Online Balanced Guitar Studio Testimonials
Roger Candelaria: “I believe Richard is the best guitar teacher in the country. He custom tailors his method to the way the student learns. Steadily but gradually he integrates the student’s technique with the theory, musicality and the style that the student wants to learn.”
Mary Thorp: (about The Balanced Ear)
Richard has an ability to bring clarity to this work & simplifies it so anyone can grasp it. I’m not a musician. Nor did I really know anything about ear training.
In my consulting, I listen to clients who are in new conversations that are shaping humanity. The foundation of their work begins with integrity, authenticity, being cause in the matter & having a commitment bigger than themselves. I was curious what the experience of Richard’s mastery would add to my highly trained listening.
I am quite amazed at what I’m hearing that I had no prior access to. He really is empowering me to train my body at a new level.
Message me if you have any questions about Richard’s or my work. [Click on her name above for Facebook link]
Thank you, Richard!
Ian Wardenski: I have known Dr. Richard Miller for four years of my doctoral studies at the Catholic University of America’s Benjamin T. Rome School of Music. During this time, I had the pleasure of completing my guitar studies under Dr. Miller, as well as serving as his teaching assistant for Fundamentals of Music Theory. In both settings, Dr. Miller proved himself to be an exceptional teacher and mentor. He strives to achieve the very most for his pedagogy, and is one of the most enthusiastic teachers I know. His teaching is always high caliber and insightful. In addition to his strong pedagogical skills, Dr. Miller is an outstanding performer. He recently gave a concert of Latin American music for Anne Arundel Community College’s Improvisational Music Committee, and I can attest to the fact that he performed beautifully. His concert was very well received, and comments by those in attendance were enthusiastically positive. Dr. Miller is truly a great pedagogue and performer. Students and audiences will benefit greatly from his passion for teaching and performing.
Ben Curtis: I can not recommend him enough. Richard is one of the most patient, dedicated, focused, fun and passionate teachers I’ve ever had. He’s smart and creative and makes learning guitar really a joy. I’m a professional musician and he helped take my playing to the next level. I’ve seen him do the same with beginners, so no matter your experience, Richard will take your playing to the next level
Sahana: Some of my favorite memories from college took place in Richard Miller’s Ear Training 1 class at Columbia University. It is very rare that we are blessed with a teacher who wraps educational material in bouquets of spiritual knowledge and engaging discussions applicable to any area of study. Even with something as simple as ear training intervals, Richard emphasized that the process of mastery involved an intimate knowledge of ourselves- combining the meditative, the bodily experience of muscle memory, and the social conversation in play. When teaching us the difference between minor and major scales, he’d bring out his guitar and improvise a beautiful song on the spot, one constructed from the falling rhythms of everyone’s names in the class. In elaborating the relationship between the different chords of a given scale, he drew a picture on the board of the planets in motion with one another- each chord, a different planet rotating around the tonic center. While some music theory classes have the tendency to get very intellectual and detached from the real-world and interactive process of music-making, Richard would ask us to ponder over the reason why we make music with each other in the first place. With kindness and patience, Richard painstakingly went through every aspect of the material in order to make sure that everyone in the class was on the same page, even if they didn’t have prior musical experience. While the students came from different backgrounds- ranging from political science majors in the school of general studies, to people who had never sung before- they were all united in the shared experience of smiling every time they walked into Richard’s Ear-Training 1 class!
Tatiana: I feel incredibly fortunate to have had Richard as my music professor for Ear Training 1 and 3 in my last semesters at Columbia University. As an adult student with no previous music experience, I was nervous about embarking on the journey of sound discovery, but Richard's teaching methods put me at ease and enabled my growth that extends beyond university life. Richard has a remarkable ability to be in tune with his students and adjust the level of instruction based on their background and experience utilizing ear training techniques, music theory, and effective practicing. Even after my graduation (with the degree that is far removed from artistic expression), music continues to be in my life thanks to the skills and passion developed in Richard's class.
Richard Elbert Miller, Ph. D.
