Kenneth George Mills (January 25, 1923 – October 8, 2004) was a Canadian
metaphysical
Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that studies the fundamental nature of reality, the first principles of being, identity and change, space and time, causality, necessity, and possibility. It includes questions about the nature of conscio ...
/
philosophical
Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...
speaker and author. An exponent of the
oral tradition
Oral tradition, or oral lore, is a form of human communication wherein knowledge, art, ideas and cultural material is received, preserved, and transmitted orally from one generation to another. Vansina, Jan: ''Oral Tradition as History'' (1985) ...
, he gave spontaneous
lectures
A lecture (from Latin ''lēctūra'' “reading” ) is an oral presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject, for example by a university or college teacher. Lectures are used to convey critical inform ...
and
poetry
Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings i ...
for over 37 years. At the same time, he became noted for his accomplishments in
music
Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...
, particularly as the conductor of the choral ensemble The Star-Scape Singers. He excelled at
composing,
painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...
and
design
A design is a plan or specification for the construction of an object or system or for the implementation of an activity or process or the result of that plan or specification in the form of a prototype, product, or process. The verb ''to design' ...
and has been described by some as a
New Age
New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars consi ...
man, a man for all seasons, and a
Renaissance man
A polymath ( el, πολυμαθής, , "having learned much"; la, homo universalis, "universal human") is an individual whose knowledge spans a substantial number of subjects, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific pro ...
.
Life
Mills was born in
St. Stephen, New Brunswick in January 1923. He attended
Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick.
[Obituary, The New York ''Times'', October 13, 2004.](_blank)
/ref> Trained from the age of 7 in music
Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...
, he became a concert pianist
A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...
, with debuts in Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
in 1952 and New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
in 1961.[''Encyclopedia of Music in Canada''](_blank)
2nd edition. (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1992). Though he chose to end his career as a concert pianist in 1963, he concentrated on teaching piano and adjudicating young musicians for another ten years.[Tan-Willman, Conchita: "Canadian Achievers and Their Mentors," Vol. 1, PRIME Mentors of Canada (Toronto: PRIME Mentors of Canada, 1994).] Living in Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
, he began speaking spontaneously to those who requested that he do so,[''The Candy Maker’s Son: Memoirs of Kenneth G. Mills'' (Toronto: The Kenneth G. Mills Foundation, 2007), p. 191.] ultimately offering many thousands of hours of metaphysical/philosophical lectures and meetings over his lifetime.
Mills extended his musical interests in 1976 when he formed the a cappella vocal ensemble The Star-Scape Singers. He and his singers would eventually give concerts throughout Eastern and Western Europe and the United States. Mills also engaged in musical composition, creating both choral and orchestral
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, ...
works. In addition, he explored various types of designing, and in 1993 created a line of haute couture fashions
Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...
. His interest in painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...
yielded more than 200 large canvases. He was recognized for mentoring
Mentorship is the influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the personal and p ...
and sponsorship of artists in all these disciplines, and he continued his mentoring and spontaneous speaking until shortly before his death in October 2004.
Spontaneous lectures
In 1964, Mills decided to speak about his inner experiences, but only if asked to do so. He made this agreement after he received the same message from two different sources: "You must learn to speak the Word again." Then, people began seeking him out - sometimes arriving unexpectedly on his doorstep - asking about their deepest questions and concerns. Mills found himself speaking spontaneously to these seekers. When their number became too large to speak with individually, Mills began giving lectures. He defined his spontaneous speaking, which he called ''Unfoldment'', as "an impromptu performance under the impelling of divine ideas. It is a projection from another dimension or plane of consciousness, causing those prepared to hear to awaken to the higher or greater possibilities of living beyond the limits of three dimensions and translating what seems to be the ordinary into another level of consideration." He also often spoke in poetry
Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings i ...
, offering some 3,000 extemporaneous poems during his lifetime.
Many of Mills’ spontaneous lectures were recorded and transcribed. Ultimately, a number of them were gathered together and published as books or as spoken word recordings, described by one reviewer as offering metaphysical
Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that studies the fundamental nature of reality, the first principles of being, identity and change, space and time, causality, necessity, and possibility. It includes questions about the nature of conscio ...
ideas which are "provocative and deeply inspiring."[''Leading Edge Review'', Fall 1993, p. 3.] A reviewer of one of his poetry books observed that Mills’ universal themes "revolve around wonder, light and love," while an endorsement on another of his books described Mills as having fun with the language and the sounds of words. It has also been pointed out that Mills’ lectures and books "give a universal, metaphysical perspective on some of the most perplexing problems faced by men and women today."
