Singer, songwriter and guitar player Scott Miller says his music is for "grown-ups and English majors." This piece shows Miller's music is much more. Through commentary and selections from his CD, "Letters to Myself", Miller processes his angst and his joy through song. The listener reaps the benefits of soul provoking poetry from a voice that "sounds like warm buttery cinnamon toast with raisins," according to one review.
Miller's simultaneously celebrates the beauty and laments the pain of living through songs about suicide to sailing. The piece also highlights Alaska's dependence on oil drilling income in a love song to the land around the TransAlaska Pipeline.
Miller was born in Vermont; grew up in Brooklyn; and says he is "pretty much an Alaskan by now." In the '70's he "played around the Berkshires in a band that moved by '59 Cadillac hearse. Made a demo, hung out with Cat Stevens' cello player, auditioned for the guy who invented The Monkeys, ate at Ray's Pizza and Zabar's as often as I could. Hit Anchorage as the backup band for a couple of guys with a record contract at Columbia and a song called 'Alaska Bloodline.' Oil was about to flow even faster than the Jack Daniels. Knew a frontier when I saw one, having walked through Coney Island at 3 in the morning."
Now Miller lives along the Southeast Alaskan panhandle, near a glacially carved saltwater channel skirted by hemlock and spruce trees amid steep mountain peaks. The setting provides uncommon inspiration for his music.
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Piece Description
Singer, songwriter and guitar player Scott Miller says his music is for "grown-ups and English majors." This piece shows Miller's music is much more. Through commentary and selections from his CD, "Letters to Myself", Miller processes his angst and his joy through song. The listener reaps the benefits of soul provoking poetry from a voice that "sounds like warm buttery cinnamon toast with raisins," according to one review. Miller's simultaneously celebrates the beauty and laments the pain of living through songs about suicide to sailing. The piece also highlights Alaska's dependence on oil drilling income in a love song to the land around the TransAlaska Pipeline. Miller was born in Vermont; grew up in Brooklyn; and says he is "pretty much an Alaskan by now." In the '70's he "played around the Berkshires in a band that moved by '59 Cadillac hearse. Made a demo, hung out with Cat Stevens' cello player, auditioned for the guy who invented The Monkeys, ate at Ray's Pizza and Zabar's as often as I could. Hit Anchorage as the backup band for a couple of guys with a record contract at Columbia and a song called 'Alaska Bloodline.' Oil was about to flow even faster than the Jack Daniels. Knew a frontier when I saw one, having walked through Coney Island at 3 in the morning." Now Miller lives along the Southeast Alaskan panhandle, near a glacially carved saltwater channel skirted by hemlock and spruce trees amid steep mountain peaks. The setting provides uncommon inspiration for his music.
Broadcast History
"AK" Alaska Public Radio Network, October 14, 2006
"Juneau Afternoon" KTOO-FM, Juneau Alaska, April 11, 2007
Transcript
KATIE BAUSLER
SCOTT MILLER-LETTERS TO MYSELF
TRT-8:35 w/o Host Lead and Tag
LEAD: THE MUSIC OF JUNEAU SINGER-GUITAR PLAYER SCOTT MILLER REFLECTS AN AWE OF ALASKA THAT BEGAN WHEN HE ARRIVED FROM BROOKLYN, NEW YORK IN THE MID-SEVENTIES. MILLER DESCRIBES HIS FIRST CD, LETTERS TO MYSELF AS, ?MUSIC FOR GROWN-UPS AND ENGLISH MAJORS?. AND AS MILLER TOLD AK CONTRIBUTOR KATIE BAUSLER, SONGWRITING IS CHEAPER THAN THERAPY.
TAG: SCOTT MILLER?S CD ?LETTERS TO MYSELF? CAN BE FOUND AT CDBABY DOT COM.
NARR: Sometimes Life?s so solid, you can hold it in your fingers. And sometimes it?s a sand dune in a hurricane. THESE LYRICS BY SCOTT MILLER REFLECT THE ESSENCE OF HIS MUSIC. THROUGH SONG WRITING, MILLER BOTH CELEBRATES THE BEAUTY OF LIVING AND STRUGGLES WITH PERSONAL DEMONS.
SCOTT: I try to go places that are hard to go with music. It?s fun to write funny songs. But a lot of times I...
Read the full transcript
Timing and Cues
LEAD:THE MUSIC OF JUNEAU SINGER-GUITAR PLAYER SCOTT MILLER REFLECTS AN AWE OF ALASKA THAT BEGAN WHEN HE ARRIVED FROM BROOKLYN, NEW YORK IN THE MID-SEVENTIES. MILLER DESCRIBES HIS FIRST CD, "LETTERS TO MYSELF" AS, MUSIC FOR GROWN-UPS AND ENGLISH MAJORS. AND AS MILLER TOLD PRODUCER KATIE BAUSLER, SONGWRITING IS CHEAPER THAN THERAPY.
TAG: SCOTT MILLER'S CD, LETTERS TO MYSELF,KATIE BAUSLER
SCOTT MILLER-LETTERS TO MYSELF
TRT-8:49 w/o Host Lead and Tag CAN BE FOUND AT CDBABY DOT COM.
