Encore Magazine October 2025

From the Editor

O

ur community is such a dynamic place — it's always morphing, evolving and trying new things. For those who don't like change, this can be discomforting, but when innovations are done in the spirit of making things better for others, it's truly inspiring to watch.

Take, for example, the subject of our cover story, a business called Meknology, which will very soon call Kalamazoo home, and its founder, Daniel Hodges. Inspired by the Flint water crisis and a drive to innovate to improve people's lives, Hodges has developed a system to treat the wastewater created by brewers and distillers that's more economical and environmentally friendly than what's traditionally been done. As Meknology proves its concept with Michigan's craft beverage industry, Hodges has his eye on scaling up his company's technology for use in municipal water systems. This certainly is a company — and an individual — to watch.

We also meet the Rev. Millard Southern III, pastor of the historic Allen Chapel, AME Church in Kalamazoo and an avid trumpet player since he was about 10. Southern has found a way to merge his passions of music, spirituality and community by organizing the first-ever Trumpet Summit in Kalamazoo, in collaboration with WMU's Jazz Studies program and Kalamazoo Public Schools. This day-long event will bring professional jazz trumpeters to WMU's campus to give clinics, master classes and presentations, providing a unique opportunity for young musicians and others in our community not only to learn and listen but also, Southern hopes, to come together despite differences.

In another story in this issue, we learn it wasn't differences but striking similarities that brought The Rebel Eves together, and now this all-female Americana band is out to "Shake the Ground" with their new album. Writer Jordan Bradley gives us a glimpse into the minds and hearts of this talented trio who are channeling their life experiences to actively challenge paradigms about women, faith and love in hopes of inspiring others. This is definitely a band to hear.

With all this inspiration around us, I encourage people to embrace change and its possibilities, because, as we are reminded daily by the autumn leaves swirling around us, change is inevitable.

Jordan Bradley

For this issue of Encore, Jordan spoke with each of the three members of the Americana band The Rebel Eves. "I had listened to their music as part of the research for this article, and they each have such individual styles, so it was fun to hear about how The Rebel Eves came to be and where they stood on common ground," Jordan says. "Since writing the article, I've been streaming all of their individual music and The Rebel Eves. They're fantastic musicians." A native Michigander, J ordan lives in the desert with her cat and dog and loves moonlighting as an Encore contributor whenever she can.

Meknology

Katie Houston

Katie wrote this month’s Back Story on the Rev. Millard Southern III, who is hosting a Trumpet Summit at Western Michigan University in honor of Roy Hargrove. “Rev. Southern’s enthusiasm for the value of jazz as a metaphor for democracy — working together across different skills and backgrounds — is really timely,” Katie says. She is a writer and communications consultant specializing in nonprofit marketing.

Robert M. Weir

Robert wrote this month's cover story on Meknology, a company that specializes in a new method of water treatment. "I admire people with heart and passion, people with talent who apply their skills to creatively make the world a better place for everyone. Daniel Hodges (the owner of Meknology) is such an individual," Robert says. "His field of dreams is his company, Meknology Inc., the products of which improve water quality in a way that is profitable for the businesses that use his inventions. Hodges is an innovator who cares about people, the environment, and the economy. It was my honor to write about him and his endeavors." Robert is a frequent contributor to Encore

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Publisher encore publications, inc

Editor marie lee

Art Director alexis stubelt

Photographers brian k powers

Contributing Writers jordan bradley, katie houston, marie lee , gary swain, robert m weir

Copy Editor/Poetry Editor margaret deritter

Advertising Sales janis clark kimberly juwong

Distribution ron kilian robert zedeck

Office Coordinator kelly burcroff

Proofreader hope smith

Encore Magazine is published 12 times yearly. Copyright 2025, Encore Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Editorial, circulation and advertising correspondence should be sent to:

www.encorekalamazoo.com 117 W. Cedar St. Suite A, Kalamazoo, MI 49007 Telephone: (269) 383–4433

Email: Publisher@encorekalamazoo.com

The staff at Encore welcomes written comments from readers, and articles and poems for submission with no obligation to print or return them. To learn more about us or to comment, visit encorekalamazoo.com. Encore subscription rates: one year $36, two years $70. Current single issue and newsstand $4, $10 by mail. Back issues $6, $12 by mail. Advertising rates on request. Closing date for space is 28 days prior to publication date. Final date for print–ready copy is 21 days prior to publication date.

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by those interviewed and published here do not reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Encore Magazine or the official policies, owners or employees of Encore Publications

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First Things

Something Important Exhibit explores unfair treatment in America

An exhibit that examines unfair treatment of American citizens in our country's past and present will open at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum this month.

Am I An American or Am I Not? is a traveling exhibition from the Fred T. Korematsu Institute that will be at the local museum from Oct. 12 to Jan. 4. Through images and stories, the exhibition shows how other historic and modern-day events parallel aspects of the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, when fear, discrimination and government actions led to violations of the Constitutional rights of these citizens.

The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, and admission is free.

Something Musical

Greensky Bluegrass returns to K'zoo

A band birthed in Kalamazoo returns to its roots for two performances this month at Wings Event Center.

Greensky Bluegrass — made up of Anders Beck on dobro, Michael Arlen Bont on banjo, Dave Bruzza on guitar, Mike Devol on upright bass, and Paul Hoffman on mandolin — will perform at 8 p.m. Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.

Formed in 2000, the band has built a loyal national following and has earned critical acclaim from Billboard, Parade, NPR, and Rolling Stone, which hailed the band's improvisational jam-infused bluegrass as “representing the genre for a whole new generation.”

Tickets are $54–$188.50 and available at wingseventcenter.com.

Something Historic Stuart Neighborhood offers homes tour

The Stuart Historic Homes Tour, set for noon to 5 p.m. Oct. 4 and 5, will offer a glimpse into one of Kalamazoo's oldest neighborhoods.

Sponsored by the Stuart Historic Neighborhood Association, the open-house-style tour will include the interiors of seven historic homes in the neighborhood as well as the Kalamazoo House Bed & Breakfast, in the South Street Historic District.

Tour headquarters will be Woodward Elementary School, where participants must check in to receive a tour booklet that will serve as an entry pass. A bus will be available for the homes located more than a block away from the tour headquarters.

Live bands will play music on the porches of the historic homes, and there will be restaurant stops offering food and drinks. There will also be exterior-only stops to view architectural details of other historic homes and a visit to Mountain Home Cemetery.

Tickets are $25 before Oct. 3 and $30 after that date and can be purchased at stuartneighborhood.org/historic-homes-tour.

Something Seasonal Library hosts Lord

of the Gourd

You'll have three chances to see Patrick Harrison, aka Lord of the Gourd, create his fantastical carved pumpkins and gourds this month at events hosted by the Kalamazoo Public Library.

Harrison, an artist from Houghton who has been carving pumpkins, gourds and even watermelons for more than 20 years, will show his creations, display his carving skills and offer tips for carving from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Oct. 22 at the Alma Powell Branch, Oct. 23 at the Washington Square Branch, and Oct. 24 at the Central Library.

For more information, visit kpl.gov.

Something Informative

Hear from and talk with local journalists

In an Oct. 16 event at the Kalamazoo Public Library, a panel of local journalists will talk about how news is covered in our community and will provide an opportunity for attendees to weigh in on what they would like to see covered.

Meet the Media: Talk Back is scheduled for 6 p.m. in the Central Library's Van Deusen Room. It will be hosted by the Southwest Michigan Journalism Collaborative, and the participating panelists will include representatives from Bridge Michigan, Encore, Kalamazoo Gazette/MLive, Public Media Network, NowKalamazoo, Southwest Michigan Second Wave, and WMUK. For more information visit, kpl.gov.

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Five Faves Saving Kalamazoo history one grave site at a time

BY GARY SWAIN

A rich source of local history rests in our area cemeteries. These cemeteries trace the lives of our community’s founders and record major events in both regional and national history. They were often our earliest public art museums and frequently served as our first community parks, providing a peaceful place to stroll and escape the bustle and noise of the city. Preserving these cemeteries and the gravestones within them is essential, so that future generations can understand our community's history.

Kalamazoo’s first cemetery was West Street Cemetery, which opened in 1832 and has often been referred to as Pioneer Cemetery. It was located on what is now South Westnedge Avenue and was converted into a public park in 1884, after being replaced by two other cemeteries: Mountain Home in 1850 and Riverside in 1862. Both of these cemeteries were designed in the rural cemetery format, with winding roads, rolling hills, flowering gardens and picturesque vistas.

Maintenance of these cemeteries was financed through a combination of perpetual care funds and the sale of new lots. Today, however, two-thirds of people choose cremation, reducing the income from new lots sold in cemeteries while perpetual care funds have proven insufficient to cover the costs of maintaining aging cemeteries. Organizations such as Friends of Kalamazoo Historic Cemeteries, founded in 2022, are helping to fill the void, working to preserve the cemeteries and restore the stones within.

Here are five of my favorite memorials — shown as before and after — that have been restored by Friends of Kalamazoo Historic Cemeteries:

Delevan Arnold Family Plot

Mountain Home Cemetery

David & Eliza Walbridge Gravestones

Mountain Home Cemetery

David Walbridge was a two-term Republican congressman from Kalamazoo. Congress was in session in August 1856, so David was in Washington when Abraham Lincoln visited Kalamazoo to speak at a rally for Republican presidential candidate John C. Fremont. Eliza had the honor of hosting Lincoln for tea.

