Michael Wayne Mills Jr. or 'Mikey Mills' was born on May 25, 1998 in Saddlebrook New Jersey to Michael Wayne Mills Sr. and Beth Ann Mills. Little did they know that he was already en route to take over the world... I mean better the world, yes!
Mikey lived in New Jersey, which had lots of great pizza and delis - but awful traffic and a '30 minute drive to the beach' was really 2 hours... For about 7 years before moving to Cold Spring, Kentucky in 2006. At this point, Mikey had already discovered his love for music and theatre seeing shows on Broadway and in Atlantic City such as "Forty Second Street". He also discovered his love of automatic musical instruments at amusement parks such as "Hersheypark" and "Knoebels".
In Kentucky, Mikey then discovered 'middle school', something that is too inhumane for any human being to possibly endure - but got a brother: Nathan Lee Mills which was really cool. He continued to love theatre and automatic music and eventually met Tim Trager, who became for many years a friend beyond comparison and mentor - being one of the top names in automatic music.
Around 2011 or so, he started experimenting with arranging and composing music. A song has always been in his heart - melodies and themes that he just never wrote down. High school came around - and Campbell County High School at the time had a stellar theatre program. As a freshman, he played "Mr. Lawrence" in the musical adaptation of "Little Women".
To say he was 'hooked' was an understatement. He kept auditioning for shows in high school - and Tim Trager encouraged him to start releasing his music.
In 2014, Mikey released his first '165 roll'. It took off, and people wanted more - so he started arranging for other scales as well. Soon after, the very place that inspired him the most: Hersheypark had a 'music roll' of his.
Around graduation - Mikey started his own collection of automatic music with a Wurlitzer 146 band organ. (Now on a carousel in Binghamton, New York)
He met Michael English, a young actor who he has done a ridiculous number of shows with since - in this show called "Yo Ho Ho, A Pirate's Christmas".
College was a waste of time for Mikey at the brutalist collection of concrete that some call "Northern Kentucky University" - so he continued with music and theatre.
Between Tim advising with automatic music and Michael with theatre - Mikey did about as well as he could meeting a number of incredible individuals.
Through COVID - Mikey did several outdoor theatre productions: including a production of Robin Hood where he decided to sound like Austin Powers because... he could.
...Then Tim got sick. Tim was a dealer of automatic musical instruments and was a mentor beyond what words could express - he passed away in April of 2023. After years of talking nearly daily, things got tough.
Mikey decided to continue what he started and had been guided for nearly fifteen years through his longtime website 'mechanicalmusic.org'. And with Michael English, Mikey has been writing - directing and acting in several original - brand new theatrical productions.
The world is a stage, but really - that stage is your world. Make the most of it. Chase what you want, love and cherish what means the most to you, and don't give up on what will make you glow. Some people do - but what's the fun in that?
Musically yours,
Michael Wayne Mills Jr.
