As a musician there is a lot of time and patience that goes into the process of making music. It is not always the most fun, and you commit so many hours of your life to your craft. You listen to the same melody so much it loses all semblance of recognition in your mind and it can be easy to forget what the actual reason is in your decision to pursue this field.
1. Tell us about your background and journey.
I was born in Kansas and I lived the first eight years of my life on a farm fifteen miles away from the closest town and one mile away from the nearest neighbour. I’m a true born singer and I have memories singing and writing songs as early as three years old.
Coming from a multi-cultural family I was already hearing different languages and different music styles often and this was one of the main factors that made me want to branch out and discover the different sounds from different parts of the world.
My love of travel would later lead me towards a nomadic life, where I lived in Asia for two years. During my time there, I visited as many countries as I could soaking up the culture and obviously learning more and more about music. When living in Shanghai, China, I became linked up with some musicians, artists and dancers from around the world.
As Covid started, I found myself stuck in transit back in Colorado, US. Originally the plan was to come back for ten days to surprise my family after my years abroad, but after the pandemic started raging worldwide, it became clear that I wasn’t making it back to Shanghai anytime soon.
Instead, I threw myself into my music, branching into children’s songs as well as my own originals. After a year of restarting, I moved to New York in order to work with some producers and songwriters on new projects while being more centralized in a music environment. The sky is the limit.
2. When did you realize your passion in music?
As I stated before, I was born singing. There are stories of guests requesting songs from me as I stood behind the curtains to hide my face in my family’s home. My love of guitar developed very soon after. My mother had a guitar and sometimes would play although she slowed down considerably as I grew.
Once I was about 5 years old, my parents got me a child guitar and I used to walk down the halls of the house hold the mini guitar (upside down) and belting random bits of melody at the top of my lungs.
Not a lot has changed from then honestly, but as far as realizing when the passion for music began, it’s hard to say. For as long as I can remember music has been something that I could not go a day without.
3. Does your taste in music as a listener and as a musician coincide?
My tastes in music as a listener range all over the spectrum. I find music to be inspirational in all its forms. I tend to listen to new sounds and movements as a listener because it serves as a way for me to gather ideas. When I am listening as a musician it is a whole different story.
The things that I am listening to for pleasure are much different than I am listening to when I am working on music professionally. The terms and songwriting technicalities blend in without warning. For this reason, I usually take time to listen to music in my free time without using my brain so that I can still enjoy the easy listening aspect of the songs.
4. What are you currently doing?
I have just recently moved to New York to throw myself into my work. Currently I am working on multiple musical projects. My aim is to have new music ready upcoming in 2021. I am taking in the culture of the city and applying my passion towards music in a new and completely different way than I ever have before.
5. Who is your all-time favorite artist?
Truly I would never be able to name just one, because there is frankly too much inspiration to be had from too many sources to ever designate a true favorite.
6. What are your future plans?
My end goals are to finish the current projects I am working on and turn my eyes towards new opportunities. There are so many aspects and avenues of music that I am still learning and seeking out. I think that a true artist is always growing and pursuing the next idea.
As a musician there is a lot of time and patience that goes into the process of making music. It is not always the most fun, and you commit so many hours of your life to your craft. You listen to the same melody so much it loses all semblance of recognition in your mind and it can be easy to forget what the actual reason is in your decision to pursue this field.
However, there’s always a pull towards the taste of what is to come. The future looks very bright and I intend to get my hands in many new projects in the upcoming months and years.
Richard Miller
Richard Miller is a singer and songwriter from Colorado who has traveled the world honing his sound and perfecting his craft. Early on, his motivation towards finding an authentic original sound while still honoring and paying homage to various sounds and perspectives from around the world became a driving force in his travels.
During a two-year long period where Richard lived and travelled through Asia, he was greeted by indescribable and irreplaceable experiences with people and places that completely changed his scope. Music somehow fit in as a solution towards sharing experience and understanding of those journeys to others.
After returning to the U.S, music once again urged Richard to pursue. He took the time to gather his ability and his mind and made the leap to New York where he began writing and working with multiple established musicians and applied himself fully towards finding authenticity and intimacy with his song smithing.
At this point, he is pleased to be offering up an artform that he feels encompasses his identity and message in a way that relates and offers value to others.
Instagram id: @riiichardmiller
Interviewed by: Ananie Borgia
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