trait in
positive ways, instead of self-destructive activities.”
- Do you have and siblings? What was it like growing up with them? ​JIM: “I am the
youngest of three. Oldest was my sister, and then my brother. We were separated
from my mother when I was 4, my brother was 6, and my sister was 8. We were
placed in foster care. My sister went to a girls’ home in upstate NY, and my brother
and I went to Angel Guardian Catholic orphanage in Brooklyn. We were all
reunited 8 years later, so I only really grew up with my brother until I was 12.”
- What was the neighbourhood/house like that you grew up in? ​JIM: “Wow.”
- What are your most distinct childhood memories?​JIM: “Nuns. Lots of nuns. Mass
every day after school. Cafeteria food every meal, every day. Lot’s of weird kids.”
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- How would you describe yourself as a child? ​JIM: “I learned early on to keep my head
down and stay under the radar. If I did this I could avoid a lot of problems. I also
learned to be very aware of what was going on around me.”
- What were your dreams/ambitions as a child?​JIM: “I wanted to be an architect.”
- Who were your closest friends? What influence did they have on you?​JIM: “My
brother was my only real friend - the only person that I trusted. Other kids were
around, but I learned to be very careful.”
- What were your early school days like? What teachers do you remember? Why? ​JIM: “I
don’t remember things in any kind of detail until around 5th grade. Before that it
all sort of melts into one. I had a teacher in 5th grade, Mrs. Laaka, who seemed to
take a special interest in me. She was the first one to recognize my artistic abilities
and encouraged me to explore them more.”
- What were your struggles as a child? ​JIM: “See above.”

Adolescence 10-17:
- What beliefs/values do you think your parents tried to teach you? ​JIM: “My mother
married my step-father when I was 12. He was a logger in Maine who was 52 when
she married him. He was a man with an 8th grade education, but was the hardest
working person that I have ever met. He taught me to work hard and to be honest.
Couldn’t ask for more.”
- What is your best/worst memory from school? ​JIM: “I hated school. We moved a lot,
so I was always the new kid. We were very poor, to say the least, so we weren’t able
to participate in sports or other activities.”
- Who was your favorite teacher in middle school/high school? Why? ​JIM: “David
Royce. He was my high school bookkeeping teacher and the baseball coach. If you
played baseball, you got a B.”
- What are some of the most significant events from your teenage years? ​JIM: “I moved
out of my parents’ house when I was 15 because my parents were making me pay
room and board at home. I worked a restaurant in town where I lived in apartment
upstairs.”
- Who were some of the biggest influences during your teenage years? ​JIM: “Bruce and
Tony Cousino owned the restaurant and allowed me to work there and live in the
apartment upstairs as long as I stayed in school. I worked my ass off, but got myself
through high school. They saved my life.”
- Did you get into trouble often? What were the most severe events? ​JIM: “Never,
besides, nobody cared what I did.”
- What relationships/friendships were important to you?​JIM: “After moving around so
much, by high school I didn’t even bother trying to make friends. Just girlfriends,
and most of them proved to be batshit crazy.”
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- What person/event helped you have a better understanding of yourself?​JIM: “Living on

my own from such a young age gave me a great sense of self-reliance. I have never
“needed” anybody in my entire life.”

