A Man, A Camera, and an Old Guitar: Connor Millican Videographer and Songwriter
Our featured artist this month is one that doesn’t just sing songs, or play an instrument in a band. He is a guy who loves music. Now what does that mean? I am sure most of the people reading this blog “love music” as an ideology. You love to listen to it, you love how it makes you feel, how a song can evoke an emotion or a memory or even trigger other senses (pretty much everything Britney Spears does I imagine tasting like salty garbage, but I digress). Connor goes above and beyond what most people do for music that he loves. He takes another skill set he has developed and uses it to help bands with media. His Old Guitar series has been very successful in bringing in some amazing regional acts to play a beat up, old Kay acoustic while he films it, edits it, and then produces beautiful videos for the artists. All the videos have managed to be very different, capture an incredible vibe and have all been incredibly different at the same time. The collection of great songs that he has captured and released to the world have been nothing short of amazing. I could go on all day about Connor, but I picked him as a featured artist so you know I already love the guy, I love his music, and I love what he does for other musicians. I’ll let some other folks who have worked with him talk about their experience and feelings on him…
“It seems unfair that someone so talented behind the camera could also write such catchy songs and take to the stage with such seeming ease. And yet, Connor has done just that. A while after meeting him as half of the creative team behind The Old Guitar video series, I learned that he was making an album at Dirt Floor with his band Wise Old Moon. It was clear that he loved others’ music, having put so much time and effort into documenting it in those videos, and I wondered if he’d decided to develop his own as a hobby. When I finally saw him perform, on a bill I shared with his band and Hannah Fair at Cafe Nine, it became clear that music was no mere hobby for Connor: the songs he’d produced and his performance of them showed the same care and quality that was so apparent in the videos he’d shot. And so while many of us fritter away at one discipline or another, Connor has proven himself adept as both a visual and musical artist. If I find out that he’s also a master chef or a woodworker of great renown, I may just have to throw in the towel.” – Ian Fitzgerald
“Connor is a great guy, and very passionate about supporting music he believes in. I look forward to working with him again” – Jonah Tolchin
“Connor Millican is one of the most kind-hearted people I have ever met. I realized this first when he came all the way to Vermont to record me for ‘The Old Guitar”. His willingness to travel to me because I didn’t really have the money to come to my home state wasn’t something he had to do, but he did because that’s the kind of person he is. He believed in my art and drove four plus hours to capture it on film. When he started playing out as “Wise Old Moon” I really noticed what a humble human being I had met a year or so before. It seems like a lot of musicians go out of their way to talk about themselves and their own music, but Connor just genuinely cares about other peoples gifts as much as, if not more than his own. I have learned that Connor is a multi-talented man who didn’t just fall into his career, but diligently purposed to achieve what he has thus far. I’m grateful to have played that old guitar, to have met Connor, and happy to call him friend. ” – Hannah Fair
“Working with Connor was a treat. He made the process of video taping easy as he is fully confident in his abilities and isn’t afraid to take chances in terms of overall creativity with an artist. Connor has a keen eye for detail without clouding a taping up with unnecessary fluff. The boy keeps it real.” – Kerri Powers
“I’ve had the opportunity to work with Connor on a few occasions. The first time was for the Old Guitar Series. When I first spoke with him on the phone, he sounded professional, but very cool and low key about the whole thing. I remember being surprised and impressed when he said they would drive out to my little town in Rhode Island from Connecticut to film me playing the Old Guitar. When we met he was really easy going and completely dedicated to the project. He just let me do my thing and the whole shoot had a real organic feel to it. It was totally enjoyable. One of the best parts was seeing the final product. I was really impressed with how it turned out. I had seen some of the other things he had shot and edited and it was right up my alley. I was so impressed that I hired him to shoot a live show that I played at Sandywoods in Tiverton, RI. He also shot the video for my song “When I Sleep” which turned out to be amazing! Not only did he shoot, edit, and re-edit after passing it by me, he came up with the entire concept for the video. Connor has a very keen artistic sense and is able to capture great moments. And that’s just one side of him. He’s a hell of a songwriter and musician too!” – Steve Allain
