Nick Miller

Sat, 05/10/2008 - 08:07

My earliest musical attempts were singing muppet songs to my mum and attempting to play my father’s banjo when I was about six years old. When I found those arduous claw hammer practice sessions too hard I gave up the banjo and decided to take up air guitar, which I practiced with great dedication for most of my preteens.

When I was 12, I finally took that impossible step of plucking away on a battered nylon string and eventually managed to scrape through “Let It Be” by the Beatles. My parents were impressed with my obsessive dedication on an instrument that wasn’t imaginary, and they bought me an Ibanez Blazer from a second hand guitar store. My father made an adapter plug so that I could play through our stereo system in the living room.

Throughout high school I played for hours and hours every day. I went through many different musical sounds and worshipped many different heros, either transcribing solos by ear or greedily gulping down the latest transcriptions in guitar magazines.

Some players that I have been and are still influenced by include: Steve Morse, Gary Moore, Slash, Satch, Johnny Winter, Tommy Emmanuel, Vernon Reid, Ric Brewster and Angus Young.

I have played jazz for many years and find infinite new musical ideas to explore in the genre. My favourite jazz artists are saxophonists John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter and guitarists Grant Green, Wes Montgomery, Martin Taylor, Bireli Lagrene, Jimmy Rosenberg and of course Django.

In my early twenties I had the pleasure of touring throughout Europe as lead guitarist with my band Simoriah. We secured the opening spots for the bands Deep Purple, Mercyful Fate, Monster Magnet and Metallica, and also played at several large crowd festivals.

As a guitar teacher I have taught over 500 students, and I love sharing the magic of this crazy six stringed thing which sings, screams, growls and hums with our emotions and experience of life.

I gig regularly in clubs with various players in the Sydney jazz scene, and am currently writing and recording material for a debut solo album.

Peace

Nick Miller