David and Eliza are buried side by side on a hill overlooking West Main Street. Eliza’s gravestone had fallen when its original marble base broke with age. A new custom marble base was created for her stone, which was then cleaned and reset. David’s gravestone was restored by carefully removing the heavy biological growth that was damaging its surface.

Hiram Hadden Monument

Riverside Cemetery

Pvt. Hadden was a Civil War veteran who served in a New York cavalry regiment. After the war, he migrated to Michigan, where he became a laborer and wagon driver. Hadden died on July 4, 1909, and was buried in the Grand Army of the Republic lot in Kalamazoo’s Riverside Cemetery.

His grave is marked by a three-tiered marble monument. As was common practice in that era, the upright portion of his monument was secured to the base with two iron pins. Over time, however, those pins rusted, expanded and broke the stone. The restoration of his gravestone began with cutting off the damaged section and reattaching it with rustresistant stainless-steel pins. This kind of problem frequently occurs with gravestones from that era, but they can often be repaired.

Sgt. Delevan Arnold rode with the 1st Michigan Cavalry Regiment in the Civil War. He was captured during the Second Battle of Bull Run but was later released. After his two-year enlistment expired, Arnold re-enlisted, clearly a testament to his commitment to the cause of freedom.

Arnold’s cemetery plot is an excellent example of family plots that were popular in rural cemeteries. These plots consist of a large center stone engraved with the family surname and surrounded by smaller stones denoting the names of family members. The entire Arnold plot has suffered from a lack of attention over the past several decades. Friends of Kalamazoo Historic Cemeteries recently removed a massive non-native shrub and relocated a woodchuck from the plot, cleaned the family monument and reset the individual gravestones, a restoration that took many months.

Ruth Webster Sarcophagus Mountain Home Cemetery

An early advocate for women’s education and literacy, Ruth Webster donated the funds to purchase the land for the Kalamazoo Ladies Library Association building, which was the first women’s club in Michigan. She served as the LLA's treasurer and librarian for decades, and today the LLA bestows the Ruth Webster Award to a current member who has exhibited a lifetime of extraordinary service to the organization and community.

Webster died in 1878. Her gravesite in the family plot is distinguished by a unique marble sarcophagus, an unusual memorial for our region. Pollution and biological growth soiled and damaged the surface of the marble. Trained volunteers spent many hours delicately cleaning the marble surface and their work should significantly extend the life of the stone.

Benjamin Orcutt Obelisk Mountain Home Cemetery

Col. Benjamin Franklin Orcutt was a veteran of both the Mexican-American War and the Civil War. When not serving his country, he served his community, first as a deputy sheriff and later as the elected sheriff of Kalamazoo. He was mortally wounded in the pursuit of two jailbreak suspects, dying on Dec. 12, 1867. Orcutt became the first police officer from Kalamazoo killed in the line of duty.

As a result, the citizens of Kalamazoo erected a stately obelisk to his memory. It sits overlooking West Main Street in Mountain Home Cemetery. The effects of acid rain and pollutants from coal-fired furnaces and automobile exhaust had eroded the monument and created a crust of pollutants that were very difficult to eliminate. With patience and careful cleaning, many of these pollutants were removed and the monument was restored, an appropriate homage to a man who devoted his life to public service.

About the Author

Gary Swain, a former business executive, is president of Friends of Kalamazoo Historic Cemeteries. He served as past commander of the Department of Michigan of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. Swain currently acts as graves registration officer and monuments officer for Kalamazoo and four adjacent counties. A cemetery enthusiast, he frequently visits historic cemeteries throughout America.

'GOOD FOR WE'

Meknology's Daniel Hodges has found a better way to treat wastewater

BY ROBERT M. WEIR

What if industrial wastewater could be purified and converted into profitable byproducts?

Daniel Hodges is planning to do just that in Kalamazoo.

A self-described "gregarious sci-fi nerd," Hodges is the founder and president of Meknology, Inc., a company that has developed a system that can “take wastewater and turn it into upcycled products that can be sold."

“Our technology is unique because it cleans water by turning it into steam. We then collect the solids and partner with a third-party logistics company to sell them,” Hodges explains. For example, spent grains in brewing wastewater can be collected and sold for animal feed.

Currently, Hodges sells or leases the hardware and software of his water purification systems to brewers and distillers in Michigan. But Meknology's system has potential to treat far more than just the wastewater from making adult beverages. The technology, which Hodges invented and patented, can be applied to any water body or water system, he says. Polluted rivers, PFAS-poisoned groundwater and leadladen municipal drinking water are but three examples.

In fact, Hodges was inspired by that last example — specifically, the Flint water crisis — and his inherent inclination to, as he says, “create, innovate, and build things that make the world a better place.”

Hodges credits his dad with his win-winwin business mantra: "It’s got to be good for you. It’s got to be good for me. It’s got to be good for we."

“That’s the magic formula to drive progress,” he says. His early interests

Hodges was born in 1974 in South Haven, where his father, Booker T. Hodges, a Purple Meknology's Daniel Hodges, at far right, talks about his water purification system with, from left, brokers Chad VanDerwall and Jeff Chrystal of Kalamazoo Commercial Real Estate who are helping Hodges find a suitable Kalamazoo location, and Dwayne Powell of Kalamazoo Forward Ventures, which has invested in Meknology.

Heart veteran of the Korean Conflict, started a tailor shop and worked as a bail bondsman, and his mother, Shirley Hodges, worked various jobs, including as a bank teller. The family moved to California but returned to Michigan before Hodges' sophomore year of high school. He graduated from Covert High School in 1992.

“Dad always had a business,” Hodges says. “I was exposed to being a businessman since Day Zero, and Mom was very big on making sure I was empathetic and that I understood how people felt and how to help people be really cared for. I like to think Dad gave me my power button and Mom gave me my volume.”

Hodges grew up admiring Thomas Jefferson’s experiments and Thomas Edison’s persistence. Hodges' hero was “Mr. Wizard” — Donald Jeffry Herbert, the creator and host of the television series Watch Mr. Wizard (1951–1965) and Mr. Wizard’s World (1983–1989) — and his favorite toy was Dino Mech Gaiking, the giant, Transformer-type superrobot hero of the Japanese anime television and live-action film series Gaiking

“I was fascinated by Gaiking’s ability to protect people with technology,” Hodges says.

Hodges graduated from Michigan State University in 1997 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He spent the first part of his career working in product design for companies that included Ford and Whirlpool, and he went on to get a master's degree in 2012 from Lawrence Technological University in mechatronics, robotics and automation engineering. How Flint figured in

Hodges was working as a design engineer at BrassCraft, a plumbing products manufacturer in Novi, during the Flint water crisis. In 2014, the city of Flint had switched its water source from Lake Huron to the Flint River, and the improperly treated river water caused water distribution pipes to corrode and leach lead and other contaminants into Flint's drinking water. After months of complaints that the water smelled and tasted

bad, Flint residents were advised in October 2015 not to drink the municipal tap water, and a state of emergency was declared on Jan. 16, 2016.

Hodges saw a news article that showed a young mother in Flint bathing her child with bottled water because she couldn’t use the water from her sink. He recalls that his reaction was “How lucky I am that that’s not affecting me" but also "Is there something I could have done to have prevented that? Do I want my daughter and son to ever go through that?”

“I felt responsible. Not for the water crisis, but I felt a responsibility to use my creativity to make a change for people and the environment,” he says.

In 2019, that sentiment and the heroic altruism of childhood inspiration Gaiking compelled Hodges to enter a global competition to address water scarcity. Hodges was then working as an expert-inresidence at the Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University, in Southfield.

Hodges assembled a team of engineers from Lawrence Tech and asked them, “What do we, as engineers, want to do with our super powerful degrees?”

“Any one of us could have gone to the autonomous automotive industry and made self-driving cars, which is perfectly honorable and a good profession,” says Hodges. "With the call to do something to make a lasting change in the world, to make things better than they are now, I couldn’t do that. I had to do something else.”

The competition required innovators to create devices that could be commercialized. Hodges and his team focused on desalinating seawater using wind and solar power, and the resulting invention, he says, “desalinated 10 liters of water at a time, could be deployed quickly in a distressed coastal community, and cost about 60 bucks to make.”

The competition rules stated that teams would score extra points by testing their inventions within their target market. Because the Covid-19 pandemic limited

How It Works

In the scale model shown here of Meknology’s largest water purification system, wastewater enters through the black cubes on top, and the purifying process happens within the components inside the glass container.

Distilled water comes out of the silver pipe on the right side, from which it can be pumped to holding tanks. Hodges says that many breweries and distilleries have their own water towers that can serve as holding tanks.

The two barrels on the left contain ingredients extracted from the wastewater: dried distiller's grains and biochar, a concentrated fertilizer that releases slowly and thus reduces pollution from water runoff.

The purified distilled water can be used to clean mixing tanks and vats, then repurified and stored to clean those tanks and vats repeatedly. The dried distiller's grains can be sold to farmers to feed cattle, hogs and chickens, while the phosphorous-enhanced biochar can be sold as a concentrated fertilizer.

Hodges says that brewers and distillers who use Meknology containers can realize a return on investment within 12 to 24 months.

The technology can also be adapted to purify water from other environmental, municipal and industrial sources.

where Hodges' Michigan-based team could test its invention, the team didn’t win the competition. "We were quarantined outside our target market,” Hodges says.

