Mixing Beats and Healing Hearts

Monica Figueroa, known behind the decks as HARMONICA, carries two callings with grace: a social worker dedicated to the people of New York City, and a DJ curating experiences that bring entire rooms into rhythm. For her, music isn’t just sound. It’s sanctuary, connection, and community.

Born and raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Monica’s story begins in a home filled with music. “My uncle was a drummer, and my family was always musical,” she recalls. By six, she was playing the drums; by middle school, she had chosen the violin. Her parents, immigrants from the Dominican Republic and Brazil, encouraged her roots and resilience, while the public school orchestra sharpened her foundation with theory and composition.

High school transformed her curiosity into passion. “It became my outlet, my escape from everything I was navigating,” she says. “Instead of crashing out at such a young age, music saved me.”

Though she majored in social work with a minor in marketing and communications at the University of Maine, music always lingered in the background. After college, a reunion with longtime friend Jessica led her to the Darkside collective, where she began in marketing and public relations before ultimately finding herself behind the mic and the mixer. What began as bedroom practice quickly became a public calling.

Her first open-deck in March 2024 set the tone. From pool parties to baby showers, she learned to move rooms of all sizes. The real turning point came at the “Sorry Papi Tour” in Passaic: an all-woman party where she took the stage, spoke on the mic for the first time, and lit the crowd with energy. “That moment made me realize this wasn’t a side hustle,” she says. “This is my career.”

“I always say, for me, it’s a HARMONICA experience, because I’m bringing people in harmony.”

Her name isn’t about the instrument, but about her mission: to unify strangers through sound. From funk and salsa to rap and house, she curates with intention, ensuring no set is ever the same.

“People come up to me like, ‘I’ve never heard this in public. Thank you.’ That’s exactly what I want, for it to feel like an experience.”

Balancing her day job as a social worker with nightlife hasn’t been easy, but it’s also her superpower. In one room, she’s helping clients navigate language barriers and life challenges; in another, she’s helping hundreds find release on the dance floor. “I love helping people, and I love DJing. Both let me give back to my community in different ways.”

Her presence also challenges industry stereotypes. “I hate the term ‘female DJ,’” she says firmly. “We’re all DJs. Period. Women DJs, though, are often more attentive to detail. We curate based on the room, the culture, and the energy. That’s what separates us.”

“What if the crowd doesn’t want to shake? What if they want bachata, salsa, or to pop and lock? I’m not here for the male gaze. I’m here to make sure everyone has a good time.”

Looking ahead, HARMONICA is preparing to launch “Offline”, a Jersey-based party series co-curated with DJ Doro, and an educational TikTok/Instagram series on the subgenres of Brazilian funk. An ode to her roots and her passion for teaching.

Through it all, her younger self remains close to her heart. “I’d give her a long hug and tell her, You were never alone. Music will be your safe haven.”

A social worker by day, a DJ by night, HARMONICA isn’t choosing one path over the other. She’s blending them into something bigger: harmony.

Follow HARMONICA along her journey through social media @Har.m0nica .