Meet Brett Miller

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brett Miller and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brett, how do you think about risk?
In such a cliche fashion, I have a quote on my Instagram profile that reads, “it’s even riskier to play it safe.” I probably heard a variation of that sentiment somewhere else, but it came out pretty organically when I decided to include something like this on my Instagram. And it’s so true, isn’t it? With the fear of taking risks and exposing yourself comes the consequence of never taking the proper steps forward to what you want in this life. Days, months, years pass and you’re still finding yourself in the same spaces, with the same faces, having the same conversations, because you couldn’t stand the idea of risking failure, embarrassment, or finding a dead end to trudge through toward making your dreams and ideal situation a reality. All in the name of protecting ourselves, right? How ironic. Another cliche is that it’s a balancing act. We do need to be mindful of a lot in this world, whether it’s of people, of certain occupations, certain foods, etc, but we also can have growing disgust of our current or past circumstances, and know we need to do something about it if we ever want to see a change. This isn’t about throwing caution to the wind and living like Evel Knievel, but more about discerning the right times to go for gold, while understanding that even in the worst possible outcome, you’ll ‘live to fight another day.’

With music, or any of the arts, the entire point of the art and establishing a career in it is taking risks. At it’s core, nearly every art form is a creative expression, and so much of one’s success in that art form is the places they go artistically with their “paintbrush”. If the artist doesn’t take risks, they might as well call it hobby. Mimicry of other risk takers will certainly always be present, in any art form, but it’s the risk-taking artists that eventually become enshrined, on any kind of scale: person to person, locally, or worldwide. They are remembered for their bravery, their intuition, their authenticity, and their dedication to the craft. Without taking risks, we never leave the nest and we never truly allow our authentic selves to come forth. We become doomed to live in the shadows of what could’ve been. Pretty deep, I know.

All that to say, I do my damnedest to recognize when whatever lies ahead is an opportunity to flourish, or a risk not worth taking right now. As a songwriter, so much of that risk is personal, and focuses mainly on how uncomfortable I choose to make myself to uncover something I’ve never thought of or never heard anyone else say or do. As a performer, however, beyond the initial stage fright or pre-show angst is finding the courage to be disliked or not everyone’s “cup of tea,” to follow through on performing how I want to perform. And even non-musically, yet still business and people related, we take risks every time we shake hands and speak with someone. We take chances on the people we trust to work closely with us, and even people or companies we choose to avoid. In a tough industry, where the media outlets, labels, PR companies, booking agencies, etc., all want the artist to feel as disposable as the next, it’s always risky to choose to stand up for yourself and know confidently that you’re providing value, and you could never work with anyone that doesn’t see that in you, so you choose to walk away. Of course, that’s a risk, but isn’t it more risky to acquiesce, hoping they might change their mind, only to find yourself deeper into to their disrespect and now it’s twice as hard to leave as it once was? There is risk involved in truly every decision.

At the end of it all, what do you value most that is worth fighting for and basing your decision-making? Is it self-respect? Is it sincerity and kindness? Whatever one chooses will orient their decision-making and provide the right context for knowing what risks are worth taking and which ones simply are not. It’s very tricky in the beginning, and of course stirs up a lot emotions, but just beyond that phase is a newfound perspective that can be so powerful and liberating, knowing you have a purpose and reason to take risks, and regardless of any particular outcome, you will continue to move forward and prosper. The only metric worth considering is time. How much time can you waste in the same spaces with same faces, before you do something about it? At what point do we realize that we have nothing to lose and everything to gain?

