Max Miller grew up in Pagosa Springs singing Frank Sinatra in the car and in the shower. Now, at 32, he’s doing it professionally — and locals are listening.
Miller will delight our community at Keyah Grande on June 24. Wings Early Childhood Center is hosting its first gala fundraiser — and you are invited.
Miller specializes in classic jazz and the music of the “Rat Pack”: Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Bobby Darin, and other entertainers from the 1950s and 1960s. He includes in his sets Broadway show tunes and Michael Bublé, a bridge between the classic crooner era and modern pop.
“My parents played them when I was a kid, growing up here,” Miller said of the Rat Pack era icons. “When I was like 7 or 8 years old, I sang along to them. I’ve always had an ear for it.”
Miller spent nearly a decade in New York City pursuing a career as an actor. He trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, a prestigious conservatory, and studied musical theater at the University of Northern Colorado. In New York, he landed Broadway auditions and callbacks, and pursued film and television work. He moved back to Pagosa during the pandemic.
“Going to New York was a stark contrast to Pagosa Springs,” he said. “It made me appreciate Colorado. I’m very glad to be back.”
Miller launched his jazz business about three years ago with modest expectations.
“I just wanted to do it for fun and see where it took me,” he said.
It has taken him further than he expected. Audiences of all ages love him, including children who come up to tell him how much they enjoy the music.
“Those little kids are dancing, too,” he said with a laugh, pushing back on any notion that his repertoire belongs only to an older crowd.
Away from the microphone, Miller is an outdoorsman at heart — hunting, fishing, camping and backpacking in the Colorado wilderness his family has called home since they moved to Pagosa when he was 2 years old.
His mission, he says, is simple: “I just want to keep the crooners alive. I don’t want that music, that genre, to die. So, I keep it alive the best way I can.”
The Wings Grand Gala promises an elegant summer evening at the picturesque Keyah Grande Guest House with great food, drinks and, of course, Miller. You will enjoy locally curated hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, and the opportunity to take part in an auction of delightful experiences.
Quality childhood education is critical to children’s lifelong success. Your support of the Wings Early Childhood Center Grand Gala helps to provide the outstanding care and education that the center offers to children and families of Archuleta County. We rely on grants and private donations to support families who otherwise could not afford quality early childhood education.
Tickets are $100 each and are available at Tangled, 189 Talisman Drive, and online at WingsEarlyChildhood.org.
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