Allison Miller (drummer)
Encyclopedia
Allison Miller is a New York City-based drummer
, singer, and composer
.
Miller has performed with songwriting vocalists Ani DiFranco
, Natalie Merchant
, and Erin McKeown
, and toured with avant-garde saxophonist Marty Ehrlich and organist Doctor Lonnie Smith.
She currently has a band called "emma" with fellow musician Erin McKeown
. Miller also showcases her piano trio compositions with her band, TILT
, and continues to perform songs from her debut release 5am Stroll. The album was produced by Lenny White and features Boom Tic Boom, whose members include Ray Drummond on bass, Steve Wilson on alto saxophone and alto flute, Virginia Mayhew on tenor saxophone, and Bruce Barth on piano.
Allison Miller is also a collaborative member of Agrazing Maze, composed of Ingrid Jensen (trumpet), Enrique Haneine (piano), Carlo DeRosa (bass) and Miller on drums. Their album, At the End of the Day, was released on Foxhaven Records in November 2005 and was voted a "Top 10 Jazz Record of 2005" in All About Jazz NY.
Miller began playing the drums at age 10, and quickly began studying with a top teacher in the Washington D.C. area, Walter Salb. In 1991, she was featured in Downbeat magazine's "Up and Coming" spotlight. She soon began playing in clubs in Washington D.C. and eventually received a Bachelor of Music Performance degree at West Virginia University
. After graduating summa cum laude in 1996, she moved to New York City
to begin her career as a freelance drummer and continue her studies with Michael Carvin.
Miller has since performed and recorded with Natalie Merchant, Ani DiFranco, Brandi Carlile, Pino Daniele, Kenny Barron, Norah Jones, Doctor Lonnie Smith, Steven Bernstein, Ray Drummond, Peter Bernstein, Erin McKeown, Sheila Jordan, Marty Ehrlich, George Garzone, Melissa Ferrick, Kitty Margolis, Michael Feinstein
, Shahin Novrasli, Toshi Reagon, Mike Stern, Rachel Z, Kevin Mahogany, Ingrid Jensen, Paul Bollenback, Barbara Dennerlein, Mimi Fox, John McNeil, Jenny Scheinman, Virginia Mayhew, Bruce Barth, Mark Soskin, Harvie S, poet Alix Olsen and the band Betty. Miller's drumming and composing have also been featured on the Showtime hit series, The L Word
.
In addition, Miller was chosen by the US State Department to tour East Africa, Eurasia and Southeast Asia as a Jazz Ambassador.
Allison Miller recently founded the "Walter Salb Memorial Scholarship Foundation" in honor of her late teacher and mentor. The foundation annually provides a promising young musician a monetary award directed toward furthering their studies in music.
Miller also holds an adjunct teaching position at Kutztown University and gives lessons and master classes at additional universities and high schools throughout the United States, including NYU, UMASS Amherst, University of Alaska, Elon University
, University of South Florida
, West Virginia University
, Berkeley Jazz School, University of the Pacific, UC Berkeley and the University of Maryland
. She recently had one of her lessons published in DRUM magazine and has also been featured in Downbeat, Jazz Times, Modern Drummer, All About Jazz NY, and Female Musician magazine.
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
, singer, and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
Miller has performed with songwriting vocalists Ani DiFranco
Ani DiFranco
Ani DiFranco is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, guitarist, poet, and songwriter. She has released more than 20 albums, and is widely considered a feminist icon.-Biography:...
, Natalie Merchant
Natalie Merchant
Natalie Anne Merchant is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She joined the alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs in 1981 and left it to begin her solo career in 1993.-Early life:...
, and Erin McKeown
Erin McKeown
Erin McKeown is an American multi-instrumentalist and folk-rock singer/songwriter.McKeown began her career in the folk scene. She released her first album, Monday Morning Cold, on her own label , travelling throughout New England while still a student at Brown University in order to promote the...
, and toured with avant-garde saxophonist Marty Ehrlich and organist Doctor Lonnie Smith.
