Allison Miller: In Our Veins

Drummer, composer, and teacher Allison Miller created In Our Veins as an exploration of the cultural and ecological life of rivers. This multisensory experience combines original jazz music with tap dance and video projections, all inspired by five great American rivers. In collaboration with her band, Boom Tic Boom, tap dancer Claudia Rehardjanoto, and video designer Todd Winkler, Miller constructs a captivating chronicle of the James, Delaware, Potomac, Hudson, and Susquehanna Rivers. Through collaborative performance art and the stories of these natural phenomena, In Our Veins illustrates the ecosystems that are vital to human life and community.

Allison Miller has been described as a modern jazz icon in the making. Receiving critical acclaim consistently over the years, Miller was the first recipient of the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation’s commissioning grant, through which she completed In Our Veins. She was a three-time Jazz Ambassador for the U.S. State Department, and has been the rhythmic force behind such artists as Sara Bareilles, Ani DiFranco, Natalie Merchant, Brandi Carlile, Indigo Girls, Toshi Reagon, and more.