Adult Years:
- What were your ambitions going into adulthood? ​JIM: “I thought that I wanted to be
an architect.”
- Why did you want to accomplish this? ​JIM: “I loved buildings and the artistic element
of their design. I loved to draw.”
- Did you? ​JIM: “Almost. I got an Associates degree in Architectural Design, and a
BA in art. The University Of Vermont didn’t have an architectural program, and I
couldn’t afford out of state grad school.”
- What led into the type of work you did? ​JIM: “While I was at UVM, I worked for a
construction company. After school I worked for them in the design department for
a couple of years. It was then that I realized that I like building better than design,
so went into the field where I eventually became a project manager.”
- When did you first realize that you were actually an adult now? ​JIM: “I was married 6
weeks after my 18th birthday. Went into the Army within a year, and had my
daughter a year after that. I think that I was an adult at around the age of 16. I had
to be.”
- What was your marriage like?​JIM: “Pretty bad. She had severe control issues, and
did almost nothing to help me to earn a living for our family. She considered that to
be my responsibility. She was from a very large family (11 siblings), so they were
our entire social network for 20 years. She died of cancer at the age of 40.”
- What does marriage mean to you?​JIM: “My current marriage is one of equal footing.
We are together because we want to be, not because we need each other. We
communicate, and that’s the most important thing.”
- What are some significant events during your adulthood?​JIM: “I struggled with
addiction in my early 20’s which led to a short stint in rehab, which really helped to
turn my life around. The death of my first wife at around the time that my kids were
graduating from high school.”
- What role do you kids play in your life?​JIM: “I am not too close with my daughter,
but I am very close with my son.”
- What values did you try to teach them?​JIM: “My top priority was to teach them to be
self-reliant. This way no man would be able to abuse my daughter because she’s
stuck with him, and my son can fix a water heater or his car, or build a house, so
nobody gets to rip him off.”
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General Life:
- What traditions are important to you?​JIM: “None, I guess. I am an atheist (see
Catholic orphanage), and really didn’t grow up with the holiday stuff. We never had
a television, and my mom was pretty dismissive of us overall.”
- What has influenced you most?​JIM: “Art and Music. Through both I’ve been able to
express myself in a way that I can’t with words. Aside from helping myself, I’ve
been able to help others through art and music. I’ve been able to help inmates,
juveniles, children, teens, and adults. Art and Music have given my life another
meaning, one that wouldn’t have otherwise found.”
- What were some crucial decisions you had to make through your life? ​JIM: “I chose
early on to not be the sort of parent that mine had been. I worked two and sometime
three jobs to give my kids what they needed. I stayed in a bad marriage for them.
Looking back now, I think that part was a mistake.”
- What was your first experience with death like?​JIM: “Before my first wife was
diagnosed with melanoma, I had planned to file for divorce as soon as my son was
out of high school, but I never got the chance. It was really hard to nurse someone
through the end of their life under those circumstances, but I’m glad that I did it.”
- Who are some special people you’ve known through your life?​JIM: “My first father in
law was a pretty exceptional guy. He had his issues, but he was a powerful role
model for me. I started dating his daughter when I was 16 and living on my own. He
was a great dad to his kids, which was something that I had never experienced.”
- What are some accomplishments you’ve achieved?​JIM: “Well, I put myself through
high school and college, raised a family, built lots of cool buildings, learned to fly
helicopters, went back to school and got a degree in Music therapy, learned to play
guitar and cello, and started a prison music non-profit and a private music school.”
- What role does religion/spirituality play in your life?​JIM: “None.”
- Do you feel like you have an inner strength? Where does it come from?​JIM: “I do. I
have never had anyone who really took care of me - I always had to be self-reliant.
It’s not a good thing or bad, it’s just how it’s always been.”
- What has been your biggest weakness?​JIM: “I have a very addictive
personality.Anything that I take an interest in becomes an obsession. It was a real
struggle to bring this under control.”
- What has been the happiest time of your life? The saddest? ​JIM: “Happiest: right now.
Saddest: When my first wife died.”
- What are some things you wish you did differently?​JIM: “I should not gotten married
so young. It was very hard.”
- Do you have any advice for the younger generations?​JIM: “I think it’s really pretty
simple. Do what you say that you’re going to do, even if it sucks. Don’t ever lie about
anything, own your own shit. Don’t expect anything to last forever. Sing.”
 Street 17

Stefan Street Interview With Matt Wasowski, December 8, 2017.

- How long have you known Jim? ​Matt: “Jim and I have known each other for just
over 5 years.”
- How did you two first meet? ​Matt: “We started doing volunteer work together at tree
street youth center in Lewiston, offering free after school music lessons to the youth.
Originally he had placed an ad to start a group that was doing string arrangements
of some jazz tunes that had an emphasis on the cello. We ended up having coffee
together and talking about his non-profit Guitar Doors.”
- What was your first impression of Jim? ​Matt: “My first impression was like wow! This
guy is doing God’s work. To go into the prisons and volunteer, to really participate
in a true rehabilitation process, to show prisoners and convicted felons how to
express themselves artistically through songwriting and guitar is just incredible.
The work was very satisfying. It’s heavy duty going into those prisons.To go in there
several times a week [which is what Jim was doing] is just really incredible. It takes
a special person to do that.”
- How did you come to start a business with Jim? ​Matt: “Well we wanted to offer more
free, after school programs to kids and teens in a based environment rather than
packing up all the instruments and driving to and from Lewiston everyday. We
started looking at places in Westbrook, specifically the mill areas. But we realized
the noise would be an issue with the other tenants. So we kept searching. Eventually
Jim called me and said he found a spot right in the middle of town in Gorham, right
next to an elementary school.​ ​This was ideal for the after school programs we had in
mind.”
- What is the most difficult part in working with Jim? The easiest? ​Matt: “I think we
think alike. I look forward to coming here. I love coming to work. I love coming to
the school. Jim makes it very nice to work here.”
- What do you admire about Jim? ​Matt: “I have the utmost respect for someone going
into prisons and offering free music instruction. I really admire his positive attitude
towards running a business, especially an arts based business because it can be very
difficult. I also really admire is ability to facilitate song-writing and creativity in
people. He has a sort of music-therapists way of drawing ideas out of people. I write
songs, but I have no idea on how to teach someone to do that. He’s turned it into an
art form.”
- Describe Jim in the most honest way possible(personal characteristics, habits, flaws, etc.)
Matt: “He’s somebody you can count on and depend on. He’s very honest. Very
very honest. I mean I never have to wonder what Jim is thinking, because he just
says it. And sometimes it can be harsh or a wake up call.”
 Street 18

