By Caty Bennett
Fred Miller, aka MFFred, is an underground musician and artist with specific interests in songwriting, performing, filmmaking, and photography. While he has traveled all over the United States and beyond, Fred has roots tied to the Midwest’s versatile, independent music scenes. He incorporates different elements of these scenes into his own work consisting of both original and reimagined cover songs that accurately delivers the image of the Midwest’s independent music catalogue. The local music scene in Indianapolis exists, however, it is still growing. Because of the city’s lack of accommodating venues for smaller, unknown artists, night life, and its proximity to bigger music markets like Chicago, it’s difficult to make a name for yourself in the local community. Despite this, Fred has found a way around it.
Fred has always had an interest in the people of his community and becoming an activist. He grew up in a safe-space church, allowing him the opportunity of interacting with people primarily through music. Communication is such a strong force — Fred not only communicates through music, he also connects with people through his installation art and photography, specifically portraiture and fashion photography. Find some of his artwork here: https://mffred.com/Photography
Fred’s interest in photography began in the basement of his childhood home in his father’s darkroom. He later received his first camera in high school, but sadly had to give it up in the 2009 recession due to rent. Six years later, he generously received a “budget” camera from a friend, reviving his passion. With this, he captured anything he could, mostly artists on stage in intimate settings.
With the help of his photography skills, Fred has collaborated with Quantum Cavern, an underground venue that utilizes audio and visual art, creating an immersive, captivating environment for underground music artists and audiences. This is where his main passion lies, engaging with art and music in new, fresh ways.
Regarding activism, Fred stays involved with his local community and contributes to issues on the national level, too. For example, he has participated in multiple protests in downtown Indianapolis, including organized events outside of the Indiana Statehouse towards recent Indiana Legislation and No Kings. Additionally, this past President’s Day, he organized a ‘Rave Against ICE,’ recruiting DJs to play music to represent Indy’s immigrant communities at Indianapolis’ Northwest side’s ICE facility. This shows Fred’s genuine compassion and concern for his neighbors, feeling the need to advocate for them not only through speaking up, but music that highlights their identities. Along with this, Fred has filmed videos and spread the word for The Indy Peace Fellowship, a foundation that helps Indianapolis residents get ahead of personal conflicts that could potentially lead to employment, education, or housing deprivation.
Fred has not only made a name for himself in his local community, he has shown others how to communicate in effective, innovative ways and inspired local artists and residents how to blend your interests to create more unconventional, expressive spaces.
“Take lemons and make lemonade.” – Fred Miller
Fred Miller
By Gaige Seeley
Fred Miller known as MFFred is a musician here in Indiana who DJs around Indianapolis or in other states around. My insights on Fred when he first came to class was someone who likes to stand up for what’s right and to let his voice to be heard, and I think he helps people in the state of Indiana do that as well. I think what he has done not only for himself but for others around him is a great achievement for himself. During his visit to IU Indianapolis this Spring, I remember he was very engaging with the class, and he really wanted to listen to the students on what they have to say – and that makes sense when you see him on social media and seeing his personality more on how he just wants to help others around him through social change. What I would want to talk about with Fred Miller is not what he does with a sound board, but what he does with social change on his Instagram. He has over 5 thousand followers on Instagram, but I can see that skyrocket to something higher with how he presents himself and his interesting way of keeping his followers up to date online. Something he likes to do is get his whiteboard and make messages to the people over things going on in politics or things going on in his life or around the state in Indiana. I find this very interesting because the way he does it and how he helps connect himself with his followers. Personally, I like his posts because it helps me keep up to date with things I don’t know what’s going on in the world or in Indiana itself. He helps educate people in his own way which makes help people connect with him.
One thing that Fred helped me learn about include the new homelessness law going into effect in Indiana. He does it in a very informative way and I really enjoy seeing his posts and hearing what he has to say. When talking about social change, what Fred does helps a lot because it can help you not only keep up to date social on what’s going around you, but also can cause social change of getting people together on big subjects like what he did with the Indy ICE raves this Spring. What he did with this was out in a parking lot near the ICE facility he held a peaceful protest that also brought in fun for the protestors, making it a rave to not only keep everything peaceful but also getting people together that have similar interests and want their voices to be heard. I think how he promotes his brand with his DJ life and bringing people together is a great thing for Indiana and I believe he does some good for the people living in the city.
I think to cause social change you need an audience; it’s hard to do it on your own. I think Fred has built himself an audience that not only listens to him but has the same beliefs as him and will support him in his raves he does or when he does a DJ set at a local industry in Indiana. For me that is a cause of social change. When you develop good vibes with the people around you, they will not only listen but follow as well. I have enjoyed meeting and listening to many of our guest speakers in class and I hope to see all of them grow into something bigger in the state of Indiana and beyond. I believe everyone in Indianapolis should know and try to listen to these artists because not only they have a story to tell but, also maybe they have something to say that will stick with you forever. Like MFFred.