For nearly 13 years, Garret Jerger and his wife, Jenn have called this neighborhood home. "We love the people," he says. "There are a lot of great neighbors who are always willing to lend a helping hand if and when it's needed." By day, Garret is a special education teacher. By night, he's the rhythm guitarist behind a rock band named Mellenium.

Garret has played guitar since middle school, and music has always been his outlet. After moving into the neighborhood, he met fellow resident Brian Kelly, who was playing in a different band at the time. Garret auditioned, joined the band, and the two played some shows together — until, as often happens with bands, things fizzled.

In 2022, Mellenium was born. The original lineup brought together Garret, Brian, Chris (Jenn’s  best friend's husband) and Chris's neighbor Melanie, the "Mel" of Mellenium. The core four came together almost by accident, during a late-night, impromptu jam session at Chris's 40th birthday party.

Since then, Millenium has played local stages including Old Republic, Rochaus, and EvenFlow, and shared bills with nationally touring acts. "There's something really rewarding about seeing the audience enjoy the performance and sharing that energy in the moment", shares Garret. He also shares that the harder part is keeping several personalities pulling in the same direction — schedules, priorities, and creative differences can test any band's staying power.

Garret says that recently one show stands out above the rest: watching neighbors gather at a Highland Woods food truck event, connecting and relaxing to live music, showing him how much music can bring people together. “It was great to watch people connect, relax, and enjoy themselves while sharing the experience of live music”, says Garret.

Mellenium is now booking shows through summer and fall, with an eye on the festival circuit next year. Garret's advice to anyone chasing a similar dream is straightforward: "Persistence is everything. Not every venue is going to say yes, and that's part of the process. If you stay committed and keep showing up, those smaller opportunities can eventually lead to bigger gigs."

Not bad, for a band that started with an impromptu jam session! Check out some of their performances on YouTube @MelleniumLIVE or find out where they will be playing next on their Facebook page.