Education
The Catholic University of America, Washington DC, Ph.D. in Music Theory (with honors), minor in Latin American Musicology. Dissertation: “The Guitar in the Brazilian Choro: Analyses of Traditional, Solo, and Art Music”
Manhattan School of Music, New York M. Mus in Guitar Performance
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga B. Mus in Guitar Performance and Theory/composition, 1985 (magna cum laude), minor in Mathematics
Principal Teachers: classical guitar: Mario Abril, Sharon Isbin, Nicholas Goluses, Carlos Barbosa-Lima; jazz: Paul Wingo, Howard Alden, Garry Dial
Dalcroze Eurhythmics: Dalcroze Institute at Juilliard, Kaufman Center, MSM, and private studies with Robert Abramson
Languages: Fluent in Portuguese, English and Spanish
Professional Experience
Columbia University, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music, NYC, 2011-2019
Afro-Latin Jazz Alliance, Director of Education Programs, NYC, 2015-2019t
The Balanced Guitar, Creator and Artistic Director, 2014-present
Concert Guitarist, 1992-present
Georgetown University, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Washington DC, 2010-11
Catholic University of America, Lecturer, Washington DC, 1992-2011
Guest Lectures
Publications
Professional Affiliations
Villa-Lobos Society, Guitar Foundation of America, Music Theory Society, Dalcroze Society of America, Schillinger Society, College Music Society, Brazilian Music Foundation
Mary Thorp: (about The Balanced Ear)
Richard has an ability to bring clarity to this work & simplifies it so anyone can grasp it. I’m not a musician. Nor did I really know anything about ear training.
In my consulting, I listen to clients who are in new conversations that are shaping humanity. The foundation of their work begins with integrity, authenticity, being cause in the matter & having a commitment bigger than themselves. I was curious what the experience of Richard’s mastery would add to my highly trained listening.
I am quite amazed at what I’m hearing that I had no prior access to. He really is empowering me to train my body at a new level.
Message me if you have any questions about Richard’s or my work. [Click on her name above for Facebook link]
Thank you, Richard!
Ian Wardenski: I have known Dr. Richard Miller for four years of my doctoral studies at the Catholic University of America’s Benjamin T. Rome School of Music. During this time, I had the pleasure of completing my guitar studies under Dr. Miller, as well as serving as his teaching assistant for Fundamentals of Music Theory. In both settings, Dr. Miller proved himself to be an exceptional teacher and mentor. He strives to achieve the very most for his pedagogy, and is one of the most enthusiastic teachers I know. His teaching is always high caliber and insightful. In addition to his strong pedagogical skills, Dr. Miller is an outstanding performer. He recently gave a concert of Latin American music for Anne Arundel Community College’s Improvisational Music Committee, and I can attest to the fact that he performed beautifully. His concert was very well received, and comments by those in attendance were enthusiastically positive. Dr. Miller is truly a great pedagogue and performer. Students and audiences will benefit greatly from his passion for teaching and performing.
Ben Curtis: I can not recommend him enough. Richard is one of the most patient, dedicated, focused, fun and passionate teachers I’ve ever had. He’s smart and creative and makes learning guitar really a joy. I’m a professional musician and he helped take my playing to the next level. I’ve seen him do the same with beginners, so no matter your experience, Richard will take your playing to the next level
Sahana: Some of my favorite memories from college took place in Richard Miller’s Ear Training 1 class at Columbia University. It is very rare that we are blessed with a teacher who wraps educational material in bouquets of spiritual knowledge and engaging discussions applicable to any area of study. Even with something as simple as ear training intervals, Richard emphasized that the process of mastery involved an intimate knowledge of ourselves- combining the meditative, the bodily experience of muscle memory, and the social conversation in play. When teaching us the difference between minor and major scales, he’d bring out his guitar and improvise a beautiful song on the spot, one constructed from the falling rhythms of everyone’s names in the class. In elaborating the relationship between the different chords of a given scale, he drew a picture on the board of the planets in motion with one another- each chord, a different planet rotating around the tonic center. While some music theory classes have the tendency to get very intellectual and detached from the real-world and interactive process of music-making, Richard would ask us to ponder over the reason why we make music with each other in the first place. With kindness and patience, Richard painstakingly went through every aspect of the material in order to make sure that everyone in the class was on the same page, even if they didn’t have prior musical experience. While the students came from different backgrounds- ranging from political science majors in the school of general studies, to people who had never sung before- they were all united in the shared experience of smiling every time they walked into Richard’s Ear-Training 1 class!
