About Vern Miller Jr.

2 West Lakeview Trail, Lake Shawnee, Wharton, New Jersey 07885

(973) 663-4120 fax: (973) 960-0140 e-mail: vernbass@optonline.net

Vernon Miller Jr. is a composer, arranger, songwriter, producer, teacher, and performing musician whose work has been released on Warner Brothers, Epic, and various independent U.S. and European record labels. He has appeared on major network television (1965 Ed Sullivan Christmas Show) and was the Bass player for The Remains, the opening act for the 1966 Beatles U.S. Tour which culminated in The Beatles last stadium concert performance at Candlestick Park, San Francisco. His music has been published by Warner Brothers, Gil-Tanis, Chappell, Wes Farrell, Twinsong, Big Wedge, Koosa Moosa Music and TUBA Press publishing companies. He co-wrote the theme song for the 1995 NJEA Martin Luther King Conference on Human Rights which was filmed in performance by the 200 voice South Orange Middle School Chorus and aired several times on New Jersey Network TV. Vern has also written, performed and produced radio jingles that aired on New Jersey and New York radio stations.

In the late 1960's Vern was Bass Player for Boston based band, Crow, which featured lead singer, Donna Summer. (Donna Gaines)

While leader/Bass Guitarist for 11-piece band, Swallow, (Warner Brother's Recording Artists) Vern toured extensively throughout the US and shared the stage with such luminaries as Joe Cocker, Aerosmith, BB King, The Beach Boys, Sly and The Family Stone, The Supremes, J. Geils Band, Steve Winwood, Linda Ronstadt and many more.

In January, 1998, a commissioned solo for virtuoso Tuba and Symphonic Band composed by Vern was premiered by The United States Army Band in Washington, D.C.

Between 1998 and 2020, Vern performed throughout Europe and the U.S. with re-united rock group from the 60's, "The Remains" which includes several songs penned by him in their live show. The Remains can be heard in the Sony Entertainment movie "Super Bad," a GAP commercial, and are the subject of a documentary film entitled, "America's Lost Band," directed by award winning Hollywood director, Michael Stich and produced by Fred Cantor. A 1/2 hour version of The Remains' documentary recently premiered on CT PBS and is now available for viewing on YouTube. Several songs written/co-written by Vern are featured in The Remains' documentary.

Additionally, Vern was music director for the musical "All Good Things" which premiered at the NYC Fringe Festival in August 2005 and also featured several songs written and co-written by him. "All Good Things" is based on the story of The Remains.

A live recording, "A Session With The Remains" was released in 2024 on vinyl and CD by Sundazed Records and a new release of songs featured in the ½ hour version of The Remains documentary is being slated for release in 2025.

Vern began trumpet lessons at the age of 4 with his father, teacher/composer/arranger, Vernon Miller Sr. and later switched to the Tuba as his main instrument. Upon graduating high school, Vern was awarded a Tuba scholarship to Boston University, School of Fine Arts, where he received his Bachelor's degree in Music and was the recipient of the Theodore Presser Foundation Fellowship for graduate study in music composition.

He also studied composition privately with Boston based composer, Robert Selig, and completed Masters and Doctorate level studies in composition at Montclair State University under the private tutelage of composer, Dr. Ting Ho.

Vern previously taught Instrumental Music, Guitar and Music Technology in the Maplewood-South Orange Public Schools where he directed the 7th and 8th Grade Concert Bands and Jazz Ensembles. He composed and arranged several pieces that were performed by the Middle School Concert Bands, Jazz Bands, Orchestras and Choruses.

An academic paper written by Vern entitled, "The Sound Of Silence, A Comparative Study of the Recordings by Simon and Garfunkel and Disturbed," was recently published by Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.

Additionally, Vern's photography (along with his wife's photography) and articles written by Vern have been featured in Nature Photographer Magazine.

Along with keeping a busy composing/songwriting and recording schedule, he also teaches Guitar, Bass Guitar, Songwriting, Music Composition, Audio Engineering, Music Production and Technology in his home studio. He is married and lives on Lake Shawnee with his wife, water-color artist, Sue Miller, and their diatonically challenged Goldendoodle, Sadie, in what is locally referred to as "the house of art and music."

Link to excerpts of Vern's music:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/z2ka1i666rolm9vt2kyba/ALqhMW0z1_zEvRqg43gIZ6s?rlkey=unv51w1njxgvdtwv1hqfl156x&st=q7jxiklm&dl=0

Vern can be contacted at vernbass@optonline.net

Vern and his wife Sue