Cards' organist Hilton jams while in Jackson

In his role as partner with Lacefield Music piano stores, Dwayne Hilton reads and teaches music, and as the St. Louis Cardinals organist, he plays by ear -- and he's ready to hit the right notes.

Hilton was in Jackson on Thursday for a jam session at the home of piano teacher Marlene Dudley. He and Lacefield Music president Cathy McReynolds then spent "a few days" at the temporary shop in West Park Mall where shoppers can stop in and test out pianos, he said.

He can't stop himself from running a few chords on the piano in Dudley's living room, nodding to himself as liquid tones flowed.

"That's nice," he said.

Hilton said his path to making a living with music was pretty traditional.

St. Louis Cardinals organist Dwayne Hilton exhanges a look with local sixth-grader Clara Bledsoe after playing a duet Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019, in Jackson.BEN MATTHEWS ~ bmatthews@semissourian.com

In Ellington, Missouri, where he grew up, Hilton started lessons at age 7, and after graduating high school, studied piano performance at Missouri State University.

Then, shortly after graduation, he was hired at Lacefield Music.

"In the spring of 1996, I joined the company," Hilton said. "Cathy started the company with her son Oct. 1, 1995, at South County Mall in St. Louis. Several months later, I joined. I loved the company, and when it was time to open a second store, Cathy made me manager.

"We've really grown in the 25 years I've been with the company," he added.

The company now has locations in South County, St. Charles and Fairview Heights, Illinois, and the temporary shop for the holiday season at West Park Mall in Cape Girardeau.

McReynolds said Lacefield opened at West Park Mall on Black Friday this year, and will close Dec. 30.

"We stock more product down here than we do in St. Louis," McReynolds said. "We represent both Kawai and Yamaha, and we have great relationships with schools churches, teachers in southeast Missouri."

They met Dudley a few years back, and have become great friends, McReynolds said.

"This is our fourth year here," McReynolds said of Dudley's invite-only jam session.

When asked how he made the leap from piano sales to baseball organist, Hilton, who has just finished his 13th season with the Cardinals, said it was being in the right place at the right time.

"(Cardinals management) heard we sold organs," Hilton said. "They wanted a new one. They listened to me play, and they said, 'We'll take the organ and you, too!'"

He's a big baseball fan, Hilton said, noting his favorite player right now is first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.

"I must balance my day very carefully," Hilton said. "I have my typical routine as an owner, manager, salesperson at Lacefield. Then, when I'm off, I head to the stadium."

And he also has a wife and three children at home.

Playing for the Cardinals is part time, Hilton said -- it's only during baseball season, and it's only for the home games, but it's still a commitment.

McReynolds has filled in for Hilton, she said. "It was fun, but I'd say you need to do it quite a bit to get comfortable with it."

Hilton agreed. "While you're on, you are the game's soundtrack. I play with the window open to get a sense for how the crowd is."

It isn't like a concert performance with sheet music and a sedate crowd, Hilton acknowledged -- but then, neither is the jam session at Dudley's.