Myles Bullen
Myles Bullen is a genre-fluid, art-poet, ukulele-playing punk rapper, from Portland, Maine. Myles has toured nearly every state in the US as well as many European countries performing packed shows at music venues, colleges, recovery centers, prisons, festivals, and libraries. As a person in long term recovery from addiction, Myles sings songs about grief, mental health, addiction, navigating identity, relationships, and cartoon lore. In addition to performing, Myles leads writing workshops for young people in schools, helping students express themselves through poetry and storytelling.
Programs Offered
TESTIMONIALS
“Myles’ skills of writing and performance, their dedication to group process and group work, and their commitment and ability to see the power in everyone’s voice, makes them a standout group facilitator and artist. They were noticed by all, adults and youth alike, as someone who has taken their personal experiences and used art as a tool for transformation.”
“Myles’ melodies and beats are current and interesting. They draw you in. And, his words are real. His songs and beat poetry include themes of truth, loss, addiction and kindness. His performance at Hebron was authentic and had meaning. If you are looking to awaken your students to memorable art and honest communication, Myles Bullen’s performance will do it.”
"Myles was engaging and fun! The teens were encouraged and seemed to naturally open themselves up to Myles and the prompts they worked on. Would definitely have Myles come again!! (I also had a lot of fun, too!)"
“With a colorful personality and exterior and an expansive, joyous presence, Myles Bullen is a herald of positivity. While their songs focus on material that can easily be distressing, Myles is able to bring humanity and hope to topics like death, addiction, and loss, as well as everyday struggles like identity and sexuality.
Teens are reporting record levels of low mental health—especially after weathering a pandemic and experiencing growing stress related to an uncertain future—and there is no better time for normalizing discussions around depression and other tough topics. Myles is frank and unguarded while they sing and gently prompts dialogue with the audience. Moving between intelligent and thought-provoking raps accompanied by pre-recorded backing tracks, to singing softly while strumming a ukulele, they always allow space between songs for the audience to feel their feelings or talk about their own experiences with the topics.
Of course, it's hard for teens to let down their defenses, especially in a public space and around people they don't know. But Myles projects a very immediate sense of acceptance and kindness that infuses the room. They invite the listeners to join him in singing on choruses, on clapping along, and—most magical—asking their new fans to offer thoughts or current worries that they took and swiftly spun into a fun, freestyled ukulele jam.
We cried. We laughed. We gripped hands with the people next to us and fully felt our emotions. We may not all have known each other an hour previously, but by the end we were all electrified by the current of love that Myles carries with them.
They remind us: we are not alone. They remind us: unmet friends and compassion and understanding are all around us.”