Brooke Thames, Guest Writer
Green Hills Alone, an up-and-coming musical artist based out of Portland, Ore., is coming to Pacific Lutheran University for the third time on Oct. 30.
Chris Miller, aka Green Hills Alone, has formed a lifestyle out of creating and sharing music.
Music struck a chord with Miller when he was a child, when he began playing the piano and violin.
In high school, he switched over to the guitar and began playing in bands with friends.
“I was one of those [musical] kids,” Miller said.
Miller has since transformed into solo artist Green Hills Alone. His decision to continue to pursue his music is rooted in his artistry and imagination.
Miller regards music as his way of staying creatively active and continuing to be inspired in the everyday world. This philosophy also extends into his song writing.
Miller doesn’t write about anything in particular, but lets the songs develop by themselves.
“You just kind of pick up your guitar, sing, and find out what it is you’re singing about,” Miller said.
The content of his newest record developed out of the loss of a family member.
Death is the central theme of his new album – seeing it not as something that should be feared, but something transformative. It will be released later this year.
To Miller, music is a form of self-discovery and a way of separating from the bustling world around him. His stage name, “Green Hills Alone,” is the epitome of that belief. It comes from a line of a poem that resonates deeply with Miller.
“Ralph Waldo Emmerson …has a poem called ‘Goodbye Proud World’ about saying goodbye to the busy world and finding peace in a solitary, natural space,” Miller said.
Miller says his music is his solitary, natural space, and he wants it to mean the same to his audience as it does to him.
Miller enjoys performing for PLU students and feels inspired by them.
“There’s an energy and enthusiasm in people going to college that I get a lot out of,” Miller said.
Anyone is welcome to gather and enjoy a night of fun and music with this up-and-coming singer-songwriter.
