Hazel Miller
By Alex Teitz
Hazel Miller is the down-and-dirty Blueswoman of Colorado. Her voice is a cross between Aretha and Tina blasted on high. Miller’s energy flows off stage at every performance. She has a unique way of projecting confidence, innocence, and a childish urge to cause trouble to the audience.
Miller’s sophomore CD has been long in the making. The CD is called I’m Still Looking, and has songs written by Colorado songwriters only. hazelmiller.biz
FEMMUSIC: Who have been your biggest music influences?
HM: I am influenced by all the music that I heard on the radio growing up. But I was also influenced by the many talented singers that I saw and heard on the many variety shows that I loved to watch in the 60s and 70s.
FEMMUSIC: How do you think your music has changed over time?
HM: Yes and no. Music has become more diverse because people are more diverse. But music remains the great uniting force that it always has been.
FEMMUSIC: What was the biggest challenge making I’m Still Looking?
HM: Raising the money necessary to complete the recording and pressing.
FEMMUSIC: What was the best experience making I’m Still Looking?
HM: Working with the band to shape each song into your image. Knowing that the songwriters trusted us enough to let us perform their compositions.
FEMMUSIC: What did Bill Thomas contribute to the making of I’m Still Looking?
HM: Bill Thomas was the Most Valuable Player. He organized us, he found songwriters, he guided us, he made decisions when the six of us were at an impasse. Bill gave me a sense of peace when I needed it most. Bill gave me the pat on the back, the kick in the pants, the shoulder to cry on, the helping hand, words of encouragement and the voice of reality when all those things and more were needed.
FEMMUSIC: You had only Colorado songwriters write for this CD. Why?
HM: The question should be: why not before? There are wonderful springs of music and lyrics all over Colorado. I wanted to express my neighbors and fellow journeymen first.
FEMMUSIC: What are your musical goals for the next ten-twenty years?
HM: I want more than anything to break into new markets. I can hear Chicago, Las Vegas and Kansas City calling. I need to know that my music has merit in other places where I am not as well known.
FEMMUSIC: What one thing would you like to change about the music industry itself?
HM: I would change the way great music is ignored for the sake of commercialism. I would respect the fact that the listening audience is an intelligent and broad based animal that needs more that teen pop idols to listen to. There are many groups of listeners that are completely excluded from the mainstream. The mainstream should reflect more of us not a fraction of us.
FEMMUSIC: As a woman in the music industry have you been discriminated against?
HM: Everybody has had to deal with discrimination in some form or another. I don’t worry about it but I will always fight discrimination. It is my Karma to do so. Every person who turns his head away or a deaf ear on discrimination is guilty of spreading discrimination.
FEMMUSIC: What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?
HM: Learn all you can as early as you can. Take voice lessons, music lessons, learn the business of music. Knowledge is power. Power to be creative and power to give people songs that touch a heart.