The Speakers

Brian Miller and Peter Musselman have been playing music together since they were twelve. It all started in the Lancaster, PA junior high band where Peter played trumpet (first chair) and Brian played trombone (not first chair). At the time, Peter was a cool kid and Brian was not. In the hallways Peter would not look at Brian.
Then Peter’s parents moved and he had to transfer schools. It was at this new school that his cool status quickly vanished. People did not invite him over. Somehow, playing first chair in the school band was not the same vehicle for prestige that it once was. In a last ditch effort Peter changed his name to Pete but this had little or no effect.
Pete and Brian then met up again in college and now that the playing field was more level, Pete changed his name back to Peter and they began playing music together again. In 1999 they moved to the Bay Area and formed The Speakers. Inspired by their mutual love for the sounds with which they grew up-the sounds of the cicadas and whippoorwills in the backyards of Lancaster County-they began writing and recording quiet, experimental, folky pop songs, some 400 in all, not all of them good. In fact sometimes it was like pulling teeth. Much like writing this has been. However!
Some of the songs WERE good. The good ones they put on albums. Their latest collection is a project centered on songs with words by William Butler Yeats called Yeats is Greats. They sang and played accordion, guitar, bass, banjo, drums, violins, piano, organ, whistling, spaced-out keyboards etc. etc. (Brian also makes solo albums under the nom de plume "The Lightning Bug Situation" and he can totally make good songs on his own okay? God.)