Back in July we introduced you to Carolyn Miller, and the video for her mashup of Taylor Swift’s ‘Wildest Dreams’ and Justin Bieber’s, ‘What Do You Mean’. New Yorker Carolyn collaborated with Mikel James for the song, and we were so impressed we had to find out more. Here’s six quick questions with Carolyn.
EP: What’s the Carolyn Miller Story!
CM: I think this is best answered by me providing you with my artist bio! It’s long, but I think this will best answer this question 🙂 Feel free to use what you want from here!
I’m an up-and-coming recording artist, currently residing in NYC. My fanbase quickly expanded after I released several YouTube videos that gained international exposure and nearly 500,000 views combined. My influences include country singers like Carrie Underwood and Faith Hill, pop icons like Kelly Clarkson and Adele, and even 80s rock singers like Heart and Pat Benatar.
I was born and raised on the south shore of Long Island, NY, and was a performer long before I knew it. As a baby in the high chair I’d throw a toy on the floor and start clapping, looking for applause. By age 8, I got into the Long Island performing arts scene, and knew, without a doubt, this would be my lifelong career. I took my first trip to New York City, gained representation and immediately began working professionally in film, television, and theatre. As a teenager, I appeared on stage, in national commercials, recorded voiceovers, and booked roles on “Law & Order: SVU” and in the film “DareDevil” (starring Ben Affleck). When it came time for college, I wanted to hone her craft even more and was accepted to the prestigious Boston Conservatory on scholarship, and graduated in 2011, Cum Laude, receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Musical Theatre with an emphasis in Directing.
I’ve continued working in film/TV/theater, and my voice was heard nationally on the radio in “Pepsi” ads, as well as the “Don’t Text and Drive” public service announcements. I’ve also narrated 52 episodes for the children’s cartoon “Zula Patrol” on PBS, made my Off-Broadway debut, and performed in several major plays, musicals, and various theatre projects in NYC.
In February 2014 I recorded a cover version of A Great Big World’s ‘Say Something’ with two of my friends, and uploaded it to YouTube. Within 48 hours the video had acquired nearly 30,000 views and started to gain serious exposure across major websites and publications, such as the Huffington Post. I sent our cover version to dozens of other newspapers, blogs, websites, and social media outlets and the exposure continued to spread. “It was so much fun—every few days we were doing a different interview. I remember walking into the deli in my hometown one day and while I was waiting to pay for my food, looked down and saw my face on the cover of the local newspaper. It was the coolest feeling!”
Following the success of ‘Say Something’, I teamed up with another friend, Postmodern Jukebox’s Robyn Adele, and together we created a cover of Meghan Trainor’s ‘Lips Are Movin’ — this time, the video received over 360,000 hits and I received major shoutouts from Meghan herself. In the summer of 2016, while working on my latest cover (‘What Do You Mean/Wildest Dreams – Acoustic Mashup’), I met Russ DeSalvo, a producer, arranger, songwriter, and guitarist most known for his work with Celine Dion and Lionel Richie.
Russ soon helped to assemble an incredible team of songwriters and musicians, which include some of the hottest names in the music industry, and the ‘UNBREAKABLE’ EP was born. Even though it hasn’t yet been released, it’s already caught the eye of several radio stations, record labels, music managers, and other artists.
“In a meeting recently, someone asked me: ‘Carolyn, are you ready for things to start changing?’ and I think I squealed like a little girl ‘YES!’ because honestly, I’ve been waiting for this my whole life. I was born ready for this moment.”
EP: What have been your career highlights so far?
CM: If you go to my website, www.carolyn-miller.com and click “resume” you’ll see them all! It’s hard to pick one — each thing I’ve done has a special place in my heart and is a highlight in it’s own individual way 🙂
EP: You’ve performed off-Broadway, and on TV, Films, Commercials, as well as voiceovers – which is better – singing or acting?
Or singing while acting?
Or acting while singing!
CM: I love them all! I’ve done a lot of musical theatre in my life and I think the reason I gravitated toward that as a kid was because it combines so many sides of the performing arts: acting, singing, AND dancing in one show! It’s the ultimate all-in-one package.
EP: You’ve been teasing us on Facebook and Instagram with your new EP – talk us through it! What can we expect and when will it be out?
CM: Yes I have! I’m SO excited. You’ll see 5 great songs on there that are true pop/country crossover. The best way to describe the style is sort of like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood rolled into one! The EP tells a powerful story and I think listener will truly be taken on a journey when listening to it. Such catchy melodies, totally relatable lyrics and really powerful “stories” of love, heartbreak, empowerment, and perseverance. I can’t wait to share what my producer and I have been working on! He’s honestly incredible — he’s a man of many hats: Producer/Arranger/Songwriter/Guitarist. He’s actually most known for his work with Celine Dion and Lionel Ritchie. SO thankful to be under his direction — we have become good friends through this whole process and really developed a special bond. At this moment, we are all done recording the music (about to enter the mixing phase). Soon we will be getting ready for the big release! Currently organizing photo shoots, artist website, marketing, music videos, branding, etc. No set release date yet, but it’s coming!! I promise to keep you posted!! I’ll be updating everything on my Instagram @carolynmillermusic 🙂
EP: What question do you wish someone would ask you in an interview, but nobody ever does?
CM: What would I do if I wasn’t doing music? Simple answer: living on a Caribbean Island, adopting every stray dog, and having a never ending supply of margaritas and guacamole always on hand…girl can dream, right? 😉
Carolyn will be releasing her debut EP, ‘Unbreakable’, later this year. You can find out more about Carolyn online on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and her official website.
