Kosciusko native and former drum major, Stephen “Gilly” McMillan, reminisced on his childhood and years spent performing in the Big Red Band.
McMillan said he grew up barefoot on a farm and spent many years on the back of a tractor.
“I grew up barefoot and could recognize a snake at five years old,” he said.
As a kid, he always wanted to be outdoors and sometimes at school would even daydream about his next chance to go back outdoors.
Growing up, McMillan and his older brother Audrey would go with their granddad to the nursing home and sing for the elderly.
His mother, Teresa McMillan, also put him in private piano lesson in third grade. McMillan quickly discovered he had the ability to play and sing music, and in sixth grade, former junior high band director Joe Evans handed McMillan a clarinet during his tryout out for the Big Red Band, which instantly interested McMillan.
McMillan’s older brother also played in the Big Red Band as a trumpet player.
“Between him playing the trumpet and me playing the clarinet, we probably drove our parents crazy,” he said.
Butch and Teresa McMillian, however, would always allow their boys to practice. In seventh grade, Gilly was encouraged by Mr. Evans to try out for drum major of the Big Red Band.
“Joe Evans kind of got me started in my band career and encouraged me, and then I met Mr. Grove,” McMillan recalled.
In ninth grade, he went to a band camp in Hattiesburg. This was the first time McMillan was introduced to the mace that drum majors use. McMillan later became drum major of the Big Red Band from 1980-1986.
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“I grew up on Highway 35 North, and people could see me practicing outside throwing the mace,” he said.
According to McMillian, Mr. Mickey Grove and Mr. Evans heavily influenced him in his band and drum majoring career.
“Mr. Grove, he was very intimidating and demanded excellence and discipline,” he said. “He was and I’m sure he is still very intimidating, but he was also a lot of fun.”
He also mentioned that Mr. Grove loved each student and wanted them to always do their best. This translated into McMillan’s life, and for this, he will always be grateful.
One of McMillan’s favorite band memories came in his senior year in 1985 when the Big Red Band went to Whitewater, Wisconsin and the band became national champions in the Marching Bands of America competition.
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Another memory of his was when the band went to Biloxi and McMillan tried oysters for the first time. However, his favorite band memories included performing at football games and traveling with other students on band trips.
During his senior year, McMillan had a car accident. According to him, all the people in the community were eager to help him with whatever he might need.
McMillian also received the Skipworth Award in his senior year. After graduating high school, he attended Northeast Community College where he continued his role as drum major. He was also part of the Baptist Student Union singing group ‘The Sound of Joy.’ As part of the singing group, McMillan got to go on a missionary trip to Hawaii.
He went on to further his education at Mississippi State and was a part of the Baptist Student Unions singing group ‘The Fishermen,’ who went on a missionary group to Costa Rica to sing.
McMillian finished with a bachelor’s degree in international business.
He then went on to become a Spanish teacher and realized that he had a calling for something else.
“My mom was a nurse, and before I decided to go back to school to become a nurse, she told me I should first be a nursing assistant. And if I liked that, then I could make it in nursing school,” he said.
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From visiting the nursing home as a child and always being a people-person, McMillan believes a career in nursing was the right call for him. Now, he has more than 25 years of experience as a nurse.
McMillan currently lives in Memphis, Tennessee where he works at the trauma department of Regional One Health. He wanted to thank all of those in the community and the band directors of Kosciusko High School for teaching him discipline and leadership that he continues to carry with him.