However, this situation motivated Hodges to expand the idea to a broader audience. He turned his attention back to Flint and to scaling up the team's unit to remove unhealthy particulates from municipal water systems. But in attempting to prove the concept, he hit another obstacle: “Municipalities don’t want to trust start-up companies with their city’s water supply,” he says.

“After much customer discovery research, we pivoted to wastewater and birthed Meknology in 2020.”

A better way to treat wastewater

The name Meknology is a hybrid. Mek means “to make” and comes from Gullah, the language and culture of enslaved Africans in the coastal regions of South Carolina and Georgia, which “happens to be a part of my ancestry,” Hodges says.

"Meknology," he says, means “make technology,” which he says he does “in the spirit of empowerment.”

Meknology turned its focus to treating wastewater created by the adult beverage industry because Hodges saw potential there that went beyond purifying water. Water is the key ingredient in brewing and distilling, and disposal of the wastewater created by those processes is a major environmental hurdle for brewers and distillers and an expensive one, according to the Brewers Association. This wastewater contains a variety of organic compounds, including spent grains and stillage, chemicals, minerals, vitamins and other particulates, and current methods of disposing of this wastewater or treating it require extra labor.

Where others saw obstacles, Hodges saw opportunity: Waste could be turned "into valuable, marketable resources that save money and create new income streams" for the brewer, he says. Through the Meknology system, particulates are extracted and can be sold as a soil booster for agricultural

Front row, center: Richard D. Reed Middle Row (L-R): Michael A. Dombos, Stephen M. Denenfeld, Lana M. Escamilla, Jennifer Wu, Kimberly L. Swinehart, Adam D. Bancroft

Back Row (L-R): Wesley J. Todd, Ronald W. Ryan, David A. Lewis, Christopher D. Morris, Michael A. Shields, Thomas C. Richardson

October 11, November 1 & December 20 9AM-3PM

operations, as fuel for the biodiesel industry, or as food for cattle, hogs and chickens.

"This secondary source of revenue enables brewers and distillers to convert waste into wealth. It creates a unique business model that directly impacts their bottom line by creating a new top line,” says Hodges.

In addition, when the steam generated by the system is recondensed to liquid, it is as pure distilled water that can be used to rinse tanks and vats. The water can be repurified through the Meknology system, stored and used as rinsewater multiple times, saving both water and money.

Meknology's purification devices come in several sizes, depending on the volume of wastewater to be treated. Its largest is a 10-foot cube that processes tons of material. Smaller units are the size of a household clothes dryer. Meknology even offers a product line of satellite units that can be shared by multiple low-volume microbreweries.

With a $50,000 grant from Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), Meknology built its first water distillation unit, which was to be deployed earlier this year at Mammoth Distilling in the village of Central Lake (between Traverse City and Petoskey). Unfortunately, the unit was damaged in transit, but that setback created an opportunity for Hodges to develop a redesigned model that will be installed at Mammoth this month. He is also preparing smaller units for Roar Brewing Co. in Detroit and HOMES Brewpub in Ann Arbor.

Landing on Kalamazoo

In July, Hodges began searching for a new headquarters and manufacturing facility for Meknology and landed on Kalamazoo because of its proximity to a host of breweries and distilleries, the interstate highway system to Michigan’s agricultural areas, and potential customers in Detroit and Chicago. The company, which has been searching for the right property to lease in Kalamazoo since summer, has narrowed its options down to a facility on Lake St., according to Hodges.

Moving Meknology to Kalamazoo will also benefit Hodges’ family, including his wife, Tiffany, a licensed professional counselor who has returned to the city of her birth. It brings them closer to their daughter, Chanteal, who moved to Kalamazoo in 2016, their 3-year-

old granddaughter, Ivory, and their son, Jacob, who is studying musical theater and psychology at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

The move will also allow Mekonology to develop a valuable partnership with Western Michigan University, says Hodges.

“Our water purification technology isn’t mature yet,” Hodges explains. “We have prototypes, but we need to figure out how to reduce power requirements and then apply the technology on a massive scale. The university is key to obtaining researchers, intellectual horsepower and — cross our fingers — maybe a grant from the National Science Foundation.

"By partnering with WMU, we hope to disruptively change the way wastewater is treated globally, and we want Kalamazoo to be the center of that disruption.”

'A better future for everybody' Hodges’ dreams for the future are expansive — even larger than Gaiking’s superhuman powers — and his determination is honed and focused. “I can be pretty stubborn when it comes to making things work,” he says.

There are about 12,000 brewers and distillers in the United States, he says, and “if we could take Meknology to 4,000 of them, we would be very mighty.”

He plans to hire five new employees within the company's first year in Kalamazoo, employ 20 by the second year, and jump to 60 employees by the third year. His business plan calls for an initial public offering in 2030, when, Hodges says, “we want to be big enough to have truly impacted the world.”

Farther down the road, he sees Meknology branching out into other avenues of water treatment: Kalamazoo River Superfund sites, PFAS-laden groundwater, nuclear wastewater, lithium extraction from seawater, and, yes, purification of municipal drinking water. “It’s not just natural; it’s an eventuality,” he says.

Recalling Flint again, Hodges notes that "people have stepped in to provide bottled water for citizens, and industry has stepped in to fix the infrastructure, but a lot of that has not been equally distributed. My dream is to create a solution that helps everyone there. I want to create water-purification

pods that help neighborhoods get their clean water directly on site, like a community well, which makes more sense than having only a full municipal infrastructure.”

Cutbacks in federal grant money for innovation “have already affected us adversely,” Hodges says, so he is working with investors who share his intention to “build wealth where it doesn’t exist.”

Those investors include Kalamazoo Forward Ventures and Techstars, a global start-up accelerator and venture capital firm headquartered in New York City.

“If we are brave, we can see a better future for everybody," Hodges says. "If I can do that, then I will measure my life as successful.”

“That’s the magic formula to drive progress,” he says.

Learn more about Meknology Inc. at Meknology.com.

This story is part of the Southwest Michigan Journalism Collaborative’s coverage of equitable community development. SWMJC is a group of 12 regional organizations dedicated to strengthening local journalism. To learn more, visit swmichjournalism.com.

Written in the Stars The Rebel Eves weave harmonious music from different threads

BY JORDAN BRADLEY

The Rebel Eves are rich in experience and resonant harmonies — and richer still in friendship, camaraderie and the kinship of chosen family.

The Americana trio is composed of award-winning musicians Jilian Linklater, Katie Pederson and Grace Theisen (pronounced Tyson). All three are powerhouses of authentic expression with killer voices in their own right — and they're Michigan born-and-bred to boot.

Theisen’s catalog can inspire a listener to put on their favorite outfit, deconstruct outdated paradigms in their life and build new ones on sounder foundations. Pederson’s ethereal vocals ripple over piano melodies like the peaceful part of a river, while her pop ballads can bring tears to your eyes and catharsis to your spirit. And Linklater’s charming, clever and sometimes plucky singer/songwriter tunes invite you to a place where you’re always accepted and celebrated.

But through The Rebel Eves, the three women transcend their respective catalogs to create something a little more rock 'n' roll, abuzz with inspiration and infused with a spirit of liberation and authenticity.

Sept. 5 marked the release of their first EP, Shake the Ground, and they are preparing for the release of the vinyl version of their first fulllength album, The Rebel Eves, at The Ark in Ann Arbor on Nov. 6. Fans without record players, though, will have to wait until next spring for the album’s digital debut.

Letting their hearts lead

The three singer/songwriters met in 2021 when Theisen organized a "writers' round" of performances in Kalamazoo, Lake Orion, Michigan, and Nashville, Tennessee. A writers' round involves songwriters gathering to share their music and the stories behind their songs’ creations and fosters spontaneous collaboration, according to writersround.org. In the case of the women who would become The Rebel Eves, the format worked beautifully.

“As we got to know each other," Linklater says, "we just had different experiences but similar stories and similar points of connection (so) that the more we talked, we were like, ‘Wow, this band feels like it was written in the stars.’”

After that initial gathering, the three musicians “put no pressure on the forming of the band,” Linklater says. “It was more just like, 'We're going to let our hearts lead us.'”

Pederson adds that the musicians dedicated themselves to “just go with the path of least resistance. And then it was like: show offer here, show offer there, just crazy opportunity after crazy opportunity that we weren’t necessarily having to fight for. I felt like the universe was

like, ‘Yep, keep going.’ And it’s kind of felt that way the whole time, which is pretty wild.”

By the fall of 2022, the band was officially formed.

Becoming The Rebel Eves

At the time they met, Linklater, Pederson and Theisen were all “deconstructing evangelicals on similar timelines,” Theisen says. Their experiences confronting their foundational belief systems became the theme that inspired the band’s name and the first song they wrote together: "Rebel Eve."

“That’s why (the band is) called The Rebel Eves: We just kept having a lot of conversations about, like, ‘Why is Eve blamed for the downfall of humanity? Why are women always the ones that are blamed for so much stuff?’” Theisen recalls. “A lot of the conversations we were having (were) of being women in the music industry and what did that feel like individually?

The Rebel Eves are, from left, Katie Pederson, Jilian Linklater and Grace Theisen.

"We just connected really deeply on this crazy spiritual, soul level of the things we were going through in our life at the time — and (are) still going through. That’s what we write about. That’s where our songs come from. That connection of friendship and similar experiences as women moving through the world.”

