Music Interview with Mark "Guitar" Miller
Photo by: Betty Wilkins
By: Isaac Davis Jr., BGS, MBA
Sensational, spiritual, powerful, and passionate are just some of the words that describe this next artist. Mark "Guitar" Miller delivers with such a deep understanding of Blues music that fans will instantly gravitate towards him. In this recent spotlight with the artist, Mark "Guitar" Miller speaks candidly about his joy of making music. Here is what formulated.
Isaac: We'd love to know about your inspirations growing up. I hear so many influences in your music. How old were you when you first discovered music? Is there any kind of musical history in your family?
MGM: Well I was about 6, 7 years old – actually I was younger than that because my two older brothers played music, a lot like the Everly Brothers, so as soon as I was old enough to start moving around I saw a guitar and started messing around with it. I probably got serious and into talent shows when I was about 6, 7 or 8. And then I really got serious at 11 years old and started my first band. I my family, everyone was musical. My two older brothers were a duet like the Everly Brothers, and were fairly well known up in northern Maine. My sister sang and played guitar, and my mother sang in church, and my father sang strictly spiritual songs and played guitar.
Photo By: Sarah Harvey
Isaac: What drew you to pick up an instrument in the first place?
MGM: The sound of it…it was a cool sound.
Isaac: As you hit your teenage years, did you know that this was what you would be doing for the rest of your life?
MGM: For sure – by the time I was 11 years old, I knew that this was going to be my life.
Isaac: Is there a performer in any genre of pop culture that you would like to work with?
MGM: Yeah, I like Michael McDonald, I’d consider that Pop music- I really like Michael McDonald’s voice a lot and I would like to play guitar on one of his tunes.
Isaac: Who are some musicians that you really like, present or past?
MGM: Famous musicians? Well, Lenny Breau is the greatest musician I’ve ever heard – you know, guitarist. Jeff Beck is probably my favorite electric guitarist in the world today. Eric Clapton was a big influence on me in the 70’s, as he was all of us, and a great singer too. Back before that it was Chet Atkins and Duane Eddy and some of the older characters like that.
Isaac: What is your ultimate goal with your music career?
MGM: I think my goal has always been to give respect, and to get it in return. All I want to do is perform – it would be nice to see more venues, to branch out.
Isaac: What has been some of the obstacles it has taken to get this far in your career?
MGM: I think there were never many obstacles as far as playing music goes, but politics out and help you a bit. Once I had gone to Massachusetts for awhile and had played with a famous person for a time, when I came back to Maine people seemed to be a little bit more interested in me, the newspapers got on it. But it took some friends to get that going. There was politics that was mostly obstacles.
Isaac: Would you recommend this "field" to others who are aspiring to be musicians like you?
MGM: If I talk to a young person – location is a big thing. But, myself at 21 years old I wanted to go to Berklee College of Music, but I couldn’t afford to go, so I didn’t go – and I became sort of what they call a “street musician” – it wasn’t a person who played on the street for music but back then they called them street musicians, guys who didn’t go to school for music but just played in bands. But I would recommend any young person who wants to get into music to go to music school and get a degree so that you would have something to fall back on.
Photo by: Rhonda Farnham
Isaac: Describe one piece of advice you've have been given to by others in the music industry.
MGM: The biggest thing that people say to me is “keep playing”, “keep on your dream”, just keep playing, that is what you were meant to do, what you were born to do. It’s a natural thing for you to do, it’s your passion, and it’s your path. Just keep doing it.
Isaac: What genre of music do you consider most of your music?
MGM: Well, I have always loved Blues guitar. I love the personalities of the Blues players, not all the Blues players I heard had that, you know there were 5 or 6 of them I could tell them from each other – and then there are a lot of Blues players who copy everyone else. That’s fine too, they have fun with it, but you could tell Albert Collins, you could tell BB, you could tell Eric Clapton playing the Blues – Mike Bloomfield, who’s probably my all-time favorite Blues guitarist. But I love the Blues; it gave me a chance to express myself and my feelings without having to sing. I love that, because I could make the guitar sing from my soul. But I do love Country music - traditional Country music and Folk music, and I like a lot of the music the young folks are doing today, as long as I can understand the words. I love spiritual music, right now Elvis Presley is my favorite spiritual singer - been listening to a lot of his spiritual music, its wonderful, great singer. I like just about everything, but being a guitar player I have to say I'm really fond of playing Blues guitar.
Isaac: What has been your favorite piece of work?
MGM: That I have done? As you know, I don't spend a lot of time listening to my music, but I like "Tired" a lot - I don't have one favorite piece, but the one I wrote for my mother "It Always Has To Rain To Make A Rainbow" is probably my favorite piece.
Isaac: How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with sample songs or a demo CD?
MGM: Most of my important sites - aside from iTunes and Amazon - are listed here:
www.cdbaby.com/Artist/MarkGuitarMiller ,
www.nimbitmusic.com/markguitarmiller ,
www.facebook.com/profile.php?v=app_24051...
www.reverbnation.com/markguitarmiller ,
www.markguitarmiller.com/ ,
allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:0xf... ,
www.myspace.com/markguitarmillerblues ,
and www.facebook.com/profile.php?v=app_24051...
Isaac: Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge for offering financial or emotional support?
MGM: Mr. Douglass Hooper, he was the first gentleman to come along and help me - the first CD wouldn't have been possible without him, I still consider him a great friend. Tim Calahan, who helped in the second CD, helped me - these are folks with hearts of gold. I probably wouldn't have been able to do a CD - financially - without them. Also Mr. Brad Delp who helped me many years as a supportive friend - not a financial thing, but he sang on my new CD. He was a great friend - the king of kindness. And lastly Clarke Nattress and his wife Mary - who built and maintains all my web pages, YouTube, MySpace and all that. Mary has been my friend since I was 15 or 16 years old.
Isaac: Any last words?
MGM: My last word are just thank you for anyone who plays my music, supports it and enjoys it - I feel really fortunate to have a gift that I can share with people on this "magnetic" planet.
