Tess Miller

For two decades, Dr. Tess Miller has been a freelance performer, flute instructor, and clinician from the mid-Michigan area. Dr. Miller received a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Michigan State University where she completed a dissertation on the causes of music performance anxiety and how musicians can improve or enhance their performance skills through journal writing. She has been invited to present her ideas at various colleges and conferences throughout the country.

Dr. Miller is an avid and dynamic chamber musician. She is a co-founding member of the Great Lakes Art Music Ensemble (GLAM) which released a CD on the White Pine Record Label. This disc, The Latin Dance Project, consists of newly composed and arranged music for two flutes, guitar, and percussion. She is also a co-founding member of the Durant Street Wind Quintet.

In addition to chamber music performance, Dr. Miller is also a distinguished orchestral musician. She currently plays second flute with the Traverse Symphony Orchestra and is an active freelance performer with other Michigan orchestras.

In the summers, Dr. Miller has performed for the Mackinac Island Community Foundation Summer Concert Series for which she was Co-founder and Co-Artistic Director. She has also taught at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp and Interlochen Arts Camp. In 2014, She created, developed, and directed an innovative project called Telephone: An Artistic Response Chain on Mackinac Island, featuring the works of Mackinac Artists.

Dr. Miller is currently Instructor of Flute and Flute Ensemble at Alma College and maintains an active private studio at the Michigan State University Community Music School where she enjoys teaching all ages and all levels.

Wishing to expand her abilities as a therapeutic musician, Dr. Miller became a Certified Music Practitioner (CMP) through the Music for Healing and Transition Program. She currently provides live, prescribed music at the bedside of the ill and dying at McLaren Greater Lansing.

In 2019, Dr. Miller became certified as a Professional Coach through the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching.  She is also an Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner and COR.E Dynamics Specialist in Life Transitions through iPEC and has her own Coaching Business, Wings Unfolded, LLC working with artists who love what they do but aren’t sure where it’s going.

Tess is also passionate about writing and recently published her first book, The Book of STUCK: How to Stop Holding Yourself Back and Start Moving Forward. She also contributes articles to LifeHack.org.