“Rebel Eve,” which Linklater calls “the foundation of the band," opens with a powerful verse: Let’s take it back to the garden / Where all the blame was put on me / Since the day that it all started / I’ve been biting apples, spitting seeds / Try to take my body, my power, my choice, my soul / But you will never take my voice.

Challenging paradigms

The band’s catalog challenges other paradigms too: Linklater and Theisen

recognized their queer identities in recent years and were reckoning with what that meant in terms of their backgrounds as evangelical Christians. The trio frequently discuss “shedding layers.” For Linklater, a lot of her experiences as a woman in the church were prescriptive: “Women are A, B and C,” she says, and there was a “right and wrong way to be as a woman” — something the band members actively push back against in their music.

“It’s a little tongue-in-cheek,” Linklater says of the band's first song. “If you’re gonna make me the enemy, yeah / call me Rebel Eve — it’s like ‘fine, if you’re gonna label me this, go ahead. I know that’s not who I am.’ We’re reclaiming it. You can call me this all day long, but I know who I am, and I know that

I’m not bad. I know that I’m good, and I have love in my heart, and I’m not this evil person that’s fallen off the wagon.”

The trio open each show with the statement that anybody is welcome at their shows. And for good reason: Their audiences represent a confluence of their past lives and their current lives, Linklater says.

“What’s interesting is that I feel like we have people who are maybe not as accepting of or comfortable with queer people that are coming to our shows, and we have queer people coming to our shows, and it’s really interesting,” Linklater says. “It’s beautiful, because we see people that knew us in our past lives, that maybe still think being gay is a sin, listening to our music and are like, ‘Huh, that’s interesting.'

"It feels like a beautiful in-between place. We’re getting people from both sides of worldviews, and we’re hoping that — and it seems like — bridges are being made.”

The Rebel Eves’ song “Heaven Without You” has the trio pondering what awaits queer-identifying individuals in the afterlife. "So if they’re gonna damn you / Then damn me too / 'Cause I’m not going to heaven without you," the trio croon in beautiful harmony.

At home here

While Theisen is the only member of The Rebel Eves to hail from Kalamazoo, all three

The Rebel Eves performing at Frederik Meijer Gardens.

women feel a special homecoming when they play shows in town, they say.

“When I think about Kalamazoo, it does feel like coming to a home base,” says Linklater, who is from and currently lives in Lake Orion. “Our biggest, like, super fans, friends and supporters are in Kalamazoo, and it just feels like when we go play a show there, we know we’re going to be held, we’re going to be safe. We’re going to be accepted and celebrated.”

Pederson grew up primarily in Ann Arbor but has been living in Nashville — where the band records — for the last six years.

The three musicians have found that the experience of writing and recording their first full-length album and touring together in a band of all women is pushing them to expand their skills — and themselves.

“I picked up electric guitar this summer to learn for our shows,” Theisen says, “and I think having come from a background that felt to me ‘Stay small, be small, don’t take up a lot of room,’ it seems like our first two years being on stage together the goal was for us to feel empowered to be however we wanted to be, which was a new thing, especially for me.”

“I do think that (the band) has given us permission to be bigger and try new things,” Pederson says. “I picked up bass this summer.

When: 8 p.m. Nov. 6

Where: The Ark, 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor

How much: $24–$35, with tickets available at mutotix.umich.edu/5873

Tour information for The Rebel Eves can be found at therebeleves.com/ tour, and their music is streaming on Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp.

This is the first band that I’ve been in that’s been all women. I think there’s been a lot of pressure in other settings that I’ve been in that have just not (been) as gracious of environments to try new things and to f--up. What has been really amazing about that for all of us, I think I can say, is that when you have the safety to be able to step into that, the odds of your success are so much higher. And I think that has been really shocking to me.”

For Theisen, the “coolest part” of the experience is seeing young girls in the audience.

“I didn't grow up seeing a bunch of all-girl bands. I was in worship, and there would be one chick singing and backed by men,” she says. “To be able to see an all-girl band — I still forget that's unique at times. But I think seeing the little girls sing our songs and buy our merch just feels really, really special, because that's what we want. We want them to look up and be like, yeah, you can do that too. You can blaze trails. You can do whatever the f--- you want to do, and, like, nothing can be holding you back. And if we do it together, we'll actually get further than trying to do it on our own.”

Lori Hannemann, Michael Brundage, CFP® & Michelle Eldridge, CFA,CPWA® Wealth Management Partners

The Rebel Eves' Vinyl Album Release Party

Scan the QR code to learn more about our new grantmaking approach and how we’re using it to transform the big picture and make Kalamazoo County the most equitable place to live!

TheArts

WMU School of Music Concerts

Throughout the month

Various venues

With guest artists and a program celebrating the trumpet, the music school is offering a full slate of performances this month. Unless otherwise noted, the performances will be in the Dalton Center Recital Hall, and tickets are $6 to $18:

• TAK Ensemble, chamber quintet, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 1, with a pre-concert talk at 7 p.m.

• Carlos López, bassoonist, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 3

• University Symphony Orchestra and Zekai Chen, Stulberg silver medalist, 7 p.m. Oct. 5, Miller Auditorium

• Ilan Morgenstern, bass trombonist, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6

• University Jazz Lab Band, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7

• Best of MAT, multimedia arts technology, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8, free

• University Jazz Orchestra, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9

• Trumpet Summit Finale Concert, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 11

• University Bands, University Wind Symphony, University Symphonic Band and University Concert Band, 2 p.m. Oct. 12, Miller Auditorium

• Choral Showcase, Amphion, Anima and University Chorale, 3 p.m. Oct. 26

• Western Winds, woodwinds, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 28

• Multimedia Concert, faculty and guest recital, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29

• Gold Company Sneak Preview, vocal jazz ensembles, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 31

To purchase tickets, visit wmich.edu/music/events.

Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra

Throughout the month

Various venues

The KSO is offering three performances this month:

• Composing Tomorrow , featuring composers Marisol Gentile, Jens Ibsen, Benjamin Krause and Matthew Lam, who will premiere new pieces at 7 p.m. Oct. 9 at Kalamazoo College's Dalton Theatre, in the Light Fine Arts Building. Tickets are $5 to $25.

• Mozart & Tchaikovsky , featuring masterpieces by these composers and an oboe concerto by Ruth Gibbs, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 18 at Miller Auditorium. Tickets are $5 to $68.

• Oktoberfest, showcasing waltzes, polkas & more, at 5:30 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. Oct. 22. Tickets are $30.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit kalamazoosymphony.org.

Vamos:TheSpiritofLatin AmericanMusic

Oct. 17

Kalamazoo Choral Arts Chorus

A sacred mass, fiery folk music and a sprinkling of Latin jazz are on the program when the KCA joins with the Kalamazoo College Singers, a live band and guest vocalists for this performance at 7:30 p.m. at Lincoln International Studies School, 912 N. Burdick St. For ticket information, visit kalamazoochoralarts.org.

AKaleidoscope ofConductors

Oct. 18

Kalamazoo Concert Band

Several local school band directors will join KCB Assistant Conductor Brian Shelterly to conduct their favorite compositions at 7 p.m. in Chenery Auditorium, 714 S. Westnedge Ave.

Jason Fettig, former conductor of The President’s Own Marine Band, will also perform.

The concert is free, and more information can be found at kalamazooconcertband.org.

Zekai Chen

Rufus Reid Quartet

Jazz Show

Oct.

2

Crawlspace Theatre

Jazz bassist and composer Rufus Reid will perform with his quartet at 7:30 p.m. Reid, who has been active on the jazz scene since the 1970s, has recorded more than 500 albums, including 25 under his own name. Among his own is 2014's Quiet Pride — The Elizabeth Catlett Project, which received two Grammy nominations.

Crawlspace Theatre is located at 315 W. Michigan Ave. Tickets are $10 to $25 and available online at crawlspacecomedy.com.

VOCES8

Oct. 22

Fontana Chamber Arts

The Grammy-nominated British vocal ensemble VOCES8 brings its a cappella artistry to WMU's Dalton Center Recital Hall at 7:30 p.m. The internationally acclaimed group — hailed for its “impeccable quality of tone and balance” by Gramophone — will present a program that spans diverse musical styles.

Tickets are $5 to $35 and available at fontanamusic.org.

MUSIC

• Luther S. Allison Trio

• Giorgi Gigashvili

Oct. 4 & 5

The Gilmore

The Gilmore will present two rising stars this month.

Jazz artist Luther

S. Allison, winner of a 2024 Grammy for his work with vocalist Samara Joy, will perform at 5 and 8 p.m. Oct. 4. He will lead a trio featuring Anwar Marshall on drums and Zwelakhe-Duma F. Bell le Pere on bass.

Poets in Print

Oct. 4

Kalamazoo Book Arts Center

Poets Elaine Seaman and Robin Gadient will read at 7 p.m. in this event at the KBAC.

Pianist Giorgi Gigashvili will perform at 4 p.m. Oct. 5. Selected as the BBC New Generation Artist 2023–2025, he has been nominated as an ECHO (European Concert Hall Organization) Rising Star for the 2025–26 season. The 25-year-old will perform lyrical romantic works by Mendelssohn, Chopin and Schumann.

Both artists will perform in the Epic Center's Cori Terry Theatre. Tickets are $10 to $28 and can be purchased at thegilmore.org.

