Bands:
Daniel Miller started playing music with violin at age of four. Growing up taking lessons and playing concerts, he gained early exposure to a variety of music styles and fell in love with music from early on. After picking up ukulele, guitar, and bass in grade school, he formed a series of bands, always with the position of lead singer, songwriter, and manager.
Through his extensive worldwide travels, his mother's French heritage, studies in Accra at the University of Ghana, collaborative recordings in Kingston, Jamaica with reggae artists, Turbulence, Al Pancho, Cassie Man, and as a member of Senegalese group, Ibrahima Camara and Safal, as well as a current member of Boka Kouyate’s Guinean ensemble, Djeliyah Band, Daniel has a deep understanding and appreciation of the many different dialects of music. He has also performed with Cee-lo Green and Jason Mraz.
He holds a degree in Contemporary Writing and production from Berklee College of Music as well as a degree in International Studies from the Jackson School at the University of Washington.
He performs regularly with internationally acclaimed Jamaican artist, Clinton Fearon, his own world music group, The Highlife Band, West African Guinean group Boka Kouyate & Djeliyah Band, Brazilian and Latin Jazz band, Todo Es, and veteren Seattle afrobeat - hip hop group, Publish The Quest. He is lead vocalist guitarist, and bandleader for The Highlife Band, which completed tours of France and Spain in 2014, tours all over the West Coast of the U.S. and British Columbia in 2015 & 2017, and a 15 date tour of France and Belgium in 2018. The latest album is available here.
In addition to performing, Daniel has a passion for teaching music and passing on the craft of music making to others. He opened his own music school in 2016, called Rockory Music School. Located in Kirkland, WA, the school focuses on Jazz, World Music, R&B, and Classical styles. Children and adults enjoy quality private lessons, band programs, music appreciation, theory, recording courses, and summer camps. He is a member of Music Teachers National Association, as well as the Washington State and Lake Washington Music Teacher local chapters.
Daniel is also an adept composer, arranger, and producer, having created musical works for several of his performing groups. He composed all of The Highlife Band’s repertoire, including the 11 songs on the group’s latest album, “Say Something,” which was released in Fall 2023. He has made arrangements for The Jazz Underground, youth rock groups and camps at his music studio, Rockory Music School, and collaborated on the song, “Negra Soy,” released last summer with his group, Todo Es on the the album, “Elemento.” He has been a voting member of The Recording Academy since 2009.