ROBERT MILLER BIO

Robert Miller — At a Glance

• Bassist, songwriter and singer

• Leader of Project Grand Slam (15 albums, including a Billboard #1)

• Creator and host of the Follow Your Dream Podcast

• Author of the Amazon #1 bestseller The Follow Your Dream Handbook

• Collaborator with world-class musicians across jazz, rock and fusion

• Founder of a global podcast featuring creative artists from more than 40 countries

Overview

Robert Miller is a bassist, songwriter, singer, author and host of the Follow Your Dream Podcast. As the leader of his band, Project Grand Slam, he has released 15 albums—including a Billboard #1—and numerous singles. He is also the author of the Amazon #1 bestseller “The Follow Your Dream Handbook” and the creator and host of the award-winning Follow Your Dream Podcast.

Over the years Robert has recorded and collaborated with the following world-class musicians:

Mindi Abair, Michael Abene, David Amram, Benny Benack III, Randy Brecker, Tony Carey, Billy Cobham, Pat Coil, Erica Dicker, Dave Eggar, Anton Fig, Antonio Faraò, Al Foster, Paul Hanson, John Helliwell, J.J. Johnson, Laurence Juber, Mark Lettieri, Jon Lucien, Kerry Marx, Eamon McLoughlin, Deobrat Mishra, Jim Peterik, Elliott Randall, Tim Ries, Kat Robichaud, David Shenton, Dave Smith, Katie Thomas, Peter Tiehuis, Judie Tzuke, Lucy Woodward

Early Years

Robert grew up in a musical family. His father was an amateur musician who played trumpet at weddings, bar mitzvahs and private parties. Robert began studying piano at age five but soon switched to trumpet, following in his father’s footsteps. He played trumpet throughout junior high and high school in the orchestra and band and studied with Phil Fisher, the first trumpet of the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra.

Everything changed in February 1964 when The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. Like millions of young people watching that night, Robert was electrified. From that moment on rock music became his passion, and his dream was clear: he wanted to become a rock star.

He taught himself guitar and later bass, playing in rock bands during high school. His first gig came at age sixteen when his band The Buccaneers played a Boy Scout luncheon and were paid in cheeseburgers. For Robert, that was enough—he knew music would always be central to his life.

In the early 1970s Robert discovered jazz while studying bass briefly with Jimmy Garrison, the bassist for John Coltrane. After returning to college in Boston he became part of the city’s vibrant music scene with the jazz fusion band Sagov, which played regularly in Boston clubs and even opened for vibraphonist Gary Burton. One of the band’s members was drummer Anton Fig, who later became the longtime drummer for David Letterman.

After graduating from college Robert worked an entry-level job at WGBH, Boston’s public television station, while playing jazz at night. But supporting a family while trying to make a living as a musician proved difficult. He eventually took a Wall Street day job to support his growing family.

Like many musicians, he found that the demands of work and life gradually pushed music aside. For nearly fifteen years Robert stopped playing altogether.

One day, in his forties, he realized that his dream had slipped away—and that realization deeply troubled him. Determined to reclaim his musical life, he forced himself back into music, practicing intensely and rebuilding his skills.

He eventually recorded his first album, Miles Behind, in 1994 with an all-star group including Anton Fig, Al Foster, Randy Brecker and Tim Ries. He formed The Robert Miller Group and began performing again in clubs and festivals, rekindling the musical passion that had never truly left him.

Still, music remained more of an avocation while he continued working his day job. It would take another two decades before Robert finally was able to pursue music full time.

Project Grand Slam

When Robert turned sixty he reached a pivotal moment. He realized that if he was ever going to pursue his musical dream seriously, it had to be now. With that realization he stepped away from everything else and committed himself fully to music.

He reorganized his band under the name Project Grand Slam, surrounding himself with a group of young, extremely talented musicians—many of whom had come to New York City from around the world to pursue their own musical dreams.

Robert began writing music again, rehearsing intensively and performing widely. Slowly but steadily the band gained momentum, landing larger performances and opening for major artists such as Edgar Winter, Blues Traveler, Boney James and Mindi Abair. Project Grand Slam performed at festivals and concerts throughout the United States and Europe.

The band released a series of albums and singles, including Trippin, which reached #1 on the Billboard chart. Their music has accumulated millions of video views and streams worldwide.

Robert realized he had accomplished something both unusual and inspiring: becoming a successful recording artist in his sixties—an age when many of his contemporaries were contemplating retirement rather than launching new creative careers.

Follow Your Dream Podcast

In 2020 the global pandemic brought live music to a halt. Musicians could no longer perform or even rehearse together. Robert knew he needed a new creative outlet.

Someone suggested he start a podcast. At the time he had never listened to one, but after exploring the idea he realized that a podcast could provide a deeper and more meaningful way to connect with people than social media.

So in March 2021 Robert launched the Follow Your Dream Podcast.

He started with no audience and no guests—only a simple mission: to inspire people by sharing conversations with creative individuals who had pursued their dreams.

The podcast grew steadily. It took two years to reach one million downloads, another year to reach two million, only eight more months to reach three million, and just six additional months to surpass four million downloads.

Robert’s enthusiastic and conversational style has helped build a loyal global audience and encouraged guests to introduce other artists to the show. What began primarily as conversations with musicians has expanded to include actors, authors, directors, photographers, poets and many other creative artists, all of whom have pursued their dreams in their own ways.

Today the podcast ranks among the top one percent of podcasts worldwide, with listeners in 200 countries on every continent. As Robert likes to say, each episode is like taking a world tour with his guests.

Robert’s music remains deeply connected to the podcast. Each episode features one of his songs, and the podcast has become a platform for introducing his new recordings to listeners around the world.

Perhaps most rewarding of all are Robert’s musical collaborations with a number of the world-class artists who have appeared as guests on the podcast.

Today Robert continues to write, record and collaborate with artists around the world while hosting conversations with remarkable creative voices on Follow Your Dream.