Tatiana: I feel incredibly fortunate to have had Richard as my music professor for Ear Training 1 and 3 in my last semesters at Columbia University. As an adult student with no previous music experience, I was nervous about embarking on the journey of sound discovery, but Richard's teaching methods put me at ease and enabled my growth that extends beyond university life. Richard has a remarkable ability to be in tune with his students and adjust the level of instruction based on their background and experience utilizing ear training techniques, music theory, and effective practicing. Even after my graduation (with the degree that is far removed from artistic expression), music continues to be in my life thanks to the skills and passion developed in Richard's class.
Richard Elbert Miller, Ph. D.
Education
The Catholic University of America, Washington DC, Ph.D. in Music Theory (with honors), minor in Latin American Musicology. Dissertation: “The Guitar in the Brazilian Choro: Analyses of Traditional, Solo, and Art Music”
Manhattan School of Music, New York M. Mus in Guitar Performance
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga B. Mus in Guitar Performance and Theory/composition, 1985 (magna cum laude), minor in Mathematics
Principal Teachers: classical guitar: Mario Abril, Sharon Isbin, Nicholas Goluses, Carlos Barbosa-Lima; jazz: Paul Wingo, Howard Alden, Garry Dial
Dalcroze Eurhythmics: Dalcroze Institute at Juilliard, Kaufman Center, MSM, and private studies with Robert Abramson
Languages: Fluent in Portuguese, English and Spanish
Professional Experience
Columbia University, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music, NYC, 2011-2019
- Teach core harmony sequence based on a Schenkerian approach and a strong emphasis on keyboard skills
- Teach courses in ear training applying Dalcroze techniques and improvisation
- Teach Music Humanities, developing listening skills and musical understanding for non-musicians through the Socratic method
- Develop curriculum and teach Ear Training VI: The Global Ear, aural skills based on the music of Africa, Brazil, Cuba, India, Asia and Eastern Europe
Afro-Latin Jazz Alliance, Director of Education Programs, NYC, 2015-2019t
- Develop curriculum to advance the mission of ALJA to use Afro-Latin jazz as an entry point to teach the principles of music and significance of culture
- Manage 50+ teaching artists, 14 teaching programs, and a $500,000 budget
- Develop and organize performance opportunities for students
- ADeveloped the curriculum and connection with Music On The Inside, a music education program from correctional facilities
The Balanced Guitar, Creator and Artistic Director, 2014-present
- Develop curriculum for guitar/yoga/surfing retreat and taught surfing and guitar in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama
- Organized the team of teachers, facilitators, and students and held the first retreat in Costa Rica, January 2015, and for each subsequent year
- Organized fundraising, grant development, website development, recruitment and promotion
Concert Guitarist, 1992-present
- Special Performances: Musical Director for Olivério: a Brazilian Twist in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, 2019, and at the Kennedy Center, 2016; Marlow Guitar Series, Washington DC, October 2017; Pope Francis, September 2015; National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Awards at Strathmore Hall, 2013; President Obama, White House, 2009; Pope Benedict, 2008; President Clinton, 1994; among others
- Concert halls: Broward County Center for the Performing Arts (FL); The Kennedy Center (DC); Merkin Hall (NYC); Strathmore Hall, (DC); U.S. Department of State; Ford Theater; The Hill Center (DC); Residence of the Brazilian Ambassador (DC); Casa do Cosme Velho (Rio de Janeiro); La Luna (El Salvador); Knoxville Guitar Society; Instituto Nacional de Cultura La Libertad (Trujillo, Peru); Embassies of Ukraine, Mexico, Brazil, Finland, and Germany, and many others; Organization of American States, Library of Congress, among others
