The Brief Story of Music in Madawaska There has existed in our
region an ever-growing love of singing, dancing and instrumental
music. In the nineteenth century between 1858 and 1873, girls
attending Madawaska Academy, which was run by the Sisters of
Charity, had the opportunity to learn the piano. The Religious
Hospitallers of Saint Joseph continued the work started by their
predecessors and organized many gatherings featuring music,
singing and skits. In the beginning of the twentieth century,
Mr. Martin, a violinist, gave music lessons in the schools in
the region. Dr. P.-H. Laporte, and his sons [sic], Dr. Paul
Carmel and the photographer Sydney, also contributed their
musical talent to the region by leading bands and a choir. The
interest in music had a big boom in the 1930s thanks to Mr. Léo
Poulin. Hired by the city of Edmundston to direct the brass
bands, he became a seasoned director, leading bands for adults
and youth, both boys and girls. The girls' band, in particular,
made Léo Poulin a real innov