The Miami Voice Collective Gives Students a Platform for a New Local Sound

In the age of mainstream digitization, it makes sense that we tend to bite the hand that feeds us, albeit artificially. In the past few decades, music creation has largely democratized beyond the traditional distribution systems of the late ‘90s and early 2000s, simultaneously giving us some of the most influential compositions of the modern era and tens of millions of unplayed tracks on the world’s most recognized streaming services.  

In Miami, a city that recently ranked among the best cities for music fans in the US, the industry remains difficult to break into. Oversaturation and rapidly changing market trends keep the environment competitive, while the financial viability of a music career seems as elusive as ever. But in the throes of Miami’s capricious music industry, Shawn Sutta — musician, composer, producer, and one of Miami’s homegrown musical success stories — saw an opportunity to build something meaningful for the next generation. 

The Miami Voice Collective, Sutta’s Miami-based record label focusing on young artist development and original music, connects professional songwriters with a new generation of emerging artists. The Collective aims to develop young artists through a comprehensive program that includes writing, recording, and releasing original music.

“The vision for Miami Voice Collective is to grow our artists to reach their fullest potential while infusing Miami with thoughtful, high-quality musicianship,” Sutta says. “We’re working to bring national and global attention to the incredible songwriting talent emerging from this city, helping position Miami as a destination for original, artist-driven music.”

In the wake of increased musical autonomy, the traditional Miami “sound” is changing. Initially characterized by its blend of soul, funk, and Latin rhythms, the music industry in the Magic City is making room for the acoustic solo artists and indie rock bands that are returning to the forefront of nationwide youth culture.

A youth-forward organization, the Miami Voice Collective takes high school artists with nothing but a poem or a melody and provides them with a platform to explore, compose, and release music across various genres, from Latin pop to country. Sutta matches his students with a professional artist who can help them not only express the style of music they have in mind but also achieve the type of workflow that best suits their creative process. The longer the student stays in the program, the more opportunities they have to work with multiple professionals with the goal of gaining insights from each collaboration.

The collective, founded in 2023, operates under the umbrella of Vocal Youth Miami, a choral performance and early childhood music program that aims to empower the youth of Miami. Founder, executive artistic director, and Shawn’s partner, Jamie Sutta, is committed to music education and community building in the nonprofit sphere. Under her leadership, Vocal Youth has evolved into a Miami-Dade County-wide initiative that has provided students with opportunities to perform at venues like Carnegie Hall and collaborate with Grammy-winning artists, such as Enrique Iglesias. 

“For me, the joy of this work is connecting students from across different communities, uniting them through music, and seeing them transform as individuals,” Jamie says. “Here, they learn that their voice matters… We believe in giving them a platform to have something to say, not just figuratively but literally. They have a lot that they want to express, and we want to give them the opportunity to do that.”

Last year, Vocal Youth, formerly known as the Children’s Voice Choir, rebranded with the help of their Youth Advisory Council, a student-led committee within the organization. Among the values of Vocal Youth is to allow students to feel ownership over their music and practice leadership strategies that will empower them with the skills they need to become better adults.

Student musician Ellie Padron has been a part of Vocal Youth since 2021. Currently a freshman in high school, she joined the Miami Voice Collective in October 2024. Her song “Pagan Lullaby” was written, produced, and is in the process of being released in conjunction with the Miami Voice Collective as an exploration of nature and faith. After being introduced to music at a young age through piano lessons, Ellie picked up the guitar in the summer of 2023.

“I’m addicted to music,” Padron tells New Times. “I have my headphones on 24/7, and I listen to pretty much anything. I can listen to hyperpop one day, and then I’ll click shuffle and it will be Louis Armstrong. I’ll click shuffle again, and it will be Mozart.”

At 14 years old, Padron has lived in three countries and two continents. Through it all, music remained her constant. “Vocal Youth has taught me the majority of music theory,” she says. “They have taught me singing techniques, vocal exercises, certain things about producing, and they have helped me achieve my goal [of being a musician]. But I think the most important thing that has happened to me is that I’ve gained a sense of community. I’m aiming to make new friendships, new connections with people who are also as passionate about music as me.”

As part of the diverse, ever-shifting melting pot of multicultural, multilingual, and multifaceted Miami, Padron is learning to find her own sound in a music industry that needs fresh perspectives. Vocal Youth and the Miami Voice Collective exist to give her and many others a platform for their sound.

To learn more about the Miami Voice Collective, listen to the group’s recent releases on Spotify. The collective’s next showcase will be held on January 16, 2026, at the South Florida Center for the Percussive Arts. You can find more information about Vocal Youth Miami at vocalyouth.org, along with information about bookings and donations.