Summer Miller

Summer Miller teaches orchestra in Garden City, Kansas, serving students at Garden City High School and Charles O. Stones Intermediate Center. She is entering her 26th year of teaching and has dedicated her career to expanding high‑quality music education opportunities for students across southwest Kansas.

She has been an active leader within KMEA, serving at the district level as the Southwest Kansas District Orchestra Chair and at the state level as the KMEA All‑State Full Orchestra Chair and All‑State String Orchestra Chair. She currently serves as the President‑Elect for the SWKMEA District. In addition, she is the co‑secretary for the Western Kansas Orchestra Festival, an annual event that brings together students from Beloit, Hays, Dodge City, Garden City, Great Bend, McPherson, Salina, and Lindsborg, Kansas.

Summer holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Baker University and a Master of Music Education from Kansas State University, along with ESOL certification.

In the fall of 2024, Summer, along with colleagues Dr. Matthew McGrory and Haley Rotenberger, established the Southwest Kansas Youth Orchestra – a regional ensemble created to expand orchestral opportunities for young musicians in rural communities. Now completing its second full season, the orchestra offers fall and spring semesters as well as a week‑long summer camp. Students from Garden City, Holcomb, Cimarron, and Syracuse attend weekly rehearsals and perform one concert each semester, culminating in a final showcase at the end of the summer camp.

Inspired by her own high school music teachers, Summer is passionate about helping young musicians discover their potential. She and her husband, Matthew, lead worship at their church each week and enjoy spending time with their three children: Caleb (20), Joseph (19), and Raelynn (16).