By Mary Knight
University Development
Music soothes the soul. The old adage is never more relevant and meaningful than now, and one with which Oxford resident Ryan Miller agrees.
Photo courtesy of his facebook page
“I think music has the ability to calm hearts, offer hope, and a welcome distraction to things that can be scary and uncertain,” said Miller, programs manager and assistant director of the Haley Barbour Center for Manufacturing Excellence at Ole Miss. He111 recently released a full-length album entitled, “It’s Been A Great Day.”
“While I am sure we will emerge stronger from this shaky time, a little music goes a long way.”
Miller began his stint in a music career with the Stairway Sessions, a collection of times when he’d recorded himself singing and playing his guitar, that he then uploaded to his Facebook page. The sessions were a hit and resulted in his recording an album, which was released January 20 on various music platforms including iTunes, GooglePlay, Amazon, Apple Music and Spotify.
Now in an effort to promote local restaurants still open in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Miller is hosting a special edition of the Stairway Sessions on March 27 at 6:30 pm CST on his Facebook page, Ryan T. Miller.
“I thought it would be fun to try and promote local restaurants offering take-out and curbside service during a time they are hurting,” Miller said.
The event is also a family affair for Miller as his children are helping out in the live event’s production.
“As of now Shirley Cate (9) is my production director, Gracie (7) is my set and decoration director, and Max (5) is my roadie. This gives them something to do that is fun and productive, as opposed to missing their friends and worrying about any uncertainty they hear about on the news.”
Miller’s set will be comprised of mostly original songs found on the Great Day album, which pays tribute to his late father “Captain” Max Miller and his positive attitude toward life.
“Everyone always says my dad was the greatest guy,” Miller said of his father in a recent article published in Invitation Oxford. “People would ask him, ‘Max, how are you doing?’ and he’d respond with ‘It’s a great day to be in Oxford.’”
While the current days may be uncertain, Miller hopes to bring a bit of that positive attitude to viewers of the Stairway Sessions this coming Friday.
