Sue Miller is a flute player and musical director of Charanga del Norte. She is currently in her final year of study for a PhD in Cuban Flute improvisation in Charanga performance at the University of Leeds, UK. Her publications include articles written for the British Flute Society magazine PAN on the Cuban Charanga and the Cuban flute style of improvisation which include interviews with veteran Cuban flute players such as Richard Egües, Polo Tamayo and Melquiades Fundora (December 2000, 2001, March 2003  and June 2008 editions).  She has also reviewed books and Cds for the journals Cultural Politics (July 2007) and The World of Music (2006) and is the official Cuban music and Salsa reviewer for the Gondwana Sound website.

Sue Miller completed the Postgraduate Certificate in Jazz, Contemporary and Popular music at Leeds College of Music in 1994 where she studied classical flute with Lis Parry, jazz improvisation with Bill Kinghorn, Indian music with Dharambir Singh and jazz piano with Nikki Iles. Inspired by Orquesta Aragón’s flute player Richard Egües, Sue set up the UK’s only Charanga band ‘Charanga del Norte’ in 1998 and has performed with the band across the UK, including performances at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, London’s Barbican Centre and Cheltenham Festival. In April 2000 and 2001 Sue went to Cuba to study with her idol, Richard Egües in Havana and in 2006, 2007 and 2009 Sue returned to Havana to further her research and to perform with veteran Charanga musicians there. Sue has also written many arrangements and compositions for Charanga del Norte and for the Cuban Music Big Band line-up. She is also a part-time lecturer in Cuban, Popular and World Music at Leeds University.

Qualifications

2003    M.A. Applied Translation,  University of Leeds
1994    Postgraduate Certificate in Jazz, Contemporary and Popular Music, Leeds College of Music
1990    Postgraduate Certificate in Education, Manchester Polytechnic
1988    BA (Hons) Class 2:1 Languages ( French, Hindi and Linguistics), University of York

Other Qualifications in Music:

1999  Indian Music Foundation Certificate (LCM)

1995  Jazz Saxophone (Tenor) Grade 8 Honours (Guildhall)

1993  Classical Flute Grade 8 Distinction (ABRSM)

1993  Classical Piano Grade 8 (ABRSM)

Grants and Awards

Ethnomusicology Forum: winner of the 2009 prize for best student paper presented at the annual conference in April. My paper’s title was The Thieving Magpie:  Musical Borrowing, Quotes and Signifiers in Cuban Charanga Improvisation

Music and Letters Award: for attendance and performance at the International Danzón Festival in  Havana  in 2009

University of Leeds School of Music Bursaries: 2007 attendance at the International Danzón Festival, Havana and for giving a one hour lecture (in Spanish) at the Danzón conference in 2009

Forum for Ethnomusicology Bursary:  for presenting a paper at their  annual conference in April 2009

Arts Council of England Grant:  to study Charanga flute improvisation with Richard Egües in Havana  in April 2001

Arts Council of England: to research Cuban music teaching at ‘Abanico’ School of Afro-Cuban Music in Paris in February 2003

Arts Council of England: for Charanga del Norte UK Tours in 2001, 2003 and 2005

Skills and Expertise

Arrangements
I have  made over 50 arrangements of Cuban dance music covering a variety of styles including Danzón, Son, Mambo, Chachachá, Pachanga, Bolero and Big Band Salsa and have self published and bound them under  ‘RR con RR aRReglos’ on Sibelius  for use with Charanga del Norte and the Cuban Music Big Bands I run (currently at the University of Leeds). I’m looking for a publisher for these arrangements (that are print ready) to market  on completion of my PhD in 2010.

Band Direction
Over 11 years experience directing Charanga del Norte and Cuban Music Big Bands.

Languages
Translation from French and Spanish to English on Cuban music related topics (MA in Applied Translation completed at Leeds University in 2003)

Special Study Programmes
Cuban music modules and lectures delivered to suit requirements with the option of including a Charanga del Norte performance and/or student performances following a series of workshops. If you are interested in studying in Cuba I will be directing a tailor-made course in traditional Cuban dance music in 2010 so do contact me via the contacts page if you want to know more.

Academic and Performance CVs: provided on request