Meet Miami New Times Music Editor Flor Franceschetti

When I sat down to write this, I wasn't sure where to start — or how far back I wanted to go. The truth is I've been a music fan for as long as I can remember. I once saved every coin my grandma gave me on a holiday trip so I could buy a Bee Gees cassette when I was 6 (no judgment). A couple of years later, I asked for a Blondie CD for Christmas. But maybe that's too far back.

Let's start with the first day I dipped my toes into music journalism. I was 18, a journalism student in La Plata, Argentina — this was almost 20 years ago. I attended a festival where Patti Smith and the Beastie Boys were playing. With a not-so-official press credential in hand, I managed to land an interview with an up-and-coming band on the lineup: Elefant.

As I made my way to the green room, I ran into Patti Smith. She was standing near the entrance, casually handing out pins to fans. I was starstruck. Her music meant so much to me, and I couldn't believe she was just...there. All I could manage was a shy "hi" before slipping inside to do the interview.

That moment was a turning point. I took the interview back to my college's popular radio station, which led to my first official job in music journalism at Radio Universidad de La Plata, where I had the chance to work with journalists from Rolling Stone and Les Inrocks. Ever since, I've looked back on that Patti Smith moment as an omen for my Almost Famous dreams.
After graduating, I came to Miami through an international cultural exchange — one of those work-and-travel programs. I started as a server at the Marriott Hotel and eventually landed an internship in the PR department at Sony Music Latin America, where I was lucky to have great mentors.

During those long shifts waiting tables in South Beach, I kept wondering: Is this Miami's music scene? Just the clubs? I'd use my tip money to buy records at Uncle Sam's (RIP) once or twice a week. One day I asked the person behind the counter where I could find local shows. He handed me a copy of Miami New Times. This was around late 2008.

Thanks to New Times, I discovered what I called the "downtown scene": the Vagabond, the Bar, White Room. I saw local bands, indie and alt-rock acts, post-punk, and artists from all over the world. I fell in love with Miami and decided to call it home.

After becoming the music editor of the local online magazine Wasabi Fashion Kult, I began contributing to New Times as a music, arts, and culture writer. I've since had the surreal opportunity to interview artists I grew up listening to, including Debbie Harry, Patti Smith, Cat Power, and many others.

For nine years, I contributed under editors like Sean Pajot, Ryan Pfeffer, and Jose Duran. So when the music editor position opened up this past spring, I knew this was my chance to give back to the city that has inspired me for so long.

My goal is to amplify coverage of the city's rich and diverse local scene. I'm excited to work with longtime contributors and new voices to tell the stories that matter, and to introduce readers to the sounds they didn't know they were missing.

If you're a local band with new music, please fill out this form.

And if you have any music-related news or tips, feel free to email me at [email protected].