She currently has a band called "emma" with fellow musician Erin McKeown
Erin McKeown
Erin McKeown is an American multi-instrumentalist and folk-rock singer/songwriter.McKeown began her career in the folk scene. She released her first album, Monday Morning Cold, on her own label , travelling throughout New England while still a student at Brown University in order to promote the...
. Miller also showcases her piano trio compositions with her band, TILT
Tilt (band)
Tilt was an American punk rock band from the East Bay, California, United States, formed in 1992. The group's debut studio album, Play Cell, was released through Lookout Records in 1993. They would soon after get signed to Fat Wreck Chords, which the rest of its albums were released through...
, and continues to perform songs from her debut release 5am Stroll. The album was produced by Lenny White and features Boom Tic Boom, whose members include Ray Drummond on bass, Steve Wilson on alto saxophone and alto flute, Virginia Mayhew on tenor saxophone, and Bruce Barth on piano.
Allison Miller is also a collaborative member of Agrazing Maze, composed of Ingrid Jensen (trumpet), Enrique Haneine (piano), Carlo DeRosa (bass) and Miller on drums. Their album, At the End of the Day, was released on Foxhaven Records in November 2005 and was voted a "Top 10 Jazz Record of 2005" in All About Jazz NY.
Miller began playing the drums at age 10, and quickly began studying with a top teacher in the Washington D.C. area, Walter Salb. In 1991, she was featured in Downbeat magazine's "Up and Coming" spotlight. She soon began playing in clubs in Washington D.C. and eventually received a Bachelor of Music Performance degree at West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
. After graduating summa cum laude in 1996, she moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to begin her career as a freelance drummer and continue her studies with Michael Carvin.
Miller has since performed and recorded with Natalie Merchant, Ani DiFranco, Brandi Carlile, Pino Daniele, Kenny Barron, Norah Jones, Doctor Lonnie Smith, Steven Bernstein, Ray Drummond, Peter Bernstein, Erin McKeown, Sheila Jordan, Marty Ehrlich, George Garzone, Melissa Ferrick, Kitty Margolis, Michael Feinstein
Michael Feinstein
Michael Jay Feinstein is an American singer, pianist, and music revivalist. He is an interpreter of, and an anthropologist and archivist for, the repertoire known as the Great American Songbook. In 1988 he won a Drama Desk Special Award for celebrating American musical theatre songs...
, Shahin Novrasli, Toshi Reagon, Mike Stern, Rachel Z, Kevin Mahogany, Ingrid Jensen, Paul Bollenback, Barbara Dennerlein, Mimi Fox, John McNeil, Jenny Scheinman, Virginia Mayhew, Bruce Barth, Mark Soskin, Harvie S, poet Alix Olsen and the band Betty. Miller's drumming and composing have also been featured on the Showtime hit series, The L Word
The L Word
The L Word is an American co-production television drama series originally shown on Showtime portraying the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their friends, family and lovers in the trendy Greater Los Angeles, California city of West Hollywood...
.
In addition, Miller was chosen by the US State Department to tour East Africa, Eurasia and Southeast Asia as a Jazz Ambassador.
Allison Miller recently founded the "Walter Salb Memorial Scholarship Foundation" in honor of her late teacher and mentor. The foundation annually provides a promising young musician a monetary award directed toward furthering their studies in music.
Miller also holds an adjunct teaching position at Kutztown University and gives lessons and master classes at additional universities and high schools throughout the United States, including NYU, UMASS Amherst, University of Alaska, Elon University
Elon University
Elon University is a private liberal arts university in Elon, North Carolina, United States. Formerly known as Elon College, it became Elon University on June 1, 2001. The campus is a botanical garden and features oak trees, brick sidewalks, fountains, and lakes...
, University of South Florida
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida, also known as USF, is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in Tampa, Florida, USA...
, West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
, Berkeley Jazz School, University of the Pacific, UC Berkeley and the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
. She recently had one of her lessons published in DRUM magazine and has also been featured in Downbeat, Jazz Times, Modern Drummer, All About Jazz NY, and Female Musician magazine.
Discography
- 5am Stroll (Foxhaven Records) (2005)
- Boom tic Boom (Foxhaven Records) (2010)