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In life, as in music,
timing is everything. In 1984, Tim Coker was directing a high school choir
in Tupelo while completing his doctorate degree in music from the University
of Southern Mississippi. His student choir toured the state the previous
year, including a rave performance at Millsaps. So when the Millsaps music
department needed a choir director on short notice, Coker was hired to
fill in for a year until a national search could be launched. But by mid-semester,
Dean Robert King and music professor Jack Sweat knew they needed to look
no further.
Fifteen years after coming to Millsaps, Dr. Coker is Director of the Performing Arts Department, which includes the previously separate departments of music and theatre. In addition to underscoring the interdisciplinary nature of a liberal arts education, uniting the departments has attracted students who wish to explore both areas. Though as many as 80 students participate in the Millsaps Singers, only 20 are music or theatre majors, and Players productions routinely include as many non-theatre majors as theatre majors. "We have been fortunate to have graduates who are professional performers. But by and large, most students participate to add another dimension to their lives, which we think is very valuable," says Coker. "Having great singers and actors is important because they inspire the others to reach higher. Heather Denham does that with her singing. Nicole Saad too. She’s a wonderful actress, and others learn from her. You learn from professors, but you learn a lot in the performing arts from other students who are doing well." PREVIOUS PAGE | PAGE 2 OF 4 | NEXT PAGE |