Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mia Rodriguez from The Underground Miami. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Mia Rodriguez thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

It all started in April of 2020 right when we were placed under quarantine because of the fast-spreading pandemic. I was at home reminiscing about the local concerts I attended pre-covid, missing the rush of feelings I get from live music. It really got me thinking about how I could continue to support all of these incredible musicians from home while we were all in lockdown. One night, I was talking to some of my musician friends and collectively came up with the idea that I should create a platform to support local musicians from home. And so The Underground was born. My missions and goals for this platform have always been to support the local music scene during these complicated times and to eventually host shows and grow into a company. Since the creation of The Underground Miami, we have hosted amazing live streams and we are so thankful to everyone who made it possible, especially to the bands! Although The Underground isn’t much of a company yet, the Underground name has become widely known amongst the local Miami community and it has been a complete dream. Although I left for Boston for college in the fall of 2021, I have been remotely managing The Underground Miami with the help of my family and friends, and since then I created The Underground Boston to support the local community up there! I have been achieving the goals I set out to complete little by little, and who knows, maybe someday The Underground name will be nationally recognized!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Mia Rodriguez and I created and founded The Underground Miami at the start of the pandemic. This platform was born simply because of my love for music and supporting the local community in which I grew up. I have always been surrounded by musicians my entire life, and being an artist and a musician myself, it feels so great to be surrounded by them in the local music scene. I see so much talent amongst everyone in the Miami community and I feel the need to support all of these amazing up-and-coming musicians that need to be recognized! On the platform, I am constantly promoting local shows that are coming up so everyone is aware of what is going on in the community, as well as posting quick ‘about the bands/musicians’ on our feed so everyone can get to learn all about the amazing musicians that make up the local community.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I have to admit, building an audience on social media is a difficult thing to get started. The way I began to build it was by first talking to my friends and having them talk to their friends and etc., creating a chain to have a good foundation to start promoting bands. By then, the audience grew, and now I just needed to contact and create connections with the bands. And that’s what I started doing! The Underground began to grow by word of mouth and we started making great connections with bands and big names in the local scene. My advice for building a presence and audience on social media is to just start making connections right away! There is never any harm in contacting people and telling them what you plan on doing and what your goals are. That’s how The Underground grew and continues to grow, in both Miami and in Boston! I also wanted to give a special thank you to Voyage Miami for always being around and supporting The Underground! Its been a privilege to be a part of the amazing projects you have created to bring light to the people, companies, and musicians that make up this incredible community!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

A big part of building a name and reputation for The Underground was showing up and being at shows anytime they were happening in the community. At this point, I think I have lost count of how many shows I have been to! I began going to more shows in the summer of 2021 when they were just starting to come back from the pandemic, and by going up and introducing myself to the bands, telling them who I am and what I do has been the best way to build a following for The Underground. They are always so supportive and loving and I have made great connections with them, thanks to all the shows going on all the time in the community!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://theundergroundmia.wixsite.com/theunderground
• Instagram: @underground.mia @underground.bos @mia_ro_se
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNZeFtvsYkQS4h41NrBAnAQ?view_as=subscriber

Image Credits
Photographer: Humberto Rodriguez “El Gato”, Guitars: Gibson