Ben Miller (musician)

Ben Miller performing (July 2010)

Ben Miller is an American rock and avant garde guitarist born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and now based in the NYC-metro area, who has formerly been a member of such Detroit/Ann Arbor bands as Sproton Layer, Destroy All Monsters,, M3 and Nonfiction. Destroy All Monsters, in particular, still a cult favorite, was a big part of the proto-punk, punk, and post-punk Detroit rock scene, featuring such bands as the MC5, the Stooges, Sonic's Rendezvous Band, and Up.

Miller comes from an interesting family background where all of his family members were either musicians or scientists. He is the younger brother of Roger Miller, a founding and current member of the Boston-based Mission of Burma, and an identical twin brother to Laurence B. (Larry) Miller, also a former member of Destroy All Monsters. Both of Ben's parents were scientists and professors at the University of Michigan. His father was well known in the field of paleo-ichthyology. He also has a brother who is a well-respected professor and glaciologist, and a sister who was also a scientist and a professor.

Miller has collaborated with his brother Roger Miller on the M3 project, named for the three Miller brothers. Recently he has been working with Roger as M2 featuring prepared grand piano and multiphonic guitar. Miller collaborated with his twin Laurence particularly through the 1980s and early 1990s. Since Miller is a right-hander and Laurence is a left-hander, their 1980's power trio "Nonfiction" had a rather powerful visual symmetrical stage presence—the guitar and bass each pointing outward, away from the centrally positioned drummer. Laurence and Ben would typically trade off on bass and guitar, with each preferring to play guitar on his own compositions.

Miller was also instrumental in the founding of Ann Arbor avant-garde label Bulb Records, having recorded the early releases in his basement studio.

Miller grew up in Ann Arbor, attended public schools, and graduated from Pioneer High School. He studied music at the School of Contemporary Music in Boston and more recently obtained a BFA at Columbia College Chicago. Miller is married and has three sons from a former marriage.