Seaman published her first book of poetry, Rocks in the Wheatfield, in 2004. Her selfpublished book, My Mother Sewed Dresses for Five (2019), contains images of quilts she made and poems she wrote that share quilt titles.

Gadient will release her new chapbook, Two for Joy, at the event. This small letterpress book, which was set, printed and bound by hand, contains her poetry and two monotype prints by Caroline Allen. Each copy of the book is unique, with different hand-painted images. The book was printed in an edition of 75. For more information, visit kalbookarts.org.

TheArts

•Utopia •Cats

May 9–25

WMU Theatre

WMU Theatre presents two stage productions this month — one thought-provoking and one whimsical.

Utopia , which opened in September and runs until Oct.12, explores a world where people live together without the barriers that divide us. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2–4 and 9–11 and 2 p.m. Oct. 5 and 12 at Western Michigan University's York Arena Theatre.

At the end of the month, WMU students will stage the Broadway classic Cats , with its iconic score by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24–26, Oct. 30–Nov. 2 and Nov. 6–8 and 2 p.m. Oct. 26 and Nov. 2 and 9 in the Williams Theatre.

Tickets to each production are $7 to $22 and available at wmich.edu/ theatre or by calling the box office at 387-6222.

ComeFromAway , through Oct. 12, Farmers Alley Theatre

QueerShortsFestival

Oct. 3–5

Queer Theatre

Kalamazoo

Six 10-minute plays, including three by Kalamazooans Mars Wilson and Weslee Innes, will be featured in this festival at Crawlspace Comedy Theatre, 315 W. Michigan Ave.

In addition to the locally written plays, works by playwrights from Ann Arbor and New York also will be performed.

Show times are 9:30 p.m. Oct. 3 and 4 and 7:30 p.m. Oct. 5. Tickets are on a name-yourprice basis and available at queertk.org.

Villains

Cabaret

Oct. 10 & 11

Dormouse Theatre

You might see your favorite villain — whether it's a Disney icon or a baddie from a Broadway play — singing and dancing in this production directed by Jack Ford-Teich.

Show times are 7 p.m. Oct. 10 and 11 at Dormouse Theatre, 1030 Portage St. For tickets, visit dormousetheatre.com.

Other Productions

You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, opens Oct. 10, Kalamazoo Civic Theatre

Disney’sFrozenJr., opens Oct. 24, Kalamazoo Civic Theatre

GhostStories

Oct. 17–Nov. 1

New Vic Theatre

You can celebrate the spooky season with these eerie tales blending the supernatural with local legends.

Show times are 8 p.m. Oct. 17, 18, 24, 25 and Nov. 1 and 10 p.m. Oct. 31. Tickets are $33.50 and available at thenewvictheatre.org.

Madagascar: AMusical AdventureJr.

Oct. 24–26

Center Stage Theatre

Join Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the Hippo and plotting penguins as they escape the zoo in this production based on the animated movie Madagascar

Youthful cast and crew members will stage the show at Comstock Community Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24–25 and 2 p.m. Oct. 26. Tickets are $12 to $15 and can be purchased at kzoocst.com.

New Exhibitions

Opening this month

Kalamazoo Institute of Arts

The two new exhibitions at the KIA are:

• Washi Transformed: New Expressions in Japanese Paper, featuring two-dimensional works, sculptures and installations by nine Japanese artists, opens Oct. 4. Washi, a Japanese paper, is prized for its strong natural fibers, translucency and malleability. It has been fundamental to Japanese culture for more than a thousand years. The exhibition will run until Jan. 11.

New Exhibitions

Opening this month

Richmond Center for Visual Arts

VISUAL ARTS

Three exhibitions will open Oct. 21 at Western Michigan University's Richmond Center:

• The Kirk Newman Art School Faculty Review , opening Oct. 11, will feature works by more than 50 professional artist-educators from the KIA's art school. The exhibition runs until Jan. 25 and will feature a variety of media, including ceramics, sculpture, painting, jewelry, photography and fiber.

The hours for the KIA are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday; and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5 to $10.

20thAnniversaryExhibition

Oct. 3–30

Kalamazoo Book Arts Center

Marking the KBAC's 20th year, this exhibition will include works by current and former students of the center.

A celebration with demonstrations and live music by bluegrass band Willy Central will be held from 6–8:30 p.m. Oct. 18.

Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. For more information, visit kalbookarts.org.

• The Faculty & Staff Exhibition , featuring works by Gwen Frostic School of Art faculty and staff, will run until Nov. 22 in the Albertine Monroe-Brown Gallery.

• The Steamroller Print Exhibition , featuring prints made using a steamroller, will run until Oct. 31 in the DeVries Student Gallery.

• And In Our Wildest Dreams , a show of paintings by 2005 WMU graduate Sara Strong Glupker, will run until Nov. 22 in the Netzorg-Kerr Gallery.

For more information, visit wmich.edu/art.

TheArts

is published in partnership and funding provided by

PERFORMING ARTS

THEATER

Plays

Utopia — About people living together without divisions, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2–4 & 9–11, 2 p.m. Oct. 5 & 12, York Arena Theatre, WMU, 387-6222, wmich. edu/theatre.

Queer Shorts Festival — Six 10-minute plays presented by Queer Theatre Kalamazoo, 9:30 p.m. Oct. 3 & 4, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 5, Crawlspace Comedy Theatre, 315 W. Michigan Ave., queertk.org.

Ghost Stories — Spooky stories, Oct. 17–Nov. 1, New Vic Theatre, 134 E. Vine St., 381-3328, thenewvictheatre.org.

Musicals

ComeFromAway— How Gander, Newfoundland, dealt with thousands of diverted airline travelers on 9/11, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2–4 & 9–11, 2 p.m. Oct. 5 & 12, Farmers Alley Theatre, 221 Farmers Alley, 343–2727, farmersalleytheatre.com.

Girls Night: The Musical — The lives of a group of female friends, featuring ’80s & ’90s songs, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 4, Miller Auditorium, millerauditorium.com.

You’reaGoodMan,CharlieBrown— Friendship through the eyes of the Peanuts gang, presented by the Civic's Senior Class Readers Theatre, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10 & 17, 2 p.m. Oct. 11, 12, 18 & 19, Parish Theatre, 405 W. Lovell St., 343–1313, kazoocivic.com.

Madagascar: A Musical Adventure Jr. — Based on the animated movie about animals escaping from New York’s Central Park Zoo, Oct. 24–26, Center Stage Theatre, Comstock Community Auditorium, 2107 N. 26th St., kzoocst.com.

Cats — The Broadway classic with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24–26, 30–Nov. 2 & 6–8, 2 p.m. Oct. 26, Nov. 2 & 9, Williams Theatre, WMU, 387-6222, wmich.edu/theatre.

Disney’sFrozenJr.— Civic Youth Theatre presents the tale of princesses Elsa & Anna, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24, 2 p.m. Oct. 25 & 26, Nov. 1 & 2, 5 p.m. Oct. 25 & Nov. 1, Civic Auditorium, 329 S. Park St., 343-1313, kazoocivic.com.

Other

Villains Cabaret — Singing & dancing by the biggest villains in theater, 7–9 p.m. Oct. 10 & 11, Dormouse Theatre, 1030 Portage St., dormousetheatre.com.

The Vampire Circus — Cabaret show with acrobatics, juggling & comedy, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 28, Miller Auditorium, WMU, millerauditorium.com.

DANCE

Fall Noon Dance Showing —Works created & performed by WMU dance students, noon Oct. 10, Dalton Center, WMU, wmich.edu/dance/events.

Ooky Spooky 2025 Boheme Belly Dance — Performance by Belladonna, 8 p.m. Oct. 18, Dormouse Theatre, 1030 Portage St., dormousetheatre.com.

MUSIC

Bands & Solo Artists

Bell’s Eccentric Cafe Concerts — Gimme Gimme Disco, Oct. 2; Tune-Yards w/Ringdown, Oct. 4; Southern Culture on the Skids, Oct. 5; Moon Walker, Oct. 7; Skizzy Mars, Oct. 9; The Insiders, Oct. 10; Starfarm, Oct. 11; Djékady, 4 p.m. Oct. 12; Craig Finn & The Band of Forgiveness w/James Felice, Oct. 17; Kathleen Edwards, Oct. 23; Lower Leisure Class w/Wowza, Oct. 25; Shakespearean, Not Stirred, Oct. 26; all shows at 8 p.m. unless noted otherwise, 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., 382–2332, bellsbeer.com.

Gun Lake Casino Shows — Bee Gees Gold, Oct. 3; The Soul Syndicate, Oct. 10; Hairbanger’s Ball, Oct. 17; Brena, Oct. 24; PS Dump Your BF, Oct. 31; all shows at 9 p.m., 1123 129th Ave., Wayland, gunlakecasino.com.

Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort Shows — Brian McKnight & Ginuwine, Oct. 4; Live, Oct. 10; Aaron Lewis & The Stateliners, Oct. 18; The Stray Cats, Oct. 25; all shows at 8 p.m.; 6800 Soaring Eagle Blvd., Mt. Pleasant, soaringeaglecasino.com/shows/.

Dylan Scott — Country music, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9, Wings Event Center, 3600 Vanrick Drive, wingseventcenter.com/Events.

Greensky Bluegrass — Bluegrass music, 8 p.m. Oct. 31 & Nov. 1, Wings Event Center, 3600 Vanrick Drive, wingseventcenter.com/events.

