The Rev. Millard Southern III, who was born in Chicago to a “household” of preachers, picked up a trumpet at about age 10 and he hasn’t put it down since. At 44, he’s still playing and is also pastor of the historic Allen Chapel, AME Church in Kalamazoo, placed here by his denominational bishop in 2020.
Collaborating with the jazz department at Western Michigan University and the music staff at Kalamazoo Public Schools, Southern has helped to create a “Trumpet Summit” that will be held Oct. 11 at WMU. It will offer a day of educational opportunities for students that are open to the public, capped by an evening jazz concert at WMU’s Dalton Center Recital Hall. The event is designed as an homage to the late trumpeter Roy Hargrove, Southern’s friend and mentor, and will feature a constellation of jazz trumpeters, including Jon Faddis, Maurice Brown, Freddie Hendrix, Ashlin Parker and Corey Wilkes, along with WMU jazz faculty Matthew Fries, Carlo De Rosa and Keith Hall.
How did you get where you are today?
I was born and raised in Chicago and grew up in a household of ministers, where scholarship and education were of utmost importance. My love for music was combined with the church and spirituality. I picked up the trumpet somewhere around fifth grade, which led me on a path to understand the intersection between religion, community and music. And jazz is a powerful type of music.
The history of jazz music is the history of American culture. Out of our pain and our suffering, how do we find hope? Jazz shows us how to bring together a diverse community of differing opinions, talents, backgrounds and work together.
I received a B.A. in economics from Drake University and worked for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. I was called to go to seminary and attended Union Theological Seminary, in New York City, where I earned a Master of Divinity degree. I had the privilege of working with some of the leading minds in religion, including Dr. Cornel West, and wrote my senior thesis on jazz music and theology. Now I’m finishing my Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies at WMU using the music of Wynton Marsalis — who also serves on my dissertation committee — to investigate the relationship of jazz, theology and democracy. He (Marsalis) always talks about how jazz is a metaphor for democracy, embodying cultural freedom and cultural pluralism and coming together.
When I got to Kalamazoo, I wanted to be one of those leaders that explored and got involved. I didn’t want to just pastor and go home. I found an amazing, friendly community and a lot of access points where young leaders like myself can get involved. Kalamazoo’s great philanthropic community opened my eyes to creating more opportunities — the Stryker Johnston Foundation, the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, and the Harold and Grace Upjohn Foundation. I was fortunate to be awarded a jazz grant from the John Stites Jazz Awards organization for this event. (John Stites Jazz Awards Director) Sandy Schaefer is a wonderful leader in educating and empowering young people through jazz but also keeping the legacy of John Stites alive.
For me, that’s what faith is all about — connecting with people who are unlike you and serving the community outside of the church, exploring the things around you. For the past few years I’ve done several jazz projects, especially with First United Methodist Church of Kalamazoo, and worked with KPS to educate, empower and inform their young people. This Trumpet Summit is right in line with what I’ve been doing.
Why Roy Hargrove?
One day after my dad preached a fiery sermon at church, my neighbor introduced me to a CD by Roy Hargrove. When I heard the first note, it just struck me that there was a direct correlation between music and spirituality. For me, from a young age, spirituality, music and community were combined. Roy became a dear friend of mine, giving me music lessons, and I’m preparing to work on his biography. Unfortunately, he passed away in November of 2018.
Roy was a child prodigy whose music crossed different genres, including soul, hip-hop and Afro-Cuban. He knew how to uplift the human spirit through his music. He knew how to relate but also transcend the moment, so that at the end of his shows we were left feeling better than when we came in. The power and beauty of jazz is through improvisation, how the musicians take you on a journey where you may deal with life’s adversity and challenges, but that’s OK because they make you stronger, and at the end of the day there is hope.
Who should come to the Trumpet Summit?
It is going to be a day of development, growth and learning; a full day of clinics, master classes and presentations. It’s a chance for students to learn about this music and to pull out their instruments and play. We want students from anywhere who play trumpet or piano, bass or drums, students of all levels, ages, backgrounds and instruments, to come. We hope to have students from surrounding public schools, along with students from WMU, Kalamazoo College and KVCC.
Our guest jazz musicians are some of the most brilliant, provocative, amazing and soulful trumpet players, and it’s not often that we get high-caliber jazz musicians to come and teach our young people. In this heated political climate, we need more opportunities to empower and educate our young people in creative outlets, to help them appreciate differences and remember the humanity of our world. This music is a perfect metaphor for democracy, as it teaches us how to come together despite our differences. We need this now more than ever.
— Interview by Katie Houston, edited for length and clarity