- University concerts: College of Charleston, Middlebury College, Texas Southern University, University of Florida, University of South Carolina, University of Tennessee, Appalachian State University, James Madison University, University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown University, Catholic University, Missouri Southern State University, Virginia Commonwealth University, Columbia University, Palomar College (CA), among others
- Jazz clubs: Club Bonafide, Jazz at Kitano’s, Iridium Jazz Club, Zinc Bar, BB King’s in NYC, and Blues Alley, Rumba Café, Eighteenth Street Lounge, and Twins Lounge in Washington DC, and in various locations including Isis in Asheville, NC, Conundrum in Columbia, SC, O’Callahan’s and 49 West in Annapolis, MD, among others
- Ensembles: Richard Miller Trio, Gerdan Kaleidescope of World Music, DC Choro, Alexandria Guitar Quartet, Choro da Manhã, Coral Cantigas, and with singers such as Kay Lyra, Vanessa Falabella, and Patrick de Santos, among others
- Recordings: It’s Time, Richard Miller, 2017; The Lemonade Project, Pam Parker, 2010; Bread and Roses, Pam Parker, 2007; In the Mud with White Shoes, Patrick de Santos, 2005; Washington Area Music Timeline Concert Series CD, Vol. 1, Strathmore Hall, 2005; Imagine, Pam Parker, 2004; Sands of Time, Grace Griffith, Blix Street Label, 2003; I Guess He’d Rather Be in Colorado, Bill Danoff, Watch Your Head Music, 2002; Mosaic, The Alexandria Guitar Quartet, 2002; Working Class, Pam Parker, 2001; A quien corresponda, Lilo Gonzalez, LGP, 1994
Georgetown University, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Washington DC, 2010-11
- Taught private guitar lessons in classical, jazz and popular guitar
- Developed curriculum and taught theory courses to maximize learning within a limited core sequence (one semester of diatonic harmony)
Catholic University of America, Lecturer, Washington DC, 1992-2011
- Developed curriculum and taught Graduate Harmony Review and Graduate Aural Skills Review with a strong foundation in Dalcroze methods
- Taught core harmony courses, including Harmony I-IV, Eartraining/sight-singing I-IV, Fundamentals of Music Theory based on departmental guidelines and curriculum
- Instructed private students in guitar, bass guitar and mandolin using classical, jazz, and popular idioms and students’ selections of repertoire
Guest Lectures
- “The influence of João Pernambuco on Villa-Lobos,” Lecture for Virginia Commonwealth University’s Experiencing Villa-Lobos Festival, March 2019.
- “A Rhythmic History of Brazilian Music,” Lecture for the Portuguese club at Columbia University, October 2018.
- “Historia da Bossa Nova,” Lecture at Middlebury College, July 2018
- "Historia do Samba," Lecture at Middlebury College, July, 2017
- “Brazilian Rhythms for Accompaniment and Improvisation” University of Florida (2012), Anne Arundel Community College (2010, 2012, 2015)
- “Composing for the guitar” seminar for composition students New York University (2014), Catholic University of America (2008)
- “African Rhythms in Brazilian Popular Music” Middlebury College VT (yearly, 2009-2015), Missouri Southern State University (2010)
- “Villa-Lobos, the Guitar, and the Popular Choro Dances of the Early 20th Century" Third Ibero-American Guitar Festival (2009), Virginia Commonwealth University “Experiencing Villa-Lobos International Festival” (2008)
- “African Timelines in Brazilian Guitar Music” Georgetown University (2008), Middlebury College (2008), Brazilian-American Cultural Institute in DC (2006)
Publications
- The Guitar in the Brazilian Choro. (Germany: Lambert Academic Publishing), 2014.
- “African Timelines in Brazilian Popular Music: Tango Brasileiro, Maxixe and Choro” in Luso-Brazilian Review (Volume 48, Number 1, 2011). Among top 3 downloads for LBR on Project Muse
- “The Balanced Guitar: A Holistic Approach to Learning and Creativity.” In preparation.
Professional Affiliations
Villa-Lobos Society, Guitar Foundation of America, Music Theory Society, Dalcroze Society of America, Schillinger Society, College Music Society, Brazilian Music Foundation