- What are some things you’ve learned from Jim? ​Matt: “I’ve learned to be open to
problem-solving that considers everyone’s different angles. People have unique
personalities and ideally in collaborative relationships your partner is seeing things
in a slightly different view from you. And as long as you don’t get too attached to
your own viewpoint, it’s huge. For example, the rooms we are sitting in right now.
My thinking as an elementary teacher and a touring musician is no we can’t
possibly budget and spend thousands of dollars to add these additional studio
spaces. But Jim’s thinking was totally different. He was thinking that since we have
all this space, we should try to maximize it. We ended up with a loan and we were
able to negotiate with the landlord half the expense because it betters the building
and the property in general. Jim’s thinking and his experience has a commercial
developer was critical in helping build up the Gorham Music School and what it is
today. He can see opportunity where other people would see a dead-end.”

Stefan Street Interview #2 with Jim Svendsen December 20th, 2017

What did your mother do for work?​JIM: “In NYC she was a waitress. When she moved to
Maine she worked at a sardine factory in Rockland.”
Why were you separated from your mother? ​JIM: “She was an alcoholic single mother of
three. We were 4, 6, and 8 years old and she’d leave us home, alone while she went out
drinking.”
Who decided that you were to be placed into foster care?​JIM: “The State Of New York.”
Could you elaborate more on the neighbourhood/house you grew up in? ​JIM: “I lived in a
number of places, but the common theme was that my parents were really poor. There was
an old farm house, a couple of mobile homes, and another crappy house. Several places had
no bathroom, just an outhouse. Gross.”
What was the orphanage like?(details) ​JIM: “Wow. I guess it was like being at school all of
the time. Staying there all day, evening, and sleeping there. Every meal was cafeteria. It
was Catholic, so we did everything with nuns as overseers. Mass every day.”
When and how old were you when you were taken out of foster care? ​JIM: “I was 11. By then
my brother and I had been moved to a foster family home in Queens. I think we had been
there about 18 months. My mother got married in Maine, so qualified to get us back. When
she came to pick us up was the first time I had seen her since I was 4. Didn’t even know
her.”
When did you graduate high school? ​JIM: “1974.”

What did you do right out of high school? ​JIM: “I went in the Army to get the education
benefits.”
 Street 19

Name of college? ​JIM: “Associate's Degree - Architectural Design, Colorado State I

attended while I was in the Army. Spent three years at UVM, BA Art. BA Music Therapy
and Film, Goddard College.”
How long were you in the army? What caused you to leave? ​“3 years, that was my enlistment.
I left because I hated it.”
What was your first significant job after high school? ​JIM: “I did a few things, but finally
landed in construction.”

What was your addiction? ​JIM: “Speed

What were some tough moments you faced when you struggled with addiction? ​JIM: “The
hardest thing was going through it out in Colorado alone. It turned out to be less about the
substance abuse and more about the reasons behind it; the way that I grew up.”
When and where did you go back to school for music therapy? ​JIM: “Goddard College.
Graduated 2007.”
What inspired you to create guitar doors? ​JIM: “I wanted to get out of construction and do
something with my degree. There was a guy in Augusta who strangled his mother. His
name was (is) Matthew Audet. Look it up. He had been abused by this woman since he was
born. He found out that she had been having a sexual relationship with not only him, but
his wife, so he choked her to death. I probably would have, too. So who’s the victim?”
What inspired you to create the Gorham School of Music? ​JIM: “Matt had been volunteering
with Guitar Doors. I was looking for space to try and start some programming with kids on
the outside, and he wanted space for marimba classes. One thing led to another.”
What is the brief timeline of all the moves you made until the army?: ​JIM: “From foster care
we moved to Washington. Within a couple of years they were bankrupt and lost the house
that my dad had. We moved to Greene/Leeds area, where we lived in 4 different places in 3
years. When I was 15 they moved to Vermont. Within a year of that move I moved out. I
lived upstairs above the restaurant that I worked at downtown until I graduated HS.
Mount Abraham in Bristol. Lived in Vermont from 1971 until 2005, except for 3 years in
the Army.”
 Street 20

Works Cited

Keyes, Bob. "Music, Writing Project Gives Maine Prisoners a Voice." Portland Press Herald,
Oct 20, 2013, Global Newsstream,
http://libraries.maine.edu/mainedatabases/authmaine.asp?url=http://search.proquest.com.
ursus-​ proxy-10.ursus.maine.edu/docview/1443285817?accountid=17222.

Nemitz, Bill. "Inmates Prize Instruments of Change." Portland Press Herald, Feb 22,
2009, Global Newsstream,
http://libraries.maine.edu/mainedatabases/authmaine.asp?url=http://search.proquest.com.
ursus-proxy-10.ursus.maine.edu/docview/277359202?accountid=17222​.

Svendsen, Jim. Personal Interview. 28 November 2017.

Svendsen, Jim. Personal Interview. 20 December 2017.

Wasowski, Matt. Personal Interview. 8 December 2017.