Brant Miller has had songs recorded by country and bluegrass artists in both the U.S. and Europe, including “Somewhere Under the Rainbow,”  recorded by the Danish group Cowgirls, which went Platinum in Denmark. He was the writer, recording artist, and producer of a critically acclaimed collection of songs about canoeing and kayaking called "Music River - Original Whitewater Song and River Ballads.” This CD has become a favorite among paddlers both in the U.S. and abroad. Brant has also been a top-three finalist five times in the national Chris Austin Songwriting Contest at Merlefest in North Carolina, most recently performing there with co-writer Dave Woodward. He and Dave have also been invited to perform twice at the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Songwriter's Showcase at the organization’s annual convention.
Brant, who grew up in the small town of Croton-on-Hudson, New York, started writing songs and playing guitar and harmonica in high school. He was soon “blowing harp” with his first band, Captain Dunes and the Blue Milk. While attending the College of Forestry at Syracuse, he played guitar in another blues band, and then was bitten by the bluegrass bug after hearing the Father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe. Brant’s growing love of this music inspired him to write bluegrass songs and to add the mandolin to his arsenal of instruments. Other important musical and songwriting influences include Bob Dylan, Little Walter, and Hank Williams.
As a forester, Brant has worked in tropical Honduras as a Peace Corps volunteer, and in sub-arctic Southeast Alaska with the U.S. Forest Service. He moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1982 to pursue songwriting, and then returned to forestry in 1988, spending the next six years with the Tennessee Division of Forestry in the hills of East Tennessee. There, he honed his bluegrass skills while picking and grinning with local musicians. Brant has been the Staff Wildlife Forester with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency since 1994 and lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, Patricia and their two cats.brant@secondnaturesongs.com Next Bio |