Orchestra, Chamber, Jazz, Vocal & More

TAK Ensemble — Contemporary chamber quintet, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 1, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU; pre-concert talk at 7 p.m., 387-4678, wmich.edu/ music/events/.

Rufus Reid Quartet — Master class, 1 p.m. Oct. 2, Dalton Center Recital Hall, wmich.edu/ music/events; jazz show, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2, Crawlspace Theatre, 315 W. Michigan Ave., crawlspacecomedy.com.

Carlos López — Bassoonist, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 3, Dalton Center Recital Hall, wmich.edu/music/events.

Luther S. Allison Trio — Jazz trio, 5 p.m. Oct. 4, Cori Terry Theatre, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, 3421166, thegilmore.org.

Connecting Chords Festival — Alla Boara, Italian folk music ensemble, 4 p.m. Oct. 5, Dormouse Theatre, 1030 Portage St.; Djékady, 4 p.m. Oct. 12, Bell’s Eccentric Cafe, 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave.; Josh Holcomb, violinist, 2 p.m. Oct. 18, Kalamazoo Public Library, 315 S. Rose St.; LuFuki & Divine Providence, Afro-spirit jazz, 7 p.m. Oct. 23, Dalton Theatre, Light Fine Arts Building, Kalamazoo College, connectingchordsfestival.com.

Giorgi Gigashvili — Pianist, 4 p.m. Oct. 5, Cori Terry Theatre, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, 342-1166, thegilmore.org.

WMU Symphony Orchestra & Zekai Chen — Stulberg silver medalist, 7 p.m. Oct. 5, Miller Auditorium, stulberg.org.

Ilan Morgenstern — Bass trombone, master class, 6 p.m., recital, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6, Dalton Center Recital Hall, wmich.edu/music/events.

University Jazz Lab Band — 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7, Dalton Center Recital Hall, wmich.edu/music/ events.

Best of MAT — Works by WMU Multimedia Arts Technology students, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8, Dalton Center Recital Hall, wmich.edu/music/events.

ComposingTomorrow — Four composers present new music, 7 p.m. Oct. 9, Dalton Theatre, K College, kalamazoosymphony.com.

University Jazz Orchestra — 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9, Dalton Center Recital Hall, wmich.edu/music/ events.

A Trumpet Summit in Honor of Roy Hargrove — Performances by trumpeters, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 11, Dalton Center Recital Hall, wmich.edu/music/ events.

University Bands — University Wind Symphony, University Symphonic Band & University Concert Band, 2 p.m. Oct. 12, Miller Auditorium, wmich.edu/ music/events.

Parkwyn Jazz Trio — 2 p.m. Oct. 12, Parchment Community Library, 401 S. Riverview Drive, parchmentlibrary.org.

Vamos: The Spirit of Latin American Music — Kalamazoo Choral Arts & Kalamazoo College Singers present Latin American music, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 17, Lincoln International Studies School, 912 N. Burdick St., kalamazoochoralarts.org.

A Kaleidoscope of Conductors — Kalamazoo Concert Band performs, 7 p.m. Oct. 18, Chenery Auditorium, 714 S. Westnedge Ave., kalamazooconcertband.org.

Mozart & Tchaikovsky — Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra performs, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 18, Miller Auditorium, kalamazoosymphony.com.

Oktoberfest — KSO musicians perform waltzes, polkas & more, 5:30 p.m. & 7:15 p.m. Oct. 22, Bell’s Eccentric Cafe, 382–2332, kalamazoosymphony.org.

VOCES8 — Vocal ensemble, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 22, Dalton Center Recital Hall, fontanamusic.org.

Choral Showcase —Amphion, Anima & University Chorale, 3 p.m. Oct. 26, Dalton Center Recital Hall, wmich.edu/music/events.

Western Winds — Woodwind group, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 28, Dalton Center Recital Hall, wmich.edu/ music/events.

Multimedia Concert — Performed by WMU faculty, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29, Dalton Center Recital Hall, wmich.edu/music/events.

Gold Company Sneak Preview —Jazz ensembles Gold Company & Gold Company II perform, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 31, Dalton Center Recital Hall, wmich. edu/music/events.

COMEDY

David Sedaris — Writer, & humorist, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24, Miller Auditorium, millerauditorium.com.

FILM

HorrorCase Film Festival 2025 — Horrorthemed short films, 6 p.m. Oct. 3 & 4, Dormouse Theatre, 1030 Portage St., dormousetheatre.com.

House — Screening of the 1977 movie, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9, Dormouse Theatre, dormousetheatre.com.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show— Original cast member Barry Bostwick hosts a screening of the 1975 movie, 8 p.m. Oct. 25, Miller Auditorium, millerauditorium.com.

Devil’s Night Mystery Movie — With pre& after-show discussion, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 30, Dormouse Theatre, dormousetheatre.com.

VISUAL ARTS

Kalamazoo Institute of Arts 314 S. Park St., 349-7775, kiarts.org Exhibitions

Ink Rhapsody: The Art of Lingnan Masters in HongKong — Works from the Asian Art Museum, through Oct. 26.

Washi Transformed: New Expressions in Japanese Paper — Two-dimensional works, sculptures & installations by nine Japanese artists, Oct. 4–Jan. 11.

Kirk Newman Art School Faculty Review — Showcasing 50 Southwest Michigan artists, Oct. 11–Jan. 25.

Events

Art Bridges Access for All — Free admission on Thursdays, 11 a.m.–8 p.m.

Richard Mayhew’s Mohawk Hills — Exploring the abstract “mindscape,” 5:30 p.m. Oct. 2; register online.

Drop-In Conversation — Docents discuss artwork, 1:30–2:30 p.m. Sundays.

ARTbreak — The Rope Project: A Community Connected, stories written on fabric & woven together as a rope, Oct. 8 at KIA; A Visit to the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center, 326 W. Kalamazoo Ave., Suite 103, Oct. 22; sessions begin at noon; registration encouraged.

The Art of the Brush: Family Night with Chinese Ink Painting — 6–8 p.m. Oct. 9.

Book Discussion — Sanaka Hiiragi’s The Lantern of Lost Memories, 2 p.m. Oct. 15; registration encouraged.

East Asian Birding in the Galleries — Lecture by Robert Mintz, 6 p.m. Oct. 16; reception at 5:30 p.m.; registration recommended.

Washi Tape Bookmarks — Bookmark making using washi tape, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Oct. 18.

Unframed: Soiree — Fundraiser honoring Joy & Tim Light, 6–10 p.m. Oct. 25; details on website. Richmond Center for Visual Arts

Western Michigan University, 387-2436, wmich.edu/art

Faculty & Staff Exhibition — Oct. 21–Nov. 22, Albertine Monroe-Brown Gallery.

Steamroller Print Exhibition — Oct. 21–31, DeVries Student Gallery.

In Our Wildest Dreams — Works by Sara Strong Glupker, Oct. 21–Nov. 22, Netzorg-Kerr Gallery. Other Venues

AerickBforPrecedent— Works by the Kalamazoo artist, through Oct. 16, DeVries Gallery, Kellogg Community College, 450 North Ave., Battle Creek.

Portage Community Art Award Exhibition — Works by Kathy Mills, through Nov. 7, Portage City Hall Atrium, 7900 S. Westnedge Ave., portagemi. gov/calendar.

20th Anniversary Exhibition — Works by current & former students, Oct. 3–30; anniversary celebration, 6–8:30 p.m. Oct. 18; Kalamazoo Book Arts Center, 326 W. Kalamazoo Ave., Suite 103A, 373-4938, kalbookarts.org.

Washington Avenue Arts & Culture Crawl — noon–4 p.m. Oct. 11, various Edison neighborhood venues, edisonneighborhood.com/waacc.

& LITERARY EVENTS

Comstock Township Library 6130 King Highway, 345-0136, comstocklibrary.org

Buck-a-Bag Book Sale — Fill a bag with books for $1, Sept. 29–Oct. 11.

CTL Writers — Group writing discussion, 10 a.m. Fridays.

Walking Group — Walk on paved trails or sidewalks, 10 a.m. Mondays through Nov. 3.

Ask An Attorney: Wills & Trusts — 5:30–7:30 p.m. Oct. 6; registration required.

State Rep. Matt Hall Listening Hour — Discussion with Hall's staff, 1–2 p.m. Oct. 15.

Pride Book Club — C.G. Drews' Don’t Let the Forest In, 6 p.m. Oct. 22, in person & online; registration required.

Kombucha Making — Making the fizzy probiotic beverage, 6 p.m. Oct. 23; registration required.

Adulting 101: Sewing Basics — 6 p.m. Oct. 27; registration required.

Shelf Assured Book Club: Sci Fi, Fantasy & Horror — Choose a book to share with the group, 6 p.m. Oct. 29; registration required.

Kalamazoo Public Library 553-7800, kpl.gov

KPL Mobile Library — 10 a.m. Oct. 1 & 29, Kalamazoo Literacy Council, 420 E. Alcott St.; stops are about one hour.

KPL Tech Days — Tech & device basics, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Tuesdays & Saturdays, second-floor rotunda, Central Library, 315 S. Rose St.; one-hour sessions.

Kalamazoo Writers — Open to literary writers in any genre, 4 p.m. Oct. 7, Van Deusen Room, Central Library.

