Today we’d like to introduce you to Mia Iaderosa.
Mia, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
So I was born and raised in Youngstown, a very small town in Northeast Ohio. My parents divorced when I was young and my childhood was very chaotic. Nonetheless, I truly have amazing family. I have been singing my entire life, and loved performing from a young age. Growing up, my teachers would always tell my parents that I was a phenomenal writer, and would have to end up in a career that involved writing in some way. I wrote some of my own music as a child just for fun, but it wasn’t until I moved to Nashville in 2018 that I really started writing music.
I attended John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio, from 2014-2018, where I received my degree in Communication. During my time there, music took a backseat. It was some of the best years of my life, but I was so far from my dream that I questioned if I even wanted to pursue it anymore. This thing in my bones that I always believed was my purpose, what I was meant to do, was somehow slipping through my fingers. I was on the fence about law school, and started touring Case Western Reserve. I always thought if I made the jump and left Cleveland, I would move to LA – but God showed me Nashville. My younger sister, Nina, had moved here a couple years prior to attend Belmont. I went to visit her and had a feeling that maybe I was being called to the city, too. In the Spring of 2018, I was getting ready to graduate in May. With a random sense of urgency, I got on a flight, came down, found a job and an apartment, and went back to Ohio to get my things. I was here and settled that summer.
2018-2022 were extremely rough years for me. In the midst of doing all of the things in town (writing, recording, networking, working to pay bills, going out, etc.) I was struggling with alcoholism, a disease that has a history in my family. My addiction was killing me and destroying everything around me – my opportunities, my relationships, etc. At the start of 2020, I took a break from town and went home to Ohio to be with family for a few months. From 2020-2022, I struggled to get and stay sober on my own. It was a 2 year period of going on and off the wagon, with consequences becoming more significant as time went on. I saw doctors, psychiatrists, therapists, even attended Onsite twice, all while on a quest to figure out what was “wrong with me”. I convinced myself that if I could just figure it out and fix it, I could drink normally – I couldn’t accept that I was an alcoholic. It was crumbling my life, and I knew it.
In August of 2022, I finally ended up in rehab at Cumberland Heights, here in Tennessee. I did an outpatient program as well, twice, and got involved in a recovery program. When I finally got sober, it took me about a year to slowly integrate myself back into the world. I still had so much fear, I didn’t trust myself, and I didn’t know how to be in the world without alcohol. I slowly rebuilt my life with the help of my recovery community, my family, my friends, my amazing boyfriend, Morgan (who has been there through it all), and most importantly, Jesus. When I called out to Him, He showed me the way and He saved my life. I believe with everything in me that I have a pact with Him – If I stay sober and help others to achieve sobriety, my life will continue to unfold in unimaginable ways. This has been my experience.
I grew up Catholic and had always believed in God, but I’ve realized that walking in faith and believing are two totally different things. My recovery in a nutshell has been about learning to rely on Him, for maybe the first time ever. Continually. Actually. Not just when it’s easy. I always felt different from other kids growing up, I had a deep sense of uniqueness that made me feel like I never quite belonged. From an outside perspective, I had friends, I was happy, but that feeling was always inside me. However, as a child, I loved to sing. I jumped on stage and performed whenever I could. But somewhere along the line, I began to doubt myself and my gifts, and became paralyzed with fear. There was a time in my life I truly thought I would never sing again. The fear of getting on a stage and opening my mouth without some sort of aid was too much. What I have learned is that nothing is impossible with the help of The Lord, if He chooses to allow it.
After this past year, I can finally say that I am fully back into music. Writing 24/7, recording and releasing my own music, playing shows and writers rounds, and sharing my gifts and story with the world. NSAI played a ginormous part in helping me plug back into the writing scene in town through their pitch nights, events, seminars, etc. I started singing live at The Commodore Grille, which was a small enough venue for me to feel comfortable getting my feet wet. From there, it was a domino effect of God opening up doors and opportunities. He has continued to place the people and resources I need right in front of my feet as I walk the path.
Today, I love my life, and I’m excited to live. You can find my music on Spotify or anywhere you stream music. You can find me at any number of the local spots singing original songs on a given night. For someone else, it may be just another Tuesday. For me, it’s nothing short of a miracle.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely has not been a smooth road, but a fruitful one. Most of my journey has been about unlearning – old beliefs, ideas, family rules, patterns of behavior, etc. and how to step into my truth. I have had to learn and overcome a lot also, such as navigating life with a personality disorder, dealing with anxiety and depression, facing (with the help of therapy) deep wounds and traumas.
I think as creatives, navigating the industry and figuring out who you are as an artist, what you bring to the table, honing your craft, overcoming rejection, all of that, is a journey and challenge of it’s own we are all familiar with in our own way.
Somehow, by God’s grace, the path continues to unfold for me as I continue to just take the next step. I’m grateful for it all.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m currently an independent songwriter and artist!
I think if you were to ask my cowriters what my strengths are as a writer, they would say my lyrics and ability to keep the room on track with what we are trying to say and how we are trying to say it. I’ve always had a way with words and storytelling. That’s not a unique quality in this town – I think what truly sets us all apart is not so much our gifts but our experiences. We’re all drawing on them when we create, and I think that’s really cool. You might be in a room with two other people who have the same strengths as you, but no one is gonna say something the exact same way as someone else, and I think that’s the magic of it.
People always ask how long you’ve been in town, and in a lot of ways I feel like I’m truly just getting started. I just started putting out music last year, as well as singing live again and diving back into cowriting. I definitely have a solid sense of who I am as a writer, but I’m still pushing my boundaries to grow in that way.
I’m still trying to figure out exactly who I am as an artist. As of now, my artistry is definitely rooted in the country genre, but it has elements of pop and rock in both production and tone for sure. I think one of the biggest challenges as a creative is trying to brand yourself or limit yourself to one genres, one vibe. Still working on that – All I know is I love music that makes me feel something.
I don’t want to just make music, and though, I want to make an impact. Whether on stage or on paper, I really try to share all aspects of my journey with authenticity and use my platform to spread hope and just connect with people. I want to inspire others to embrace their own story, and point people to the goodness and grace of God along the way.
Overall, I just feel proud of the woman I’m becoming and super grateful because I know none of it is possible without Jesus.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Resilience
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.miaiaderosamusic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miaiaderosamusic/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjn2pG5T8hCCyRWYIudNiDQ
