From Greenhills to Yale, and Back Again: Dixon Miller ’23 returns to campus with Yale’s Redhot & Blue

Greenhills alum Dixon Miller is returning to Ann Arbor later this month as part of the 17 voices of Redhot & Blue, Yale University’s oldest co-ed a cappella group. They will be performing at venues around southeast Michigan, and stopping at Greenhills for a day of workshops with students to share music, stories from college life, and the joy of singing together.

Now a junior studying electrical engineering, Miller has found ways to pursue both sides of his interests at Yale: rigorous academic work alongside a vibrant performing arts scene. And coming back to Ann Arbor is a full-circle moment for a singer who spent his high school years immersed in the school’s vocal arts and theater programs.

“I get to study engineering at Yale, which is sort of the left-brain side,” Miller said. “But there are also all these amazing extracurriculars on the right-brain side.”

One of those has been Redhot & Blue, which Miller joined during his first year at Yale after navigating the university’s famously intense a cappella audition week. With nearly 20 vocal groups on campus, students often audition repeatedly before finding the ensemble that feels like the right fit and earning a spot.

Miller credits his Greenhills experience, particularly the opportunities he had in the fine and performing arts program and integrated public speaking, with helping him walk confidently into those auditions. The guidance he received from Greenhills Choir Director Brad Cohen continues to impact him.

“Mr. Cohen taught me so much about singing, but also about how to carry yourself in an audition room,” Miller said. “I still use a lot of the things he taught me, and it gave me the confidence I needed during my a cappella auditions.”

Founded in 1977, Redhot & Blue takes a distinctive approach to collegiate a cappella. Rather than competing in national singing competitions, like most college a capella groups do, Redhot & Blue focuses more on performing. It tours widely and produces concerts and workshops at schools and community venues around the world.

Music is just one part of Miller’s experience at Yale. He also works in the university’s Tang Lab, an electrical engineering research group focused on optics and light-based technologies, he participates in Moot Court, and he serves as a tour guide in the Yale admissions office. Each of these opportunities, he says, trace back to skills he developed as part of the Advanced Research Program at Greenhills, in classes that taught him to think deeply and write effectively, and from his time as a Gryphon Ambassador..

“I’m so grateful to Ms. Smith for running the Advanced Research Program at Greenhills,” said Miller. “It taught me so much about how to reach out to a research laboratory and how to conduct yourself in a research setting. Once I got to Yale, I knew immediately where to go to get involved in research. And I have to thank Dr. Randolph for all the writing skills he taught me.”

Miller says he’s frequently reminded of lessons learned in Ann Arbor, and these big and small moments continue to shape his college experience. He and fellow Greenhills graduate Celine Duenyas ’23 even joked about it during their first year at Yale, keeping a running video diary of every time a calculus concept they’d learned from Greenhills math teacher Barb Rocci resurfaced in their coursework.

“We kept sending her little videos saying, ‘Ms. Rocci, remember this?’” Miller said with a laugh. “There are just so many little Greenhills Easter eggs I keep finding in my life. I feel like I still use something my teachers taught me almost every day.”

One thing that surprised Miller about Yale was how familiar the atmosphere felt. Despite its size and notoriety, the university shares some of the same qualities he valued at Greenhills, including close relationships, strong school spirit, and rigorous academics balanced with supportive teachers and mentors.

“It’s a tight-knit environment where people really get to know each other,” he said. “And you have access to these incredible professors who really care, just like the teachers at Greenhills.”

When Redhot & Blue visits campus, Miller hopes the workshops will introduce students to the unique musical possibilities of a cappella singing. Performing in a group like his, he says, teaches singers both how to blend with others and how to step forward as soloists when the moment calls for it—two complementary skills that strengthen musicianship.

More broadly, he hopes students see the experience as an invitation to explore.

“Go out for the clubs, the auditions, the activities your first year,” Miller said. “It can feel intimidating, but it’s worth it.”

For Miller, the performance and workshops bring together two communities that shaped his journey, which are his college ensemble and the school that helped launch it. And if there’s one thing he’s certain about, it’s the lasting influence of the teachers he met along the way.

“Greenhills teachers are just the best people on the planet,” he said.

See Redhot & Blue Perform in Ann Arbor on March 14
Before visiting Greenhills, Redhot & Blue will perform a public concert in Ann Arbor on Friday, March 14 at 7:30pm, at the First Baptist Church of Ann Arbor. The performance will feature the group’s signature blend of contemporary and classic a cappella arrangements, followed by a reception where audience members can meet the singers and learn more about life at Yale. They will be passing out free info packets from the Yale Admission Office for those who are interested. Tickets are available here and Greenhills families and community members are warmly invited to attend.