Queer Music Midwest

Last month we held our inaugural festival, QMM26, the first ever queer music festival in Nebraska, featuring local artists across a wide variety of genres. Blixt Arts Lab partnered with us to make the event financially feasible. The festival opened with self described “Nebraska-based indie pop” artist, KJ Teder. Her intimate lyrics and raw, soulful singing left an indelible impact on the audience. Rounding out the first set was the clownfish and the anemone with Mika Roche and Jeem New, both members of Lincoln based band Birthday Girl. Their performance combined beautifully harmonized vocals with powerful lyrics in a truly touching performance.

The second and third sets brought a change of tone with a new focus on flute. Co-founders Dr. Bridget Hill and Rose Khorsandi performed solo and duo flute music from the QMM call for scores. All the pieces were written by living queer composers with ties to the Midwest. Thank you to all the composers who submitted works!

They were followed by Iowa flutist, Dr. Joshua Paul Stine, who performed works from his new album Pages From My Diary. The album shares stories of queer joy and lived experience through music.
The fourth and final set featured Winnifred Worm Friend, an electronic musician based in Nebraska. Her performance featured energetic beats and worm fun facts. Keep your eyes out for her new album in the near future.

Thank you to everyone who came out to QMM26, volunteered, or donated. We couldn’t do it without your help!