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Well, there’s a lot to answer in these questions, but I think I can keep it pretty concise. I mentioned before that there’s a balance to have with everything. As a full time musician and recording artist, I constantly feel the need to balance being in creative mode and business mode. It’s true what they say that a lot of artists tend to lack that business acumen to establish themselves, and conversely the average businessman can’t clap in rhythm to save their life. Most people lack something that their counterpart has. And whilst I sometimes struggle with focusing on one aspect over the other, I feel grateful in having an upbringing in both music and business. My mother was a professional singer and pianist in my youth, and my father has run his own business since I was 2 years old and introduced me to a lot over the years. At the core of who I am, and how I’ve established myself thus far, I am a music entrepreneur. I run my music career like a business, whether from performing full-time, creating and monetizing content online, or deriving income from streaming royalties and licensing my music, it’s all being operated like a business set on growth. I have the curiosity and drive of the entrepreneur, scouting investment opportunities and having a growing general knowledge of a lot of different subjects, but mainly my focus is on my product, and my product is me. It’s a mindset that has paid off very well, as I get more involved with areas outside of music that ultimately help afford to focus more on my craft and skillsets long term. I do music full-time; no other job. I operate independently; no boss to answer to, and it’s a very liberating and fulfilling experience. I’m confident I will be able to make and perform music til my dying days, because of how I’ve been able to structure my life and career around this concept, and I’d highly recommend it for the new artists emerging.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well, when we’re talking about Fort Lauderdale / Miami, FL, you can imagine my friends like to visit as often as they can. Granted, my closest friends and I are from South Florida, a bit more north near the West Palm Beach area, so no one is operating too blindly, but I’ve had several friends from my former stomping grounds of NYC come down to visit and I love being able to bring them to performances of mine, toward the beach area, and into the nightlife on Las Olas, Hollywood/Aventura, and even Wynwood, if we feel inclined. There’s so much cool stuff to see in these artsier districts, as well as plenty of great restaurants and shops to walk into.

Since the pandemic, South Florida has grown tremendously with more and more communal and pedestrian-friendly areas being built. There’s a lot to see. And although it’s not difficult to get to these areas, things are certainly spread out. I live and hover around the Fort Lauderdale area, which offers so much from the beach, nightlife, malls, etc., whilst also acing as a middle ground between the Miami area and Palm Beach County. Certain spots in PBC like Delray Beach and West Palm Beach have blossomed for sure. I love hanging out in Delray to eat and walk around for the evening, and sometimes I’ll be playing in that area at Throw Social or even at the amphitheater for their monthly concert series, which makes things even more convenient. On the opposite side, Miami is a beast of a city, and there’s so much of it that even I haven’t experienced yet as native Floridian. I do enjoy taking the train down to the Miami Central station and taking the day to be downtown, walking up to the Design district and Wynwood.

There’s so much to see in this large, growing area of South Florida, and I’m always glad when friends visit and give me a reason to hit spots I haven’t been to yet, as well as the spots around our neighborhood. Always a good time.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Wow, I love this question, but also know it’s hard one to answer. Personally and professionally, I’ve had a lot of support from certain individuals all along this music journey. I’m feeling inclined to mention a few people. First and foremost is my parents. My talents and skills flourished greatly because of the environment they put me in regularly with school, classes, camps, etc. and also the environment they created at home, with always having my instruments set up and always being encouraged to play them. Without their support in the very early years, I would not be where I am today. If and when I have kids of my own, I pray I could give the same amount of support and encouragement in whatever they want to do in life.

Beyond my immediate family, I was very impacted by several faculty members of the schools I attended from High School to Grad School. From my choir and drama teachers at South Fork High, Eileen Walentin and Annie Schwarz, my Rollins College music professors, Dan Flick, John “Doc” Sinclair, Jamey Ray, and the rest of the staff, as well as my professors from the NYU songwriting department, Phil Galdston, Billy Seidman, Barry Eastman, and co, I’m very grateful to have had such guidance through my academic career that has led to my establishment in music for the long haul. I thank everyone above for our time spent together, and all the encouragement I received to push my limits and make a name for myself.

Website: http://brettmillerlive.com

Instagram: http://instagram.com/brettmillerlive

Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/brettmillerlive

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Youtube: http://youtube.com/brettmillerlive

Other: Listen to Music by Brett Miller: https://fanlink.tv/brettmillerlive 

Image Credits
Chaz Mazzota (http://instagram.com/chazmazzota) Max Civils (http://instagram.com/maxcivils) Mike Jeffries (https://www.instagram.com/jm_jeffries)