Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Mut
Hi Michael, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born and raised in Hialeah, FL, and am a product of public schools, Miami Dade College and FIU, and a life-long musician. Currently a husband, father, caregiver, small business owner and communications specialist. I moonlight as a professional bassist and vocalist, composing, recording, and performing with the Latin funk notables Electric Piquete, plus cover bands Third Wheel, Latchkey Kids, and Dr. K and the Copays. I started out on guitar, but switched to bass in the late 1990s when there seemed to be a shortage of players on the instrument in the local music scene. In my college years, I studied journalism, photography and the history of photography, anthropolgy / sociology, and music theory. This became the foundation of who I am as a professional today.
My primary job is being a public information officer for Miami-Dade County. Currently working for the Department of Solid Waste Management, I’m assigned to the Mosquito Control Division and am responsible for writing copy, creating social media content, teaching residents how to protect themselves from bites and stop mosquito breeding, and how to access county services in the fight against them. I had no idea what went into mosquito control prior to starting with the County in 2017, but now am totally fascinated and professionally fulfilled by the work. The people I have met in the industry are extraordinary, highly-educated, and passionate about public health. Like me, very few if any started out their careers wanting to work in mosquito control.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I spent a lot of time in the private sector working to enrich others and increase the bottom lines for large companies, in many disparate industries such as retail and wholesale, healthcare, education, skincare, and entertainment. Working in the public sector made me realize that there is no greater reward than public service, and working to better the lives of the residents of Miami-Dade. I once lost a battle with a CEO by sticking to the principle of earning press coverage the traditional way: through well-written and pitched press releases, background sourcing, and relationship-building, and not by trying to unduly influence a reporter. It’s a hill I would die on again (and again).
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
The project I’ve been a part of the longest, and have the most creative energy invested into, is the award-winning Latin funk band Electric Piquete. Formed in 2007, the band has played virtually every local venue, festival, and event, and made inroads to the jam and large music festival scene. After releasing two EPs, several singles, a live track, and a double A-side, we released our first-ever full length called Azabache on September 20, 2024.
Azabache is known as black amber or jet and finds its origins in the Andalusian parts of Spain. Its value and use as a jewelry piece traces back to ancient Rome, and modern use to Cuban culture, where it is worn to ward off negative energies. Azabaches are also said to protect wearers from fear, indecisiveness, and evil.
Fast forward to the Indian Summer of 2024, where the world is in an extremely precarious position. With all the political violence and the threat of it, the divisions within populations, would-be and well-established autocrats, and man-made climate crises, the Earth clearly needs an azabache. Electric Piquete’s new album is meant to be a musical azabache, a salve for what ills the globe, a statement of joy and groove put forth in the universal language of music.
We hope to provide listeners with a temporary escape from the mortal realm, and an invitation to the spiritual.
We released a new single and video also on 9/20/24 (“Chunk”), and are working on additional single releases and videos coming this year.
Learn more, listen, and watch at http://linktr.ee/ElectricPiquete.
Any big plans?
Looking forward to continuing to traveling with my beautiful and amazingly talented wife Grisell Gajano (we visited Mexico, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Marco Island, FL, Las Vegas, NV, Grand Canyon West, AZ, and Springdale, UT all in the last year or so), raise my three children (one by blood, two by marriage), care for my elderly father, and continue to write, record, and perform with Electric Piquete, Third Wheel, Latchkey Kids, and Dr. K and the Copays, for ever-increasing audiences. I am also excited about a new tribute band that is currently in the works, enjoying the process of putting together a new group, gelling with new musical compatriots, and learning new material.
I plan to continue to grow my small business, the boutique p.r. firm Mut Communications. Currently, I write web / SEO copy for various clientelle, manage social media sites and public relations for entertainers and entertainment venues, nonprofit and environmental organizations, local and regional music festivals, and political candiates.
I’m also excited about continuing to work in the mosquito control industry, helping to educate the public about what the county government does to control them, and speak at conferences about how to leverage social media and media relations to communicate with a mass audience.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://mutcomm.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michael_mut
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElectricPiqueteMusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ElectricPiquete
- Other: https://bsky.app/profile/michaelmut.bsky.social
Image Credits
Photo of Electric Piquete by Edwin Cardona
