Leah Miller

Leah Miller is currently an instructor and arranger for the University at Albany Marching and Spirit Bands, the assistant director for Albany City Marching Band, an instructor and arranger for Albany Indoor Percussion Ensemble, and private music lesson instructor at Guilderland Music Academy.  

Leah has taught K-5 general music in Maryland, high school band and adaptive music in Virginia, and high school and college band in Minnesota. She holds a bachelor’s in instrumental music education from Bethel University and a master’s in music education from the University of Minnesota Duluth. Her thesis is titled, “Audiation and Eighth Grade Instrumental Lessons: A Mixed Methods Inquiry.”

In her career, Leah has primarily taught high school and collegiate bands, with an emphasis on athletic bands. During her time at the University of Minnesota Duluth, Leah was the graduate assistant for athletic bands and performed on mellophone with the marching band. In 2017, she was the pep band director for the DI men’s hockey Frozen Four tournament and the national championship game.  

While at Brooke Point High School from 2017 to 2021 as the Director of Bands, Leah notably introduced and designed the live sound amplification to the marching band, expanded the eighth-grade recruitment events in number and variety, and designed and taught the adaptive music class. This was the first adaptive music class available to students in Stafford County, Virginia. Leah was nominated for “teacher of the year” for the 2020-2021 school year.  

Leah is primarily a collaborative pianist and a French hornist. As a collaborative pianist, she has worked and performed with elementary school music programs up through doctoral music students, as well as several masterclasses, most notably on piano for Dr. David Gillingham. As an active private music lesson instructor, she teaches piano, flute, brass, percussion and voice.

Leah currently lives in Albany, New York, with her husband, Justin, and their dog, Wally.

Pronouns: She/her