September Member of the Month, Marissa Mele

"I started getting involved with PhillyCAM in October 2020 after I had recently moved back to Philly. I was excited about the mission of PhillyCAM and WPPM and wanted to create a show that celebrates the incredible diversity of our city. My show "Not Your Mother's Tongue" focuses on world music as a medium to cultural understanding. Each week on the show, we travel to a different country around the world to celebrate the music, the culture, and the history of that area. In fact, the mission statement of the "Not Your Mother's Tongue" radio show is to learn, understand and empathize with people from countries and cultures outside of the US, with a particular focus on BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, immigrant communities, and non-English speaking people, through sharing music, arts, culture, and stories. It is my firm belief that sharing music from other parts of the world connects us to the people and history of that area. I have learned so much through my discovery of new world music and I want to share that with the Philly community through my radio show. I also want to expose our listeners to music not heard on commercial radio stations as well as to give space and time for alternate, different and disparate voices to fill our airwaves. I think it is important for people from countries outside of the US to hear music from their homeland and to hear music in their mother tongue.

I also believe it is important to play music that reflects the community of Philadelphia. Each week on my show, I strive to uphold the mission of my show and I am grateful to PhillyCAM for allowing me the opportunity to present a show on the WPPM airwaves. I even won a Hometown Media Award in the Cultural Perspectives category for the show I produce on PhillyCAM. While my time at PhillyCAM has been restricted during COVID with the PhillyCAM offices being closed and/or with limited hours, I have still met some wonderful people at the PhillyCAM virtual meetups. I have even connected IRL and via social media with other DJs at the station. I have produced my show exclusively from my home with a computer and a microphone and I have learned some great recording tips from other PhillyCAM DJs. I am looking forward to getting more involved at the station and to meeting more PhillyCAM members!"

Connect with Melissa on Instagram @marooziayurveda

Listen to "Not Your Mother's Tongue", Sundays at 1 PM