A Musical Romantic
Miami is Home for Jacob Miller
Intelligent, thoughtful and talented – the ingredients of a rising star. Add to that mix a cool, confident demeanor with glamorous rock star looks and Miami’s Jacob Miller is the result.
This 22-year-old singer-songwriter was born and raised in Miami Shores and went to the New World School of the Arts where he studied theatre, but had a passion for music. Following high school, Jacob made the intelligent decision to hone his musical skills by attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston. There he learned how to combine his considerable raw talent with a learned technique – the results clearly showing themselves in Jacob’s debut album, Who We Are.
“Berklee was very beneficial for me,” Jacob explains. “I’m mostly self-taught on the piano, so while at Berklee I felt somewhat stifled by the clearly defined structure. But now that I am away from it I can use what I learned and it has made me a better musician.”
Jacob is now back in Miami and poised to administer his career from his ever-evolving hometown. “I love Miami,” he proclaims. “A lot of people say that you have to be in New York or LA to work as a musician, but I think Miami is geared for the 21st century artist and will soon have a nuclear draw on young musicians and record execs alike. I signed with Dogleg Music and producer Richard Serotta who is extremely talented and a mentor to me.”
Jacob has chosen the developing Upper East Side to call home. “I bought a loft on 82nd and Biscayne that is very cool. The lobby has terrazzo floors and is vintage Miami. Plus, I need a space where I can rehearse in peace.”
And the quality of Jacob’s music is consistent with an artist who spends a lot of time in rehearsal. Although he is hesitant to refer to himself as a poet, many of his songs are thought-provoking ballads with lyrics that are indeed poetic. “I tend to think musically first and then create the lyrics,” he says.
Essentially, though, Jacob defines himself as a Romantic. “Musicians that I know obsess about music,” he says, “and writers obsess about writing. I find that I obsess about ideals, which is why I consider myself a Romantic. Songwriting is the medium I use to obsess about ideals.”
Jacob’s ideals are apparent in the song Luck of the Draw. Here, Jacob’s lyrics are empathetic toward the plight of immigrants escaping from their homeland to live the American dream. The music underscores his compassionate point-of-view with a chill, reggae vibe.
“A number of years ago a boat full of Haitians coming to Miami from Haiti landed off of the Rickenbacker Causeway,” he explains. “That event inspired me to write Luck of the Draw, a song about the immigrant experience as seen through the eyes of a sympathetic American. The Statue of Liberty says, ‘Give us your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breath free’ and I’m not sure that our current immigration policies are in line with that message.”
Other topics are not so political, rather heartfelt and melodic songs that deal with universal themes that unite people. His style manifested itself in Miami’s multi-cultural mix. “Growing up in Miami, there are so many different cultures coexisting and there’s this pervasive Latin and Caribbean vibe flowing through everything and influencing the music. So, when I write music, I don’t try to write a song in a certain groove that draws from a particular genre, but it’s something that just happens, something that is just a part of me.”
His songs manifest an innate sensibility for the subtleties of each moment—impressions, tones and textures that make up the whole story. He is a Miami native whose artistic sensibilities transcend our city limits, a hometown talent who has come back to his roots to build his professional musical foundation.
Listen to Jacob Miller right now at jacobmillermusic.com.
