Marcus L. Miller

Artist/percussionist, composer, and educator Marcus L. Miller is a multi-talented artist based in Southern California. Since his arrival in CA in 1993, Miller has worked tirelessly in the music and education fields, carving out a unique niche for himself and his abilities.

Miller is bandleader of his World/Jazz ensemble Freedom Jazz Movement. Miller founded the group in 1998 and since then they have played throughout the East and West coasts of North America. Miller writes the music for the group and usually performs with his jazz sextet. The group's size ranges from a duo to a 12 piece ensemble including three percussionists, a three piece horn section, traps, bass, piano, vocals, poet, and dancer. Based in Los angeles, the group performs often with the Lula Washington Dance Theatre at various theatres throughout the United States and internationally.

Among his various positions, Miller serves as President Universe Soul Records, and Co-Owner TaMar Productions, Music Director for the Lula Washington Dance Theatre, Artistic Director/Founder Young Drummers of Los Angeles, Music Consultant for St. Elmo Village and William Grant Still art center. Miller is also a member of SESAC, ASCAP, AFTRA, and the Recording Academy. Marcus endorses Remo drumheads & drums, Electro Voice microphones, Innovative Percussion drumsticks, Rhythm Tech percussion, Istanbul Mehmet cymbals, and Free Drum synths. Marcus plays DW jazz series collectors edition drums.

Miller's musical accomplishments include over 24 album releases.  He has written music for dance used for Television and Theatre performance, created music for independent film scores and soundtracks including Movement With A Meaning, Beyond the Echo of the drum, Love And Other 4 Letter Words, My girlfriend’s Back, and the 20th Century fox DVD release of Avatar the Last Airbender.

Miller has performed with a myriad of artists including Ben Harper, Ashanti,Sheila E., Michelle Shocked, Ozomatli, the Watts Prophets, Daniel Bernard Romain, Leon Mobley, Vinx, Tony Furtado, Bobby Bryant, and BoujouBumBastick.

Marcus’ workshops continue to be a success. In 2006, he traveled to the Caribbean and Mexico to work with counselors and children at several club Meds. Closer to home, Marcus has been a regular on the Southern CA public library scene. His drum workshop program, MarcusMillerDrums, has reached well over 200 libraries and schools.

In 2007, Marcus served as Artist in Residence at the CA African-American Museum (CAAM) for the Target Sundays program. He has worked with the Skirball Cultural Center & Museum, the LA County Museum of Art (LACMA), Kidspace museum, Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), and the Getty museum facilitating educational drum workshops and music programs.

Miller founded the Young Drummers of Los Angeles in 1999. This group is comprised of young boys ages 8-16. Many of the drummers were Miller's private students whom he noticed had considerable talent, but no place to showcase it. In his role as the Artistic Director, Miller states he started the group so that the kids could have a place to perform in order to gain the invaluable experience of performing live on stage and have an alternative to gangs, drugs, and other potentially ganderous activities. The group has performed for events involving two mayors of Los Angeles, participated in festivals and parades, and performed in theatres with the Lula Washington Youth Dance ensemble. Presently Miller's 8 private students are the building blocks for the next generation of the Young Drummers of Los Angeles.

In 2003, Marcus began working steadfastly on a musical career that enabled him to be a bandleader & composer, sit-in with other accomplished artists and musicians, entertain & educate thousands with his drum workshop program, regularly teach drum students in private lessons, and run his record label. Life is full, but fun!

Since 2006, Miller along with his group, the Marcus Miller Ensemble, has performed extensively with the Lula Washington Dance Theatre. This collaboration of Black American music and Black modern dance continues to redefine and reflect a unique “Black American cultural perspective”. Highlight performances include the Lincoln Center out of doors festival (2006), a six-week tour of Russia (2009), the International Book Fair festival in Guadalajara, MX (2009), a 15-city [3 week] tour of China (2011), the Amazonas Dance Festival in Manaus,Brasil (2011), the 2012 San Jose jazz festival, and a 3-week Russia/Siberia tour (2013), and a 4 night run at the Israeli Opera house in Tel Aviv (2016). In 2015, Miller and his ensemble headlined the 12th annual Vladivostock International Jazz Festival in Vladivostock, Russia.

In 2015, Miller began working with a group of artists called Panoply...a collaboration of musicians, dancers, poets, and graphic/visual artists developing new technology bridging and advancing the presentation of these artistic mediums. 2016 ushered in the start of a new project, M & M...the Afro-Persian Experience, with his band mate Mehdi Bagheri. In 2020, the duo released its debut album entitled M&M...the Afro-Persian Experience.

Evolving out of the Covid-19 pandemic years (2020-2022) was a new project Miller introduced called Universe X & the Apostles of Funk. This group is a fusion of World-beat & Afro-Beat grooves fused with the chants and rhythms of the Mardi Gras Indians. The group features the 2022 NEA Folk Heritage award recipient Big Chief Shaka Zulu of New Orleans, LA.

Gear

Remo endorsemnent artist - drumheads, drums Innvovate Percussion endorsemnent artist - drumsticks Rhythm Tech endorsemnent artist - percussion Istanbul Mehmat endorsemnent artist - cymbals Electro Voice endorsemnent artist - microphones FreeDrum endorsement artist - synths