Bill Miller and Me
Not often does a performer of Bill Miller’s stature come to perform at Lincoln Land Community College, where I teach. How great to take a break from grading papers in the middle of the day, take the elevator downstairs, and settle into a front-row seat to watch a two-time grammy winner, as well as winner of many Native American music awards. He began by playing four tunes to each direction of the winds, on High Spirits flutes by Odell Borg. He told stories of growing up on the reservation in northern Wisconsin, attending art school in Milwaukee, and how we all need to experience other cultures and settings outside our comfort zones–things we can’t read in a book or learn from television. He played guitar and sang an eclectic blend of music from Native American songs to the Allman Brothers and Bob Dylan. I’m here to tell you he plays a wicked good blues guitar, having learned from players on Maxwell Street in Chicago during the 1970s. What a privilege it was to talk to him afterwards, pick up a couple of his CDs (Cedar Dream Songs and a new release Spirit Wind North), and have my photo taken with him. Thanks, Bill. Your influence will always have a positive effect on me.
Journey of the Dragonfly 