In 1989, the Earth-Stage Actors, a New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
–based ensemble, began to dramatize excerpts from Mills’ publications. Critics have called these dramatizations "a theatre of philosophy" and "modern-day Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
."
Music
Mills’ philosophy always possessed for him strong musical implications. "The purpose of Music is to reveal to man his innate at-one-ment with a harmonic state of Being", he said. When three singers (from the vocal group The Free Design
The Free Design was a Delevan, New York-based vocal group, whose music can be described as sunshine pop and baroque pop. Though they did not achieve much commercial recognition during their main recording career, their work later influenced ba ...
) asked him for help with their voices in 1976, Mills soon found himself re-engaging the world of concertizing. Within a short time, the three singers were joined by seven others, and the a cappella vocal ensemble he called The Star-Scape Singers was formed. These singers were ultimately acclaimed in the United States and abroad as creators of a renaissance in choral art.
Star-Scape made their American debut at Carnegie Hall in 1981, ultimately performing seven different concerts there between 1981 and 1986.[Alberghini, Susan, "Star-Scape Singers’ USSR Tour Transcends Boundaries," in ''Music Magazine'', vol. 12, no. 2 (April 1989).] New York City critics described them as "an instrument of bright and extraordinary varied capacity" and "a vocal ensemble of rare distinction." In 1983, the Singers embarked upon their first tour to Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
, performing at several large choral festivals, and on subsequent tours at many of the great halls and cathedrals of both Western and Eastern Europe. One critic in Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...
described their work with Mills as "phenomenal, artistic, one-of-a-kind vocal art." Mills and the ensemble made a total of seven lengthy Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
an and Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...
tours. While on tour in 1984, they were asked to make a recording for broadcast on Radio Vatican
Vatican Radio ( it, Radio Vaticana; la, Statio Radiophonica Vaticana) is the official broadcasting service of Vatican City.
Established in 1931 by Guglielmo Marconi, today its programs are offered in 47 languages, and are sent out on short wave, ...
, inaugurating the World Year of Music in 1985. One of their performances of ''The Fire Mass'', considered the ensemble’s major work, at Roy Thomson Hall
Roy Thomson Hall is a concert hall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located downtown in the city's entertainment district, it is home to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, and the Toronto Defiant. Opened in 1982, its circ ...
in Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
was broadcast nationwide by the (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...
) in 1988. On their tour to the then-USSR in 1991, Mills and the Singers led the first non-military Victory Day Parade down Gorky Street
Tverskaya Street ( rus, Тверская улица, p=tvʲɪrˈskajə ˈulʲɪt͡sə), known between 1935 and 1990 as Gorky Street (russian: улица Горького), is the main radial street in Moscow. The street runs Northwest from the ...
in Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...
.
Mills co-composed or arranged over 150 pieces for the Star-Scape repertoire in collaboration with composer Christopher Dedrick. In 1996, Mills began composing spontaneous orchestral works, using four MIDI
MIDI (; Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard that describes a communications protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers, and ...
keyboards plus foot pedals to capture his instantaneous compositions. Critics have credited him with bridging the classical and new age genres. His goal was to approximate the sounds of real instruments as closely as possible with the keyboards, and in 2002 a CD of several of his orchestral compositions, titled ''Majestic Tonescape'', was released, performed by musicians from the Toronto Symphony Orchestra
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1906, the TSO gave regular concerts at Massey Hall until 1982, and since then has performed at Roy Thomson Hall. The TSO also manages the Toronto ...
.
Other endeavors
In February 1993, Mills began to draw and paint for the first time. He soon became a prolific painter of large canvasses, creating more than 200 in less than three years. Most of his paintings depict huge flowers or otherworldly landscapes, and they have been recognized for the bold use of color and their energy. The paintings have been exhibited in both Canada and the U.S., and some are found in private collections.
Mills also ventured into the realm of fashion design
Fashion design is the art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories. It is influenced by culture and different trends, and has varied over time and place. "A fashion designer creates ...
. Ultimately, he created an elegant line of haute couture fashions, Moulins Originales, many of which were debuted in a fashion show titled ''The Integrity of Elegance''. This showing was captured on a pioneering high-definition television
High-definition television (HD or HDTV) describes a television system which provides a substantially higher image resolution than the previous generation of technologies. The term has been used since 1936; in more recent times, it refers to the g ...
recording at New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
’s Ed Sullivan Theater
The Ed Sullivan Theater (originally Hammerstein's Theatre; later the Manhattan Theatre, Billy Rose's Music Hall, CBS Radio Playhouse No. 3, and CBS Studio 50) is a theater at 1697–1699 Broadway, between 53rd and 54th Streets, in the Theater ...
in February 1993. Another showing of Mills’ designs occurred at the Design Exchange
The Design Exchange (DX) is a Canadian event venue. It is located in Toronto's financial district in the historical Toronto Stock Exchange building, that was incorporated into a skyscraper in 1991, the Toronto-Dominion Centre (222 Bay Street). Th ...
in Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
during the PRIME Mentors’ 10th Anniversary Celebration, in 1997.
