About
Equal parts performer, scholar, arranger, and coach, Sean Millman is a New York-trained drummer-percussionist and deliberate practice scholar. Dr. Millman earned his Ph.D. in Percussion Performance from NYU Steinhardt, and is currently the Adjunct Professor of Percussion for Missouri Southern State University, and battery arranger for Steel City Ambassadors Drum and Bugle Corps. His primary research interest is the unified application of findings from the expert performance, motor learning, and sport psychology discourses into an actionable process of research-backed improvement for performing musicians. Sean has additional scholarship training in historical musicology, ethnomusicology, Schenkerian theory, curriculum development, qualitative research methods, and organizational culture & leadership.
Sean’s commercial performance experience includes cruise work as drummer and bandleader with Holland America Line, theatre playing at the New London Barn Playhouse, Weathervane Theatre, and Off-Off Broadway houses across New York City, and theme park work and corporate engagements. As a classical percussionist, he has performed with the Adelphi Orchestra, Amore Opera, Westchester Band, Lehman Community Band and the Ocala Symphony Orchestra, played behind artists including Stanley Drucker, John Miller, Joe Passaro, the members of Sandbox Percussion, and at venues including Carnegie Hall, Symphony Space, and National Sawdust. As soloist and chamber musician, Sean is a member of the Ephemera duo alongside NYC-based flutist Hannah Donnelly, and an active commission and consortium member of new music for solo percussion, especially alongside multimedia integrations.
Dr. Millman has presented clinics virtually and in-person at NYU, the University of Florida, Newberry University, Lee University, Stephen F. Austin State University, CUNY Lehman College, Tec de Monterrey (Mexico), and given research presentations for PASIC, the national conferences of NACWPI and CMS, and CMS Pacific Northwest.
Sean’s previous teaching experience includes applied percussion as an adjunct at NYU and GA at the University of Florida, teaching artist with the Queens Symphony, drumset teaching at Guitar Center stores and a nonprofit center, multiple Yamaha Sounds of Summer events, and as the lead percussion instructor at the Ocala Summer Music Camp. Within the marching arts, Sean also works as a freelance battery and front ensemble arranger, instructor, and consultant for percussion, visual, and leadership.
A native of Atlanta, Sean completed his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees at the University of Florida. Principal teachers include Jonathan Haas, Jason Haaheim, Jim Saporito, and Dr. Ken Broadway. Sean has been published in Percussive Notes, Rhythm! Scene, and Allegro, is a member of the Percussive Arts Society, American Musicological Society, College Music Society, and the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors, and currently serves as chair of the PAS Scholarly Research Committee and coordinator of the PAS Thesis and Dissertation Repository. Sean is a member of the American Federation of Musicians.
Dr. Millman endorses Vic Firth, Zildjian, and Black Swamp.
Theater credits include A Chorus Line, She Loves Me, Blood Brothers, The Marvelous Wonderettes, A Class Act, Cabaret, Chicago, Next to Normal, Assassins, Into the Woods, Matilda, Mary Poppins, Chess, Urinetown, and Damn Yankees.
