The familiar notes of “Standing on the Promises” fill the empty sanctuary of Trenton Street Baptist Church as Mildred Cole’s fingers flow across the organ keys.
Mildred Cole, 90, stands next to the organ she plays every Sunday at Trenton Street Baptist Church in Harriman.
At 90 years old, she makes the practice look effortless — a testament to nearly eight decades of musical dedication.
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“I was determined to play,” Cole recalls with her characteristic directness.
Growing up, Cole watched her father and grandfather play the violin, but her own musical interest developed independently. She found herself drawn to the keyboard, and at just 9 years old, she began piano lessons. By 12, she had taught herself the Hammond organ, taking only a year of formal instruction but learning enough hymns to play for Sunday School.
Constant companion
The organ has been a constant companion throughout her life.
“To me, piano and organ require different touches,” Cole explains, gesturing with her hands. “On the organ, I sort of glide across the keys. But on the piano, you’ve got the clump, clump, clump.”
Unlike the percussive piano — which she jokingly says is perfect for “beating the tar out” when frustrated — the organ is a breathing instrument.
Essentially, a pipe organ works by directing air through a series of pipes. The air is supplied by a blower, often powered by an electric motor. That air is then controlled by the organist using the keyboard and stops (the knobs on the side of the organ).
Because air flows through it, creating sustained, expressive music, Cole believes the organ captures the essence of worship.
“The organ touch is more about connection and articulation,” she explains.
‘Happy songs’
This connection to the organ has shaped her musical preferences.
“I try not to play anything sad. I always play happy songs,” she says. “Even when I play for funerals, I don’t like to play sad songs.” She added that patriotic music is another genre she loves to play outside of gospel music.
Her musical journey spans multiple churches, including Caney Ford and South Harriman Baptist, where she played for nearly 40 years.
When she arrived at Trenton Street Baptist in 1999, it was meant to be a temporary, three-month interim position. Twenty years later, she’s still playing, having outlasted even the organs themselves.
“I went to South Harriman and played there for 15 years,” Cole says. Without missing a beat, she adds, “And I killed three organs.”
Killed three organs?
“They just stopped working or died,” she explains with a chuckle. “Then I came over here to Trenton Street, and we’re on our third organ here, and lightning hit it. So I killed it, too.” Her voice carries a mix of pride and humor.
More than an organist
Over the decades, Cole has been more than just an organist. She’s also been a workplace confidante and a master of “rolling with the flow” — a phrase she often uses to describe her style.
She worked as a school secretary for Midtown Public Schools from 1950 to 1980, then transitioned to the mechanical engineering department at Oak Ridge until 1998.
“I was a secretary for about 29 men at Oak Ridge,” she says with a mischievous grin, “and I treated them all just like schoolchildren.”
Her approach was simple: listen, help and adapt — qualities that made her something of a “local legend” in Roane County, where they’ve even named a stretch of highway in Midtown after her.
“If I had it to do over, I guess I would’ve gone into counseling,” she reflects. “Every job I’ve had, I wind up listening to things and trying to help people.”
At Trenton Street, Cole has formed a special musical partnership with Wilda Taylor, the church’s pianist. They’ve developed a connection over years of playing together.
“We’re in sync,” Taylor explains. “We feel each other’s music. I know when she’s going to pause or speed up a little bit.”
Reflecting on today’s contemporary church music, Cole notes a significant shift. “You don’t get the feeling like we used to have. This generation, they don’t know what that feeling was. They don’t know what that is.”
Yet despite the changing musical landscape, with praise bands now common in many churches, Cole continues to adapt while playing on Trenton Street’s Ahlborn-Galanti organ.
“I don’t know how many music directors I’ve dealt with. Not to count how many preachers. But I’m one, I just roll with the flow,” she said.
When asked to summarize her nine decades, Cole simply reflects, “All in all, it’s been a good life and I’ve enjoyed it. And I guess I’m a horse of a different breed.”
And indeed, she is — a musical achiever, a helpful colleague and a woman who has spent a lifetime creating harmony in church, in music and in life.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Zoë Watkins and originally published by the Baptist and Reflector.
