A native of Edinburgh, Ed Miller first came to the USA for “a year or two” to do graduate studies at the University of Texas. Now, over 50 years later, he is still based in Austin and travels throughout North America entertaining and educating audiences with his wonderful songs and droll sense of humor.
Although he did gain a PhD in Folklore from UT, and still hosts “Across the Pond” (Sundays 4-5pm KDRP.org), he has been a fulltime performer for over 35 years. During that time, he has established himself as one of Scotland’s finest singing exports and is in great demand to perform at house concerts, folk clubs, coffeehouses, Celtic Festivals, Burns Suppers and Highland Games all over the country.
In addition, he teaches classes on Scottish folksong at camps such as The Swannanoa Gathering in NC and Alasdair Fraser’s Valley of the Moon Fiddle Camp in CA.
In 2003, he was a presenter and performer at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington DC, when Scotland was one of the featured countries.
In recent years, he has expanded his activities into leading folksong tours to Scotland to meet the singers and hear the songs “on Location.” (See Tours page)
If you are looking for nostalgic, Brigadoonish schlock, this is not your man. But if you like good songs sung well, with a healthy mixture of realism and humor, you’ve come to the right place. He first learned his craft in the pubs and clubs of Edinburgh during the folk revival days of the 1960’s and his repertoire shows the width of that movement. From old traditional ballads and timeless songs of Robert Burns to contemporary songs of urban change, emigration, nationalism and humor, a performance by Ed Miller gives a real taste of Scotland and shows his continuing love and knowledge of his homeland. Don’t be surprised, however, if he draws musical connections between the old country and his adopted home in Texas.
Reviews of Miller’s performances often use words such as “flawless,” “compelling,” or “refreshing,” while his voice has been described as being “as smooth and satisfying as a good single malt whisky.”
He has 10 CD’s to his credit, the most recent being “Follow the Music.”