It’s not uncommon to see a WJ student walking the halls with earbuds in, iPods on and popular music blasting. Yet, with  WJ students living right outside D.C., there are many opportunities to see bands from all over the country passing through the Capital while on tour, from popular “Top 10” iTunes groups to bands still trying to make a name for themselves, like Chicago-based band Danger Is My Middle Name (DIMMN). Although DIMMN has never made it to the District, they hope to, as they work to build a bigger fan base and become better known. So, turn off the Lady GaGa and Jay-Z and try listening to something new!

Craig Miller, bassist and co-founder of DIMMN, discussed the band’s history and his journey to becoming a musician and part of DIMMN. He also gave advice to students hoping to pursue a career in the music industry based on his experiences as an upcoming musician.

How did the band pick the name Danger Is My Middle Name?

It’s a pretty popular phrase, and when we started the band I wanted to pick a name that stuck, and that you would remember even if you never heard the music. A lot of bands had obscure names at the time; I wanted something that was memorable.

What are some of the best and worst parts of being in a band?

I think the hardest part of being in a band is being a band – it’s tough to find people who share the same interest in music as you do, and it’s hard to keep four people on the same page with each other all the time. It’s also really hard work getting your name out there, but it’s also a lot of fun to gain new fans because you get a sense that what you are doing is actually working on some level. Also touring is super tough and has its horrible moments, but even the bad times touring are fun to look back on later.

Do you have advice for kids who are in bands?

I think it’s key to stick with it and not focus on trying to sound like what’s out there at the moment because chances are, by the time you have the possiblity of doing something with your music, the popular sound will have changed. Especially today, you have a market that is oversaturated with bands that just sound exactly the same, and really it hurts music more than it helps. So try to be original in what you do, and make that sound as best you can.

If you were not a musician, what would your dream job be?

I think if I wasnt a musician, I would be an audio engineer working on records. I have a pretty good ear for writing songs and can run recording programs pretty well. I also started going to school to become a college professor, so I would possibly go back to that.

What were your favorite and least favorite subjects in school?

Oddly enough, one of my best and favorite school subjects was math. I was always really good at it [and even became] the Student Of The Month for Algebra several times. I think my least favorite was gym. We never did anything fun really, and I hated running the track.

Was there anything, or any teacher, throughout school that encouraged you to work on music?

I think my choir teacher in high school was a big help. He really pushed for me to do more singing and stuff. But I didnt really have a teacher or anything that was a super big influence [on] me as far as music went. Which is kind of sad, but at the time, music just wasn’t really important to anyone and public schools weren’t getting the push to develop their music departments.

How did you meet your bandmates?

Actually we all pretty much met on MySpace. I met Gabe through an ad my old band had placed looking for a bassist that he answered, and then we went on to form this band, and we posted an ad for a guitarist that William responded to. Mickey I had kind of known from other bands, and he contacted us seeing if we wanted to do a show he was booking, and I told him we didn’t have a drummer, and he said he wasn’t in a band, so it just kind of happened.

What bands would you say influence you?

I’m really influenced by stuff like old Weezer, maybe a little Blink 182 and stuff like Jimmy Eat World. I’m not really into much of the newer bands that have come out in the past five years or so. So I definitely think we have an old school pop-punk feel because of that.

Do you have a favorite song to play when you are touring?

We are going to be doing a lot of touring in 2010 starting probably late-winter/early-spring. I love playing some of our newer unreleased stuff, and I always have fun playing songs like Sidecar One, Give It Up and Revenge On The Radio.

Has your band even played in D.C. or anywhere in Maryland?

We have never made it out that way yet . . . we really want to, but we havent found a good band to tour that way with yet, and I’m not sure how well we would draw there on our own yet.

Is there any question that you have always wanted to be asked, but nobody has ever asked you?

Where did I get such perfect teeth? Well the answer to that is I had braces when I was 20.

INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY ANDREA LINDER VIA INSTANT MESSAGING.