Max Schubel (1932–2010) graduated from New York University in 1953, the year he started spending his summers on an island on Moosehead Lake in Maine. He spent most of his life working in the music industry— mostly in New York— recording, editing, sales and promotion. In the academic world, Max taught Composition and Orchestration at Oberlin Conservatory and appeared as a guest composer at the University of New Mexico, College-Conservatory in Cincinnati, University of Illinois, Brooklyn College, University of Pittsburgh, and many community colleges in the New York area.
In 1966, Max started Opus One, a recording company that produced music written by lesser known and emerging composers, from locations throughout the United States. By 2008, Opus One had released over 190 LPs and CDs. Most of his personal works were composed on his island in Moosehead Lake.
In recent years, Max enjoyed working on his music projects and making visits to the island that he lived and worked on for over 50 years.