Files
Description
Oral history interview with Illinois State University alum Mark Filip, Class of 1988. The interview was conducted via Zoom videoconferencing software by Milner Library Digitization Center Coordinator Karmine Beecroft on October 30, 2024.
Throughout the interview Beecroft and Filip refer to Filip’s written answers to the interview questions, which he supplied in a Word document prior to the live interview. Filip’s written answers are also available for download from this record.
Filip was born in Bloomington, Illinois, and grew up in Peoria. He attended Peoria High School, graduating in 1983. He described his early environment as conservative and homophobic, which influenced his decision to remain closeted during his youth. Filip chose to attend ISU after high school because his clarinet teacher, who played in the Peoria Symphony, was a faculty member there. Initially a music education major, he switched to music performance after realizing he disliked the Marching Band requirement. He majored in clarinet and minored in saxophone.
One of Filip’s most memorable instructors was Herr Wolfgang Pfabel. Filip recounted a humorous anecdote of how students misheard Herr Pfabel’s greeting, “Beloved ones,” as “We love at once.” The professor insisted on addressing students formally using last names, which led to another comical moment involving a student’s Flemish last name.
In addition to German courses, Filip took part in multiple music ensembles at ISU, such as Symphonic Band, Jazz Band, Wind Ensemble, and Orchestra. He played a variety of instruments, including piccolo clarinet, clarinet, bass clarinet, contra clarinet, bari saxophone, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, and even oboe for a year. One of his most memorable performances was "The Winds of Nagual," a piece for Wind Ensemble that featured a piccolo clarinet solo.
Filip became involved in ISU’s Gay People’s Alliance (GPA) as a junior after spending his first two years on campus deeply closeted. He quickly stepped into the role of vice president with the organization because no one else wanted it, and he saw that the president, Denise Goff, was struggling to manage responsibilities alone.
At the time, GPA was the only social outlet for queer students, apart from a single gay bar in Bloomington. Filip and his peers faced challenges securing resources, such as borrowing AV equipment, which they sometimes were denied upon revealing the name of their organization. They also struggled to obtain queer films for screenings, relying on mail orders and occasional purchases from Suncoast Video in Peoria.
Some of the GPA activities Filip participated in included organizing their annual Gay Blue Jeans Day event, which encouraged students and faculty to wear jeans to show support for LGBTQ+ people. Filip noted that while some participated, many others avoided jeans altogether in an attempt to distance themselves from the cause. Filip also recalls a planned lecture on gay civil rights activist James Baldwin, but the speaker withdrew at the last minute after learning GPA was a LGBTQ+ group. In response, Filip and a music professor arranged an impromptu lecture on gay composers instead. During the spring of 1988, Filip and Goff arranged an on-campus performance by lesbian comedian Kate Clinton, using $500 in university funding. The event was well-attended and covered its costs through ticket sales.
The Newman Center (a Catholic organization) was surprisingly progressive for the time, allowing Filip to give talks about his experiences as a gay student. The Center was also home to a social protest group that Filip participated in. He recalls being a part of an action organized by that group to fly kites in military airspace near Joliet to protest nuclear power. Filip drew the short straw that day and had to stay behind with close to $10,000 in bail money in case the protesters got arrested.
After graduating in 1988, Filip worked as a bartender while maintaining a day job and continuing to perform music. He later expanded his career into music editing, transcription, and arranging. In conclusion, Filip expressed gratitude for his time at ISU but wished he had spent less time at Garcia’s Pizza and more time practicing his instruments. He felt that the friendships and experiences he gained, especially through GPA and music, were invaluable.
Interview Date
10-30-2024
Index
- Introduction; Filip’s early life and high school years: 00:00-02:24
- Filip’s decision to attend ISU; switching majors because of Marching Band: 02:21-04:30
- Experiences in Herr Pfabel’s German classes: 04:30-08:35
- Garcia’s Pizza; musical ensembles and instruments: 08:35-12:08
- Becoming vice president of Gay People’s Alliance: 12:08-17:03
- Checking out VCRs for GPA film screenings: 17:03-19:31
- Presentation on James Baldwin: 19:31-21:38
- Bringing Kate Clinton to campus: 21:38-23:46
- Coming out, getting involved in the GPA: 23:46-25:34
- Gay Blue Jeans Day: 25:34-26:53
- Finding support from friends, faculty in Music Department and Newman Center: 26:53-27:52
- Living situation as a student; working for Music Department: 27:52-29:49
- Participating in Newman Center choir; senior clarinet recital: 29:49-32:20
- Political causes; nuclear power protest: 32:20-35:29
- Explosion of space shuttle Challenger; parallels with 9/11 and Kennedy assassination: 35:29-38:06
- Mentors in Music Department; family ties: 38:06-40:02
- Music Department friends: 40:02-45:10
- Wearing comedically oversize Gumby watch to Wind Ensemble: 45:10-47:16
- Being forced to come out before he was ready: 47:16-48:54
- Regrets; steps after graduation: 48:54-50:17
- Big Red Marching Machine: 50:17-51:37
- Conclusion: 51:37-53:02
Recommended Citation
Filip, Mark, "Interview with Mark Filip, Class of 1988" (1988). Alumni Oral Histories. 82.
https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/aoh/82
