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On Wednesday, Miller gave several performances throughout the day to local elementary children.
From singing the “Anaconda La Bamba” to rapping about the wetlands, the Austin-based songwriter had kids dancing in their seats.
“It was really fun. He put things in a way people could understand,” 10-year-old Nazareth Academy student Clare Smejkal said. “I really liked it because animals are the best thing that has ever happened to earth.”
The performances on Wednesday at the Victoria College Auditorium, and an evening performance on Tuesday at the library, were sponsored by the Victoria Bach Festival and the Victoria Public Library.
Bach Festival managing director Nina Di Leo said Miller performed for about 800 local children.
“The kids seem to really love him,” she said. “Actually, at Tuesday’s performance, one girl who had seen him perform before came in wearing a ‘Lucas Miller Rocks’ T-shirt that she had made. He has groupies in the fourth through sixth grade crowd.”
Miller’s career as the singing zoologist began when he was an education curator at a zoo. From the beginning, his bosses wanted him to teach with music, he said, and when he couldn’t find any good songs to teach with, he started writing them.
“I perform at about 150 schools per year and see probably about 75,000 to 100,000 each year,” he said. “The kids are great. They laugh and sing along.”
But there is a method to the musical madness. Along with the songs, goofy voices and funny hats, Miller teaches the kids about endangered species, threats to animal habitats and real scientific information.
Aprill Brandon is a reporter for the Advocate. Contact her at 361-580-6514 or abrandon@vicad.com.