The Sensorium Saxophone Orchestra

The Sensorium Saxophone Orchestra formed in 2008 as NYC's first full-on saxophone orchestra with live performances commencing the following year premiering both Terry Riley's "In C" at Issue Project Room and Miller's "Symphony of Suspicious Activity" at Brooklyn Lyceum.

A recording session at Brooklyn's Kennel Studios is slated for Spring 2012 to record Miller's symphony, which will be released later in the year.

Current roster of orchestra members
Benjamin Miller; composer, conductor, alto, c-tenor, keyboard.
Gerald Thomas; soprano, alto, tenor, c-tenor.
Kevin Gosa; soprano, alto.
David Schnug; alto, tenor.
Justin Wood; alto, tenor.
Daniel Dorrance; alto, soprano.
Jonathan Mortiz; tenor, alto, soprano.
Bryan Beninghove; tenor, soprano.
Chris Diasparra; tenor, baritone.
James Elmore III; tenor.
A. J. Kluth; tenor, soprano.
Joe Wilson; tenor, alto.
Josh Sinton; baritone.
Kristin Olson; baritone.
Kyle Saulnier; baritone, soprano.
Gabriel Yonkler; baritone, soprano.
Stephan Zeniuk; baritone, bass.
Brian Landrus; baritone, bass.
Drummers: Hiroyuki Matsuura, Tim Kuhl, David Tedeschi, Jarrod Ruby.

Miller's diverse influences include The Beatles, Syd Barrett's Pink Floyd, Stockausen, John Cage, Ornette Coleman, Sun Ra, Oliver Messiaen, Arnold Shoenberg, The Damned, and Glenn Branca - to name but a few. At 10, Miller started with alto sax followed by guitar the next year. In 8th grade Miller formed his first group of seven electric guitars, and by 9th grade, he was exploring spontaneous improvisation alongside pysch-songwriting with Sproton Layer. In college, Miller included Graphic Scores to structure open-ended improvisation. He continues to use scores that were written at that time and gives workshops at univserities using these charts with "found sound".

In the mid-1970's, Miller relied heavily on MXR foot pedals in Ann Arbor's art band Empool, which then transformed the art punk version of Destroy All Monsters. Afterward, he went on to form numerous Ann Arbor avant-rock bands with his twin brother until leaving the rock circuit in 1985.

In the 1980's with art band GKW, Miller dabbled in notated composition again reviving his interest in intervallic relationships. While attending Columbia College Chicago in the 90's, he began developing an all-interval method of composition with The Eleven Mirrors Ensemble. This method came to fruition in 2007 and is now the primary technique used in his compositions.

Miller's recording of his 12-tone composition "Every Room" was released in 2007 as a 45rpm. This was recorded soley by Miller overdubbing 16 saxophones [baritone thru soprano] before forming The Sensorium Saxophone Orchestra.

Contact Ben Miller at info@benmiller.info

Website by Orin Buck