bio

Biography   •   Discography

Songwriting Discography   •   Past Projects

For info about current projects, consult the projects page. A list of upcoming shows is available on the home page.

Biography

Dave Milliken performs both as a solo act and with several groups including the folk/rock group Steel Moon, the seven-piece R&B/blues/swing band The Priorities and the classical guitar and flute combo Duo Capriccio.

Dave’s guitar work is featured on CDs by Steel Moon, Andrea England, Junkyard Symphony and Saddledogs.

He has co-written songs that appear on CDs by Steel Moon, Katelyn Dawn, Andrea England and Kathy Kennedy.

Dave teaches acoustic, electric and bass guitar, as well as piano, in a variety of styles including rock, alternative, folk, blues, funk, reggae and classical. He has been a teacher since 1990, both at his home studio and until 2005 at the Ottawa Folklore Centre School of Music.

Dave studied classical guitar with Steve Rollins and Ray Sealey, piano with Douglas Voice and voice with Maria Knapik. Dave attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston and graduated from the University of Ottawa in 1990 with a Bachelor of Music.

Dave is a member of SOCAN (the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada).

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Discography

Dave's guitar work is featured on the following CDs:

	Steel Moon Steel Moon (Independent release, 2011)   Also features Dave on bass, keyboards and vocals.
	Lemonade Andrea England (Lemonade Factory Records, Maple Nationwide/Universal Music, 2004)
	Planet Junk Junkyard Symphony (Boulder Records, 2002)
	Lemonade (Single) Andrea England (Independent release, 2002)
	Heart Wide Open Andrea England (Independent release, 1999)
	Fetch Saddledogs (Independent release, 1994)

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Songwriting Discography

Dave has co-written songs with Lise Larocque, Andrea England, Katelyn Dawn, Kathy Kennedy and Cindy Warren. Some of these songs are featured on the following CDs:

	Steel Moon Steel Moon (Independent release, 2011)
	The Window Katelyn Dawn (Independent release, 2008)
	Lemonade Andrea England (Lemonade Factory Records, Maple Nationwide/Universal Music, 2004)
	Lemonade (Single) Andrea England (Independent release, 2002)
	Heaven Kathy Kennedy (Independent release, 2001)

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Dave has been an integral member of many Ottawa-based rock, funk, R&B and country groups:

Moffatt & Milliken

This duo with Brady Moffatt featured them both singing and playing acoustic guitars on an eclectic mix of rock, folk, blues & the occasional Spanish song.

Dave and Brady at the Whalesbone

 

Thurman Murman

Moffatt & Milliken traded in their acoustic guitars for electrics and added the powerhouse rhythm section of Mike Thompson on bass and Gerard Tweedie on drums.

Andrea England

Dave wrote, recorded and performed with the Toronto-based Nova Scotian singer-songwriter Andrea England. They were featured on CBC Radio, CJOH-TV and CHRO-TV. They performed at the 2000 Stan Rogers Folk Festival in Nova Scotia and the 2002 East Coast Music Awards Songwriters' Circle in Saint John, New Brunswick. In Ontario they performed at the 2002 North By Northeast music festival and opened for Ashley MacIsaac, Tara MacLean, Jorane, Sue Medley and Kilt.

Andrea and Dave

 

Namaoke

Dave hosted a unique live-music karaoke show where audience members got to sing with accompaniment by real musicians. After consulting with a couple of Japanese-speakers, Dave and Jonny O came up with a new term, Namaoke, to describe their show. While the Japanese "kara" means empty and karaoke is essentially "empty orchestra", Namaoke represents "live orchestra". Audience members chose from a list of more than 400 songs and signed up for their turn to wow the crowd. A lyric sheet was available when they got up on stage and they sang with accompaniment by Dave on acoustic guitar and backing vocals, and by Jonny on percussion.

Namaoke at the Elbow Room

 

Namaoke at the Great Canadian Cabin

 

Milliken

Dave sang and played acoustic and electric guitar in this three-piece rock band that performed a mix of funkified cover tunes and dynamic original songs.
Milliken web page

 

Soul Cracker

Dave played electric guitar in this 9-piece soul tribute band that sometimes had trouble fitting everyone on stage.
Soul Cracker web page

 

Clown Faced Cowboys

Heavy alt-country, on hiatus while Bianca has babies.

Bianca Tolson - vocals
Mike Thompson - bass, vocals
Dave Milliken - guitar, vocals
Brady Moffatt - guitar, vocals
Jerard Tweedy - drums

Clown Faced Cowboys promo shot
(Left to right: Dave, Mike, Bianca, Brady, Gerard)

Clown Faced Cowboys promo shot
(Left to right: Brady, Dave, Bianca, Mike, Gerard)

Junkyard Symphony: "Garbage and Guitars"

A version of Junkyard Symphony that played a fusion of folk and funk.

Jonny O - drum kit made of junk, vocals
Jenn Kee - vocals
Dave Milliken - acoustic guitar, vocals
Hans Levac - bass, vocals
Al G - saxophone

 

Fashionably Unconscious

A pub band that played an eclectic mix of rock, alternative, Spanish and swing tunes.

Dave Milliken - guitar, bass, vocals
Brady Moffatt - guitar, bass, vocals
Rob Patterson - bass, guitar, vocals
Oliver Franks - guitar, bass, vocals
Gerard Loehr - drums
Jerard Tweedy - drums

Fashionably Unconscious at D'Arcy McGee's
(Left to right: Dave, Rob, Oliver)

Saddledogs

An original alternative rock band that released a CD in 1994.

Brady Moffatt - vocals, guitar
Dave Milliken - guitar, vocals
Jon Coote - bass, vocals
Alex Randall - drums

Saddledogs Promo Shot
(Left to right: Alex, Dave, Jon, Brady)

Soul Addiction

A band that played covers of classic soul and rhythm & blues songs.

Sue Porebski - vocals
Dave Milliken - guitar, vocals
Steve Geyer - keyboards, vocals
Bob Martin - bass, vocals
Gerard Loehr - drums, vocals
Kelly Knox - backing vocals
Martine Courage - backing vocals

Soul Addiction Promo Shot
(Left to right: Bob, Kelly, Steve, Sue, Dave, Gerard)

The Big Walk

A band that played both originals and covers of funk, rock and alternative tunes.

Mike Benn - vocals, keyboards
Dave Milliken - guitar, vocals
Deryck Trehearne - bass, vocals
Jack MacGregor - drums, vocals

The Big Walk Promo Shot
(Left to right: Mike, Deryck, Jack, Dave)

Nocturnal Rhythm

A trio that played covers of rock, soul and R&B songs.

Sue Porebski - vocals, keyboard
Dave Milliken - guitar, vocals
Julie Anne Saumur - vocals

Nocturnal Rhythm at Fritz-Bea's
(Left to right: Sue, Julie Anne, Dave)

The Gurus

A duo that played rock, folk and blues.

Dave Milliken - guitar, vocals
Al Morier - guitar, vocals

The Gurus at the Earl of Sussex
(Left to right: Dave, Al)

The Fugitives

A blues/rock band that played originals and covers.

Anthony Seck - vocals, guitar
John Seck - guitar
Dave Milliken - bass
Mark Brown - drums

The Fugitives Promo Shot
(Left to right: Anthony, Mark, John, Dave)

Thin Air

A rock band that played covers.

Dave Milliken - guitar, vocals
Mike Tenace - guitar
Val Walker - keyboards, vocals
Martin Newman - bass, vocals
Rob McLeod - drums

Thin Air at the Rainbow
(Left to right: Val, Dave, Martin, Mike)

The photo at the top of this page is by Gordon Metcalfe.

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