When Miller Davis was a student at Wylie High School, he never dreamed he would one day be playing drums in a country western band, traveling the Texas highways for gigs all across the state.
And he certainly never dreamed he’d be playing for his teachers and principals at a Wylie Education Foundation dinner.
“It never seriously crossed my mind until it happened,” says the 2012 Wylie grad.
But there he was in early October doing what he loves, playing drums for up-and-coming singer Hunter Hutchison in front of former teachers and principal at the annual We Are Wylie Dinner.
“It’s weird, seeing all the familiar faces,” he said, after the event. “It’s cool to come back and show them what we’ve been up to.”
Miller started playing the drums when he was 10 years old at River of Life Church. He later played in the Wylie Junior High band and and was in the drum line of the Pure Gold Band in high school.
He also played on the Wylie tennis team, winning gold medals at state in team tennis and winning a state championship in mixed doubles as a senior. But when he graduated from Wylie and headed off to Texas Tech, he wasn’t planning to be a drummer or a tennis player.
“I went to school to get my finance degree,” he said. “I got that.”
But one day Hunter Hutchinson called him up. Hutchinson also was a Wylie grad, and he was starting a band. He asked Miller to be his drummer. Miller agreed and the rest is history. Hunter, who just released his second album, is finding some success in the Texas music scene, and Miller is on the road most weekends, playing the drums. (A story about Hunter ran in a previous issue of Wylie Growl, and you can read it on WylieGrowl.com.)
Long-term Miller hopes to become a studio musician, playing the drums on albums for Hunter and other musicians.
But for now, he is just enjoying doing something that most drummers only dream about.
“I’m behind the wheel most of the time,” he said. “It’s a lot of driving. It’s a lot of Dr. Pepper and Red Bull. But I love it.”