No Shelf Control: A Graphic Novel Book Club — Emily Carroll's Through the Woods, 6 p.m. Oct. 7, Boardroom, Central Library.

Reading is Magic! — Magician Brad Lancaster, 6 p.m. Oct. 8, Central Library.

Euchre, Anyone? — Play euchre, all experience levels welcome, 3:30 p.m. Oct. 9, Eastwood Branch, 1112 Gayle Ave.

Relax & Meditate with Tai Chi — Introduction to Tai Chi, 11 a.m. Oct. 11, Oshtemo Branch, 7265 W. Main St.; registration required.

Family History Day — Researching your family’s history, Central Library, noon–4 p.m. Oct. 11.

Page Turners Book Club — Chris Whitaker’s All the Colors of the Dark, 6:30 p.m. Oct. 13, Oshtemo Branch.

Cider & Cinema — Outdoor screening of Coco, with cider, costumes encouraged, 5:30–7:30 p.m. Oct. 14, Powell Branch, 308 W. North St.

Haunted House — Family-friendly haunted house tours & presentation by Dustin Pari of TV show Ghost Hunters; tours, 1–5 p.m. Oct. 15 & 16; lecture, 6–7:30 p.m. Oct. 15, Central Library.

Classics Revisited — George Orwell’s 1984, 10:30 a.m.–noon Oct. 16, Central Library.

MeettheMedia:TalkBack— Tell a panel of local journalists what news you want to see covered, 6 p.m. Oct. 16, Central Library.

Bujo & Chill for Teens & Adults —Lo-fi hip-hop music & bullet journaling, 10:30 a.m.–noon Oct. 18, Oshtemo Branch.

Music & Memories — Engaging older adults, particularly those with memory loss, through music, 11 a.m. Oct. 20, Oshtemo Branch.

Romance Roundtable — Discuss Talia Hibbert’s Get a Life, Chloe Brown, 6:30 p.m. Oct. 20, Central Library.

Responding to Dementia-Related Behaviors — Information from Shukurani Nsengiyumva of the Alzheimer’s Association's Michigan Chapter, 1:30–3 p.m. Oct. 22, Eastwood Branch; second session Nov. 5.

Lord of the Gourd — Watch the artist create fantastical carved pumpkins, 3–5:30 p.m. Oct. 22, Powell Branch; 3–5:30 p.m. Oct. 23, Washington Square Branch, 1244 Portage St.; 3–5:30 p.m. Oct. 24, Central Library.

Senior Breakfast — Breakfast, music & chair yoga, 10:30–noon Oct. 24, Eastwood Branch.

Creepy Candy Houses — Build a graham cracker candy house, for ages 4 & up, 10:30–11:30 a.m. Oct. 25, Central Library.

Yoga with Apral — 5:30 p.m. Oct. 27, Eastwood Branch.

Chinese Calligraphy & Self-Reflection — 6:30 p.m. Oct. 27, Oshtemo Branch; registration required.

Dungeons&DragonsGame Night — Beginner to experienced levels, 5:30 p.m. Oct. 29, Washington Square Branch; registration required.

Parchment Community Library

401 S. Riverview Drive, 343-7747, parchmentlibrary.org

Parchment Book Group — Robin Wall Kimmerer’s The Serviceberry, 6 p.m. Oct. 13.

Mystery Book Club — Colleen Cambridge’s Mastering the Art of French Murder, 6:30 p.m. Oct. 21.

Kalamazoo County ID Mobile Unit – Get or renew a county ID, 3–6 p.m. Oct. 27.

Portage District Library

300 Library Lane, 329-4544, portagelibrary.info

Mindful Meditation — The benefits of & practice, 6 p.m. Oct. 1; registration required.

Muffins & the Market — Discuss stock market trends, 9 a.m. Oct. 2 & 16.

Eating the Mediterranean Way: Happy Healthy Holidays! — Making traditional dishes healthier, 6 p.m. Oct. 2; registration required.

Friends of the Library Book Sale — 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Oct. 4; members only pre-sale, 4–5:30 p.m. Oct. 3.

Artist Trading Cards Reception — See artist trading cards created by community members, 5–7 p.m. Oct. 3.

Kalamazoo Area Newcomers Club Open House — Information on this local social organization, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Oct. 4.

Kalamazoo County Historical Society — Local history speakers & discussion, 7 p.m. Oct. 6.

Yoga with Apral: A Gentle Approach — An hour of movement, 4 p.m. Oct. 7 & 28; registration required.

Documentary & Donuts — View 20 Days in Mariupol, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Oct. 10; coffee & donuts served.

Daughters of the American Revolution — Chapter meeting, 1 p.m. Oct. 11.

Minimalism: How Less Can Be More Minimalism benefits, 6 p.m. Oct. 14.

Level Up Your Photography: Finding Beauty in the Mundane — Strategies to improve your photography, 5 p.m. Oct. 15; registration required.

International Mystery Book Club — Christine Mangan’s Tangerine, 7 p.m. Oct. 16.

Kalamazoo Macintosh Users Group —Help with Mac computers, programs & accessories, 9 a.m.–noon Oct. 18.

Kalamazoo Plant It Forward October Swap — Indoor & outdoor plant swap, 10 a.m.–noon Oct. 18.

Kalamazoo Valley Genealogical Society — For anyone interested in genealogy, 7 p.m. Oct. 20.

Plots & Pages: A Local Writers Group — Discuss the craft of writing, 6–8 p.m. Oct. 21.

Kalamazoo Area Wild Ones — Discuss environmentally friendly landscaping & biodiversity, 6:30 p.m. Oct. 22.

Drop-In Genealogy Help — 10 a.m.–noon Oct. 23.

Light Lunch & Literature — Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle, noon Oct. 27; registration required.

Home Staging — Tips & tricks, 4 p.m. Oct. 29; registration required.

Cooking Demo & Tasting with Chef Gandia — 6 p.m. Oct. 30; registration required.

Richland Community Library 8951 Park St., 629-9085, richlandlibrary.org

Flavors of Fall Cooking Class — Recipes using seasonal produce, 6 p.m. Oct. 2, Richland Area Community Center, 9400 East CD Ave., registration required.

Bridge Club — Noon Tuesdays.

Adult Dungeons&Dragons Bravo Team — New crusade each month, 5–8 p.m. Oct. 8 & 3–6 p.m. Oct. 22; registration required.

Richland Area Writer’s Group — Noon Oct. 10 & 24.

Boo Bash: Family-Friendly Halloween Event — Activities, crafts & scavenger hunt, 6–8 p.m. Oct. 10.

Cookbook Club — Recipes from Prue Leith’s Life’s Too Short to Stuff Mushrooms, 6 p.m. Oct. 14.

Escape Room — Work together to solve puzzles, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Oct. 15 & 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Oct. 25; up to 5 people with at least one adult present.

Richland Genealogy Group — Discussion group, 10 a.m. Oct. 16, in person & online.

RCL Book Club — David Mitchells’ Slade House, 6 p.m. Oct. 16.

Team Jeopardy Trivia Night — 7 p.m. Oct. 21; teams of up to 6 people.

Between the Pages: Romance Book Club — Ali Hazelwood’s Bride, 6 p.m. Oct. 22, Ned’s on Gull Lake, 15450 M-43, Hickory Corners; registration required.

Savvy Solo Traveler — Options, ideas & tips, 6 p.m. Oct. 28.

Vicksburg District Library

215 S. Michigan Ave., 649-1648, vicksburglibrary.org

Bridge Club — 9:30 a.m.–noon Tuesdays.

Book Club for Adults — 9:30 a.m. Oct. 2.

Writer’s Motivational Group — Set goals & report progress, 4 p.m. Oct. 9.

Poetry Circle — Share poetry in a small group, write from prompts or your own inspiration, noon Oct. 24.

Other Venues

Poets in Print — Elaine Seaman & Robin Gadient, 7 p.m. Oct. 4, Kalamazoo Book Arts Center, 326 W. Kalamazoo Ave., Suite 103A, kalbookarts.org.

MUSEUMS

Air Zoo

6151 Portage Road, Portage, 382-6555, airzoo.org

Extreme Sports: Beyond Human Limits — Explore the world of extreme sports, through Oct 31.

Gilmore Car Museum

6865 Hickory Road, Hickory Corners, 671-5089, gilmorecarmuseum.org

Wednesday Night Cruise-Ins — Live music, 5–8 p.m. on good-weather nights, through Oct. 15: Just for Fun, Oct. 8; Kyle Jennings, Oct. 15.

DeutscheMarques Oktoberfest Market & Color Tour — German cars & swap meet, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Oct. 11.

Overland Fall Crawl — Off-road rigs, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Oct. 18.

Flavors of Fall: Color Tour, Buffet & Bourbon Tasting — 11 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Oct. 18. Trunk or Treat — Family event, 5:30–7:30 p.m. Oct. 22.

Join us for the Community Arts Awards as we recognize inspiring artists, educators, and advocates who make our arts scene thrive. Enjoy an unforgettable evening of performances & community spirit. Tuesday, December 9, 2025 7:00 pm Dale B. Lake Auditorium on the campus of Kalamazoo Valley Community College

The event is FREE, but reservations are appreciated. For more information, please visit: KalamazooArts.org/2025caa/

Kalamazoo Valley Museum

230 N. Rose St., 373-7990, kalamazoomuseum.org

DancingwithLife:MexicanMasks— Historic & contemporary masks from Mexico, through Jan. 4

Chemistry Day: The Hidden Life of Spices — Explore the chemistry of spices, noon–4 p.m. Oct. 18..

