DEMO REEL
ABOUT
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My name is Alexander Elliott Miller, I'm a composer, guitarist and educator in Southern California, where I've lived for two decades. Much of my musical activity has been set in the contemporary classical community in Los Angeles, particularly focusing on the electric guitar in solo, chamber, electronic and multimedia settings.
As a composer, I love writing for my own instrument and performing. I have two solo albums of music for electric guitar and electronics and have performed these works in solo recitals at new music venues such as Tuesdays at Monk Space, Boston Court Pasadena, Hear Now and others. I've written works for guitar in chamber ensemble settings for groups like HOCKET, the Panic Duo and my own duo with percussionist Ben Phelps. I also write music for other ensembles and have had wonderful opportunities to have my works performed and recorded by artists including Aron Kallay, Nic Gerpe and Duo Montagnard. As a guitarist, I enjoy playing others' music, sight reading, improvising, collaborating, and have played guitar and performed new and experimental compositions with groups like Brightwork New Music, Synchromy and the Long Beach Opera, as well as vocal and theatrical works with Pasadena Pro Musica and the Sierra Madre Playhouse. I've done live work for Dutch "Avant-Pop" composer JacobTV, remote recording for composers Ian Dicke and Jordan Nelson, and also enjoy arranging favorite popular, jazz and film music cues as chord melody arrangements for solo guitar. As a teacher, I have taught composition, music theory and sight reading at CSULB since 2013, as well as Chapman University since 2012. My career has given me the opportunity to see many former students become professional musicians now active in the LA area, with whom I've often maintained professional and collaborative relationships. I'm always interested in meeting new musicians and developing new collaborations, whether on stage, in studio or through remote work. I am especially drawn to projects involving electric or acoustic guitar in contemporary, classical, electronic, film or theatrical settings. |
Photo: Andrew Reitsma
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MUSIC
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Original Compositions for Guitar & Electronics
Running Spring is an original composition for live electric guitar and a synthesizer soundtrack created during the Covid 19 pandemic, inspired my experiences of getting into running during that time. This is a driven and determined work, with rock, electronic and cinematic influences.
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In the Company of Thoughts is a second original composition, also for live electric guitar and synth bass soundtrack, created during quarantine. Recorded for my album "Antibodypolitic," the same album as Running Spring, this is a quieter, more contemplative, classically influenced composition.
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Performance with Chamber Ensembles
"She, by Laura Mvula" is a work arranged by my friend, composer and pianist Sarah Gibson (1986 - 2024) for a collaborative concert in 2021. I joined her ensemble, HOCKET, with composer and pianist Thomas Kotcheff, and a guest violinist Nick Bentz, to perform her arrangement.
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Arranging for Guitar
I have a passion for arranging pop songs, jazz and film scores for guitar in a solo chord melody style. Here is an example of my arranging, John Williams' "Yoda's Theme" from The Empire Strikes Back.
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Commissioned Compositions
Chaparral is a duo for alto saxophone and classical guitar commissioned by the Duo Montagnard for their 2020 California tour.
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Aftermath is a trio for electric guitar and piano, 4-hands, commissioned by HOCKET (Sarah Gibson & Thomas Kotcheff) for their Composer-Performer Initiative project in 2021.
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PRESS
GALLERY
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CONTACT