Chuck Milner
Chuck will perform at the Chisholm Trail Heritage Center for the Western Spirit Celebration: A Cowboy Gathering Sept. 18th. Come see this amazing performer.
Chuck Milner has been singing for as long as he can remember. For the last 18 years he has shared cowboy music and poetry with school children across the west. Since 1991 chuck has done over 400 children’s programs in schools in Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas and Nevada. For eight years he served as an artist–in-residence, artist in education, for the Oklahoma state arts council. Chuck was involved in the first children’s festival at the Cowboy hall and western heritage museum, and has recently performed at his 17th consecutive chuck wagon and children’s festival at the cowboy hall.
Three different years, he has performed at the school programs for the National
Cowboy poetry gathering in Elko, Nevada. He performs annually at the working ranch cowboys Association world championship ranch rodeo, serving as the coordinator of the educational programs in the Amarillo, Texas independent school district. Chuck was involved in the development of the Cal Farley’s boys ranch youth cowboy poetry gathering and performs a children’s concert each year at the event. In addition to the children’s concert, he also teaches two creative writing workshops. He has done work for the mid-America arts alliance, and the national council for traditional arts.
In his school visits, chuck makes the cowboy come alive through poetry and song, tracing the history of the cowboy from the trail droving days to the modern day cowboy. He encourages participation in the sing-a-long songs, exploring the roots of these folk songs, from the British Isles to the cow camp. Along the journey he uses the humor of the cowboy arts to encourage reading. With some silly songs just for fun and some serious words about the character and virtue of the cowboy, chuck hopes to leave a foundation for others to build upon. His vocation as a rangeland specialist may also lead to a quick science lesson. He works in assembly groups or in the classroom setting. A typical target audience is fourth grade or below, however he has performed from pre-schools to senior citizens. His goal is to entertain, inform, challenge and be a blessing to the children he meets. He also likes to have fun.
He and wife Beth are raising their two children Hallie and Cody on their Rush Creek Ranch in far western Oklahoma. There they operate a cow/calf operation and raise a few horses. Hallie and Cody often help their dad with the music, Hallie playing the fiddle, Cody on the mandolin.
In 2003 they received a centennial Ranch award for their Smoot-Hood Ranch in Greer County, having been owned and operated by Beth and her family since 1901.