Recognition
At the gala banquet of the MedArt International 1992 World Congress, a gathering of physicians and artists who specialize in bringing the arts to medicine, Mills was presented with a Special Recognition Award "for the outstanding healing power of his art" (i.e. his music).
A lifelong supporter of the arts, Mills founded Patrons of Wisdom in 1980, a non-profit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
that supported and encouraged young classical musicians and artists. In recognition of his continuous support of deserving individuals and "for being an exemplary mentor
Mentorship is the influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the personal and p ...
and for serving as a role model par excellence whom society could look up to for inspiration and guidance," he was chosen Honorary PRIME Mentor of Canada in April 1997.
In 1998, Mills was awarded an honorary doctorate of Humanities from Wolfe’s University. That same year, the Senate of Canada recognized Mills with their Award of Excellence "for outstanding achievement in humanity, education, philosophy and arts."
Works
Lectures
Books
* Question and Answer Encounters with Kenneth G. Mills (2008)
* The Candy Maker's Son: the memoirs of Kenneth G. Mills (2007)
* The Cornucopia of Substance (2004)
* Change Your Standpoint ~ Change Your World (1996)
* Tyranny of Love (1995)
* The Key: Identity (1994)
* The Golden Nail (1993)
* A Word Fitly Spoken (1980)
* The New Land! Conscious Experience Beyond Horizons (1978)
* Given to Praise! An Array of Provocative Metaphysical-Philosophical Utterances (1976)
Recordings
* Renaissance Man Kenneth G. Mills (2009)
* The Key: Identity (2006– )
* The Golden Nail (2003–2005)
* Change Your Standpoint ~ Change Your World (2001–2003)
* The New Land! (2001)
* Freedom Is Found (1991)
* The Quickening Spirit of Radiance (1990)
* Near to the Fire (1979)
* The Seal of Approval (1979)
* The Newness of the Unchanging (1978)
* The Beauty Unfoldment (1977)
* Given to Praise! (1976)
Aphorisms
* ''Food for No Thought'', Vols. I and II (1999, 2000) ,
Poetry
* Words of Adjustment (1998)
* The Tonal Garment of the Word (recording) (1995, 2002)
* Embellishments (1986)
* Anticipations (1980)
* Surprises (1980)
* Flame on the Hearth (recording) (1978, 2001)
* Given to Praise: The Spontaneous Poetry of Kenneth G. Mills (recording) (1976)
Music
Instrumental compositions
* Majestic ToneScape (2002)
* Promethean Fire (2000)
* Arrival of the Unexpected (1998)
* Let Robots Melt (1997)
Choral recordings conducting The Star-Scape Singers
* Greatest Hits, Vols. 1 and 2 (2001, 2003)
* Tonal Persuasions, Vols. I and II (1993, 1994)
* The Song – The Heart of Christmas (1990)
* The Fire Mass (1990)
* A Sound Voyage (1986)
* The Heraldic Message (1985)
* Rapture of Freedom (1984)
* Rhapsody of Song (1984)
* Star-Scape Over Europe, Vols. 1, 2, and 3 (1983)
* The Sound of a Star (1982)
* Love Clothes the Jungle (1981)
* Sing Unto Me a New Song (1980)
* Watch! (1980)
* Sing Those Wonderful Words (1979)
* Alive at Ontanaka! (1978)
* On This Rock! (1977)
Dianne Forsyth
* Lady on the Landing (1982)
Drama (Earth-Stage Actors)
* Coat of Many Colors (1996)
* What If You Decided to Be Real? (1989)
Documentaries
* ''The Rapture of Being'' (1997)
* ''Did You Feel It?'' (1993)
References
External links
The Kenneth G. Mills Foundation website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mills, Kenneth
1923 births
2004 deaths
20th-century Canadian poets
Canadian male poets
Writers from New Brunswick
Canadian designers
Artists from New Brunswick
People from St. Stephen, New Brunswick
Mount Allison University alumni
20th-century Canadian painters
Canadian male painters
20th-century Canadian male writers
Canadian male non-fiction writers
20th-century Canadian philosophers
20th-century Canadian male artists