Miles Sam

About

Miles Sam (Albert Devon Sam III) is a guitarist and composer who grew up in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana — his home filled with Jazz & Heritage Festival posters and steeped in musical tradition. He is even nicknamed after a beloved jazz legend. He started playing acoustic guitar at age 7, but discovered his true calling on electric guitar at 12, inspired by watching Prince's Purple Rain during the 2020 pandemic. His influences include Roy Hargrove, Miles Davis, and Carlos Santana, and he gravitates toward jazz, R&B, and funk. A senior at Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Miles earned a 3.8 GPA and is a member of the National Honor Society. He completed two consecutive Berklee Summer Programs — first in Valencia, Spain (2023), then the Aspire Five-Week Performance Intensive in Boston — growing as a musician and connecting with peers from 70+ countries. Notable highlights include: hosting Monday Before Dark, a monthly gig for high school and college musicians at The Artemis in Washington, DC; performing a guitar solo in front of thousands at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival sharing the stage with Water Seed; and completing his Berklee undergraduate audition on campus. He plans to pursue a degree at Berklee College of Music with a career in performance, composition, and music education.

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