Abstract
In February of 1994, the Miami New Times published an op-ed piece by Joyce Bejar with a direct and concise headline: “The Local Rock Music Scene is Dead.” Bejar’s article wasn’t a patronizing critique aimed at the artists that inhabited South Florida in the early-to-mid nineties. Rather, the piece blamed rock music’s supposed “death” on the financial realities of a stagnating music industry: record labels adjusting their priorities, radio stations hesitant to take risks, and the closing of small venues.
To determine how much has changed thirty years later, I gathered evidence from all the relevant articles I could find on current Miami-based musicians and broader economic trends. My findings indicate that the external structure of the music business has transformed with the rise of the Internet yet the fundamental dynamics for local rock artists are, by and large, strikingly similar. Streaming platforms are notorious for paying minuscule amounts in royalties, social media can unlock new audiences for some artists while failing to translate to real-world traction for others, and independent venues continue to shut down at an alarming rate.
Despite these and several other practical dilemmas, Miami’s rock music artists continue to advance their careers by tapping into unique blends of cultural influences, forming their own DIY events, promoting each other’s work, and collaborating with a variety of photographers, promoters, and student publications.
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