Dweller on the Threshold (large ensemble jazz)

My name is Ben Miller ( artist website ) and I am a Rochester, NY-based jazz pianist, composer, arranger, producer, and engineer.

After recently releasing my debut trio album, Feathers of Ma'at, I am asking for your hand in achieving my next goal, which is to compensate musicians fairly in the completion of an album of meaningful original works for large ensemble. Entitled Dweller on the Threshold, the project is partially recorded but has been stalled due to lack of funding for the past two years.

Project Notes

Demos

19 extremely talented individuals have already agreed to be a part of the rotating cast for this project, affording me a very lush palette of timbral choices. Many are associated with Rochester's own Eastman School of Music in some way, but a few, like indie rock star Julian Koster and principal timpanist of the Berlin Philharmonic Wieland Welzel, come from beyond.

Already written, arranged, and ready-to-record, the repertoire is made up of colorful jazz pieces that explore mystical concepts and a classical suite that delves into my own struggles with mental illness. The only significant obstacle to completion is paying for other musicians' time, as I insist on this project being a non-exploitative venture. The main expense at this point is paying each musician at least $100 per session to record at my own studio, Third Motion Studios, since all recording, editing, mixing, and mastering is to be done by me.