For its third consecutive year, the Milliken Memorial Community House will serve as the host for “Music at the Milliken – Steinway Serenade,” an event planned for Saturday evening, June 29, 2024.
The event, which will begin at 6:00 PM, will spotlight local piano students serving as a prelude to the other performers who are slated to begin their performances at 6:30 PM. The event, which was first initiated by former Elkton resident Dr. Bill Weathers, will take place at the Milliken Memorial Community House located at 208 West Main Street in Elkton. Since seating for the event is limited, those who wish to attend should contact one of the pianists for a ticket. As with past performances, those attending are also requested to donate to fund music programs in Todd County. Performers for this year’s summer event include Mark Campbell, Emilie Gill, Jordan Jones, Dawn Sharp, and Judy Wilson.
Four of those five names are very recognizable ones in our area as Mark Campbell is a well-known Trenton doctor who has both a passion for music and airplanes. Emilie Gill, a native Todd Countian and a graduate of Western Kentucky University, is an employee of the Logan County Public Library. Emilie has also illustrated two published books, one in Scotland as well as one in the U.S. Dawn Sharp is another very familiar name as Dawn taught music for many years at South Todd Elementary and now also tutors students in piano; Judy Wilson is also a recognizable name to Todd Countians as she plays music locally for several churches and also tutors students in piano. A fifth name some may not know is that of Jordan Jones. Jordan, who has lived in Todd County for a few years, works as a piano tuner as well as a worker in a local lumber mill. Jones, who is originally from southeastern Arizona, attended Pensacola Christian College and is currently receiving more training as a piano technician under the tutelage of Randy Potter, a renowned piano technician who has studied piano technology throughout the world.
Emilie, who also holds a Master of Arts in Children’s Book Illustration from the Cambridge School of Art in the United Kingdom, messaged, “We are looking forward to sharing more of our most beloved pieces of classical, contemporary, and film music with our guests.” She also added, “Some of these selections our audience will be pleased to recognize, and the rest I hope will become new favorites. It is always a wonderful surprise to see how much the community expresses their excitement at our performances.”
Interestingly, the program for the dedication of the Milliken in April of 1928 included the singing of Kentucky’s state song – “My Old Kentucky Home.” Music at the April 1928 event also included Francis Craig’s Columbia Recording Orchestra of Nashville performing for attendees. On Saturday evening, June 29, 2024, the Milliken will once more open its doors to the “sounds of music” with the Milliken hosting its “Music at the Milliken – Steinway Serenade.” Noting the Milliken remains a popular venue for so many local events, Brittany Prather, president of the Milliken’s Board of Directors, shared, “We are so excited to continue bringing music into the Milliken. The building itself is such a beautiful reflection of community spirit, and the performances on June 29 will add to the joys of summer living in Todd County.” Other directors of the Milliken Board include Ashley Coffman, Charlotte Morrow, Donna Nabb, Sharon Shanklin, Eddy Simons, and Ginger Simons. Matthew Bailey also serves as an honorary board member.
~ Article by Carolyn L. Wells
June 18, 2024
