Book Musical Artist Mia Vermillion (Entertainment, Songwriting, Commercial Sound Design)

Recently I had the distinct pleasure to be at a large fund-raiser where we were all entertained by what I would describe as a ‘Chanteuse exceptionnelle’.” — Graham Kerr, Renowned Chef and Celebrity

"My songs and song choices come from what I know: the inner and outer workings of relationship, the joy of music and life, and getting a huge satisfaction out of providing feminine value and perspective in it."

Mia is bringing together her first blues album, recorded and engineered at Garey Shelton studio in Seattle, WA. The album features at full length the magic combination of Mia's voice and - noted Seattle artist and dobro great - Orville Johnson's guitar(s). Her sound will also include Ben Smith (of Heart) on percussion/drums as well as other notable Seattle artist like Mark Ivester, Chuck Deardorf, Garey Shelton, and Hans Teuber. This album consists of two of her original blues compositions as well as resurrected blues songs from the 20's and 30's and 40's. Mia's new album is in the making right now!
(Orville Johnson has appeared on Garrison Keilor's Prairie Home Companion, Jay Leno's Tonight Show, and was featured in the 1997 film "Georgia" with Mare Winningham. He has released seven albums and has been featured in multiple television and movie.)

Mia's work on this blues album is also coinciding with a 2nd album she is producing with well know Seattle pianist/arranger/composer Tom Kellock, who is also co-arranging. This album is made up of 9 of Mia's original tunes and two selective cover songs from great women songwriters. This project is titled "Validity" and represents an account of Mia's life from her early young adult years to present, due out in Summer/Fall 2008. As with her blues album, notable artists out of Seattle have come together for a great sounding record.

As a native of Washington State, Mia primarily grew up in Olympia and was heavily influenced during her younger years by female artists from the Northwest such as Riki Lee Jones, and Ann and Nancy Wilson of "Heart." Mia counts Joan Armatrading, Bonnie Raitt, and Aretha Franklin as other female musicians who shaped her voice and music. Mia's influences are not just from modern day concepts of mainstream female artists, however. While growing up, she found herself drawn to the complicated, sophisticated and earthy sounds of blues and jazz, and the women in it. She studied and listened to the music of Lil Green, Billie Holiday, and Sarah Vaughan as well as others. Mia states, " The jazz and blues women of the 20’s, 30's and 40's, are role models for me in my songwriting. As a kid, I stumbled upon these women in songbooks. I didn't know it then, but I found a kind of kindred spirit in them. Mary Lou Williams, Ma Rainy, Bessie Smith and others had such a strong point of view down on paper that I could appreciate it. I wasn't seeing anything like that anywhere else at the time. So, I bought the books and started listening to what they had to say and how they said it."

Mia started and ran her own company, Vermillion Music Studio, which produced music commercial music beds for radio, TV, and other business needs. Mia wrote, performed and produced the music beds created for the company's clients, which included Comcast, Toyota dealerships, and several web development companies, to name a few.

In 1998, Mia was invited to travel to Beijing, China as part of a cultural exchange event with the Beijing Foreign Studies University. Mia spent two weeks performing in Beijing with a variety of musicians from around the globe. The trip was highlighted with a concert at the University's performing arts auditorium. As of the last two years Mia has been performing regularly and intends to keep it that way. She has shared billing and/or performed with notable Seattle artists such as Geoffrey Castle of The Guarneri Underground, Michael Powers, Jr. Cadillac, Greta Matassa, and Jon Belcher of JB & The Savoy Swing. Mia has performed at noteworthy venues and festivals, including the Cross Roads Bellvue Mall Songwriters Show Case, Washingtion Performing Arts Center, St. Martins College, Skagit Valley College, University of Idaho, Montana State University, Beijing Foreign Studies University, The US Armed Forces FORSCOM Festival, The Olympia Food and Wine Festival, the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, and the Anacortes Jazz Walk at the 2006 Jazz Festival.

A venue owner, sums it up perfectly. He says "they hear this voice and they've got to come in and see where that's coming from. She's got an amazing voice."

As a side note and passion, Mia is involved with Habitat for Humanity and finds great satisfaction in community. She serves as vice president of Skagit Habitat for Humanity Women Build.