Underwood began her music training in the classical tradition, studying both at Ithaca College under Warren Benson[1] and at Juilliard under Saul Goodman (timpani) and Morris Goldenberg (percussion).

[2] Throughout 1967, she kept a regular attendance at the Garrick Theater in New York City when Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention were the resident band.

I felt as if the real heart had gone out of New York City, and I had to get back on with my conservatory music training life, which seemed very dull after this.

Examples of her virtuosity can be heard on tracks including the "Rollo Interior interlude" from "St. Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast" on the Apostrophe (') album (1974).

[citation needed] In a 1993 interview she revealed that she played on one final session for Zappa shortly before his death from cancer in December of that year.

1 - The Drummers Of Frank Zappa (2009) with Terry Bozzio, Ralph Humphrey, Chester Thompson and Chad Wackerman.