Am I an American or Am I Not? — Traveling exhibit exploring unfair treatment in the U.S., Oct. 12–Jan. 4.

NATURE

Binder Park Zoo

7400 Division Drive, Battle Creek, 979–1351, binderparkzoo.org

Fall into Adventure — Scavenger hunt, storytellers & education stations, Oct. 5–6.

Fall into Creativity — Embark on a wildlife research project & see art displays, Oct. 12–13.

Fall into Festivities — games, crafts & scavenger hunt, Oct. 19–20; bonfire & live music 11 a.m.–1 p.m.

Fall into Football Season — Fall-themed fun, Oct. 26–27; performance by Harper Creek Marching Band at 10 a.m. both days.

Kalamazoo Nature Center 7000 N. Westnedge Ave., 381-1574, naturecenter.org

Bird Banding Up Close — 9–11 a.m. Wednesdays. Foraging the Edible Wilderness — Walk teaching foraging basics, 5–6:30 p.m. Oct. 2 & 10–11:30 a.m. Oct. 4; registration required.

Nutty for Nature: Foraging Local Abundance — Identify, harvest & process edible nuts, 1–3 p.m. Oct. 4; registration required.

Raptor Run 5K & Kids Raptor Run — 9 a.m. Kids Run & 10 a.m. Oct. 18; registration required.

Tricks & Trails — Pumpkin-lit trail, stories & crafts, 6–8 p.m. Oct. 31; registration required.

Kellogg Bird Sanctuary 12685 East C Ave., Augusta, 671-2510, birdsanctuary@kbs.msu.edu

Birds & Coffee Chat Online — Learn about ducks, 10 a.m. Oct. 8.

Behind the Scenes: Raptors — The feeding & care of eagles, hawks & owls, 10 a.m. Oct. 11.

Arts & Eats Tour — Free admission, Oct. 18 & 19, with Kids Market on Oct. 19.

Other Venues

Kalamazoo Astronomical Society General Meeting — Astrophotography & showing of photos, 7–9:15 p.m. Oct. 3, Kalamazoo Math & Science Center, 600 W. Vine St., or online, kasonline.org.

& Saturdays

October 17 - November 1@8:00 PM October 31 @ 10 PM only For information and tickets: Call 269-381-3328 or visit www.thenewvictheatre.org

Fall Family Trail Fest — Walk, bike or skate the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail, with games & prizes,, 1–4 p.m. Oct. 5, River Oaks Park, 9202 E. Michigan Ave., Galesburg.

Honorable Harvest Lecture Series — Topic TBD, Oct. 7; Growing with Purpose: My Native Plant Journey, Oct. 14; Mothering the Mother: From Doula to Farmer, Oct. 21; Green Drinks Collaboration: Culinary Arts & Brewing Program at KVCC, 5:30 p.m. Oct. 28; sessions at 6:30 p.m. unless noted otherwise, KVCC’s Schlack Culinary & Allied Health Building, 418 E. Walnut St., valleyhub.kvcc.edu.

Kalamazoo Astronomical Society Public Observing Session Saturn & Double Stars of Autumn, Oct. 11; Galaxies of Autumn, Oct. 25; both sessions 7–10 p.m., Kalamazoo Nature Center, 7000 N. Westnedge Ave., kasonline.org.

Self-Guided Storybook Hike — See portions of Zoe Hall's The Apple Pie Tree along the North Country Trail, Oct. 24–Nov. 2; hike begins at Noonan & Sheffield Roads in Hickory Corners; volunteers will greet hikers 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Nov. 1 & 2, northcountrytrail.org/events.

MISCELLANEOUS

Kalamazoo Farmers Market — 7 a.m.–1 p.m. Saturdays, through October; Mini Markets, 8 a.m.–1 p.m. Tuesdays & Thursdays, through Oct. 9; 1204 Bank St., pfcmarkets.com.

Olde Tyme Harvest Festival — Tractor parade, pumpkin carving & seasonal treats, , Oct. 4, Scotts Mill County Park, 8451 S. 35th St., Scotts, 5794627, scottstractorshow.org/harvest-festival.html.

Vicksburg Historical Society Cemetery Tours — Walking tour with storytelling, 1–4 p.m. Oct. 4, Schoolcraft Township Cemetery, 333 W. Highway St., Vicksburg, vicksburgmi.org; tickets required.

Texas Township Farmers Market — 8 a.m.–noon Saturdays, through Oct. 18, 7110 West Q Ave., texastownship.org/168/farmers-market.

Kalamazoo County Expo Center — Kalamazoo Hamfest 2025, amateur radio & electronics, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Oct. 4; Kalamazoo Record & CD Show, new & used records & CDs, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Oct. 5; Kalamazoo County Senior Expo, free event focusing on older adults, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Oct. 7; Fall Stamp & Cover Show, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Oct. 10 & 11; MacDudley’s Mystic Market & Night with Edgar Allan Poe, Renaissance faire shopping, food & entertainment, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. Oct. 11 & 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Oct. 12; Geek Fest, robotics, games, art, comic books & cosplay, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Oct. 11; Harvest Craft Show, 220+ vendor booths, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Oct. 25 & 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Oct. 26; kalcounty.gov/ calendar.

Stuart Historic Homes Tour — Historic residences, bed & breakfasts, school & burial ground; restaurant stops & live music, noon–5 p.m. Oct. 4 & 5; tours begin at Woodward Elementary School, 606 Stuart Ave., stuartneighborhood.org/historichomes-tour; purchase tickets online.

Portage Farmers Market — 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Sundays, through Oct. 12, outside Portage City Hall, 7900 S. Westnedge Ave., portagemi.gov/607/ farmers-market.

White Cane 5K Walk/Run — To raise awareness & connect with the blind community, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Oct. 11, Spring Valley Park, 2600 Mount Olivet Road, whitecane5k.com.

Haunted History of Kalamazoo Tour — Led by authors/ghost hunters Robert Du Shane & Nichole Bray, 8 p.m. Oct. 11 & 24; begins & ends at Bronson Park, paranormalmichigan.com/ hauntedhistoryofkalamazoo.

Vintage in the Zoo — Outdoor vintage market & handmade goods, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Oct. 12, Kalamazoo Farmers Market, 1204 Bank St., vintageinthezoo.com.

Arts & Eats Tour — Self-guided driving tour of studios, galleries, farms & eateries in Allegan, Barry, Calhoun, Kalamazoo & Van Buren counties, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Oct. 18 & 19, facebook.com/ artsandeats; maps available online.

Vicksburg Historical Society Speaker Series — Discussion of 1936 Second Army Maneuvers in Allegan County by Chris Cauley, 2 p.m. Oct. 19, Vicksburg Historic Village Township Hall, downtown Vicksburg, vicksburgmi.org.

Halloween Forest — Costume contest, games & activities, 2–4 p.m. Oct. 25, Milham Park, 607 E. Kilgore Ave., kzooparks.org.

Rev. Millard Southern III

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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

Trumpet Summit in Honor of Roy Hargrove

When: Oct. 11

Where: Dalton Center, WMU 10 a.m.–5 p.m.: Educational events for students that are free and open to the public; learn more at wmich. edu/jazz/trumpet-summit-royhargrove.

7:30 p.m.: Evening concert; tickets are $6–$18 and available at wmumusic.ludus.com/index.php.

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

A

Rev. Millard Southern III

Creator of a Trumpet Summit in Kalamazoo

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

(continued on page 29)

When a Community Has an Airport: We Can Honor our Veterans

In the early morning hours at airports across the United States, a unique kind of journey begins — not for business or vacation, but for remembrance and gratitude. These are Honor Flights, a mission of respect that transports America’s veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorials built in their honor. In Kalamazoo, our local airport supports the local chapter (Talons Out) flights about twice per year.

The idea was born in 2005, when retired Air Force captain and physician assistant Earl Morse saw firsthand the longing in his patients' eyes. Many were aging World War II veterans who expressed a desire to visit the newly completed World War II Memorial, but few could make the trip on their own due to health, finances, or logistics. Morse decided to do something extraordinary: he flew his first veteran personally.

Word spread, and soon Morse and a group of volunteer pilots began coordinating what would become the Honor Flight Network. Their goal was simple — ensure that every veteran, especially those from the “Greatest Generation,” had the chance to see these memorials while they still could. By the end of that first year, the program had expanded to

include commercial airline charters and partnerships with airports and volunteers across the country.

What started with 12 veterans and a few small planes has grown into a national movement. Today, Honor Flight hubs operate in nearly every state, and tens of thousands of veterans — from WWII and the Korea and Vietnam Wars— have been flown to the nation's capital free of charge. Airports play a central role, not just as points of departure, but as community stages where families, fellow service members, and citizens gather to cheer, wave flags, and sometimes shed tears.

These flights are more than a trip. For many veterans, the journey helps close emotional chapters left open for decades. They walk among memorials that echo with the memory of friends lost, and for the first time, they feel the recognition they may never have received.

Honor Flights remind us that airports are not just gateways to places — they’re gateways to purpose. With every takeoff, another chapter of gratitude is written in the sky.

The Airport is proud to support another Honor Flight on October 11th. Come out and be part of the celebration. More information can be found at talonsouthornorflight.org.

VI SI ON

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