Artist-in-Residence Program

Our residency program supports Columbus based experimental musicians working at the forefront of the local creative music field. This residency has two purposes. The first is to provide these musicians with a flexible, functional space, a platform, and a network to help develop their work and careers. The second is to expose other Columbus-based practitioners and audiences to a variety of processes and working methods through a series of performances, and to encourage an exchange of ideas and approaches that will have a long-term impact on the local scene.

Our 2023 artist-in-residence program is led and curated by Columbus-based multi-instrumentalist/composer/educator Caleb Miller. Caleb is a keyboardist, saxophonist, composer and educator currently residing in Columbus, OH. His work mostly focuses on midwestern perspectives surrounding improvisational-based music and projects.

In Columbus, Caleb plays, writes, and subs in many jazz-adjacent projects (Gault, Sun Trash, Here Here, Yumbambe, Radarhill, Ryan Jewell Quintet, Troy Kunkler 4tet), songs-oriented groups (Zack Kouns and His Insatiable Orchestra, pincer, Keating, Fables, Francis Bacon Band, Taylor K Conrad), contemporary classical settings (dance accompanist, classical pianist) and other settings (solo work, audio work, Very Much Recordings, music videos, album artwork, improvising/creative ensembles). As output he is most interested in productions that show a true synthesis of perspectives, sounds, individuals and communities. Music and projects that truly strive for some form of “newness” regardless of the setting, people or situation. Simply stated things that try to be “their own” in some way or another.

Caleb also currently operates the Columbus-based recording label Very Much Recordings and teaches in the American public (!) school system.

Caleb’s two main goals for his residency is as follows: to develop and explore. Every year or season or so, he tries to observe where he is as clearly as he can. This residency opportunity feels like a similar nice “moment of assessment” (especially with the new year upon us).

For 2023, his aim is to develop two projects: A jazz-adjacent quintet called “Gault”(Caleb, Alex Burgoyne, Seth Daily, Abhi Jayanthi, and Trent Sampson) that was formed last year, and “pincer”, a songs-project launching in February 2023 consisting of himself, Troy Kunkler, and Eve Lenker.

Over the previous year, he spent much time in a wildly-fun myriad of projects/settings (Here Here, Zack Kouns, godslots, Taylor K. Conrad, Yumbambe). He’d still like to continue this range of project diversity, but this year he’d like to set some intention in developing Gault and pincer.

As far as exploration goes, he’d like to create new improvisational settings (new people, new instrumentation, new ensembles) and simply explore compositions of his (especially ones he wrote for the sake of writing, not a particular project). He feels very honored and lucky to have been given such a welcoming, creative, supported opportunity!

2023 dates of our artist-in-residence program performances are:

  • Saturday, March 11 @ the Columbus Performing Arts Center
  • Saturday, May 27 @ the Columbus Performing Arts Center
  • Friday, July 14 @ the Cultural Arts Center
  • Friday, September 8 @ the Cultural Arts Center
  • Friday, November 10 @ the Cultural Arts Center

Additional information about each performance can be found in our calendar of events.