WHFR News

DJ SPOTLIGHT SERIES: DJ MO of the MO-TIVATION NATION Show

WHFR is pleased to feature a new WHFR DJ Spotlight Series for our home page so our DJs can stay connected with you while we're temporarily away from the Studio A chair. You might find music reviews, suggestions for staying active, backstories about how we got into the radio business, and some nice comments to help us all stay connected. Enjoy!

This article original was part of a Story on Henry Ford College's Website and slightly edited here. We are so Proud of Mo and all of her accomplishments.

“MO-Tivation Nation” nurse eager to return to HFC airwaves

Imana “Mo” Minard wears many hats. She’s a nurse, an adjunct instructor, and a DJ. Previously, she was a paramedic.

“Although my primary job responsibilities are as a nurse, I always manage to end up involved in something else,” said Minard, laughing. “I never say no. Today, I might be on a panel discussing cultural diversity and inclusion. Tomorrow, I might be talking to a patient’s family. Next week, I might be explaining about our community’s needs, or I might be appearing in a video for our Clinical Language Services. It is truly endless.”

Minard – who was recently profiled in Corp! Magazine – is Director of Nursing at Beaumont Hospital Farmington Hills and teaches nursing at the University of Michigan (U-M) in Ann Arbor.

She is also a DJ for WHFR-FM, HFC’s official independently owned and operated radio station, hosting the show MO-Tivation Nation, which normally airs every Monday from 10:00 p.m. to midnight. She has been doing this for more than a year. However, her show has been put on hiatus due to the pandemic.

“As soon as the College says we may return, I am front and center!” said Minard, who lives in Van Buren Township with Charles Minard, Jr. – her husband of 18 years – and their two children, ages 15 and 13.

MO-Tivation Nation
A mutual friend introduced Minard to Marjon Parham, who hosted her own radio show at WHFR.

“We clicked immediately. A great friendship developed, and I have learned so much about the radio business from her,” said Minard, who has been a DJ since 2017.

Parham gave Minard HFC Chairperson of the Department of Communication and Media/WHFR General Manager Susan McGraw’s contact information.

“At the time I called Susan, the classes were not in session. Susan promised she would remember me, and she did,” said Minard. “She called me to let me know when the course necessary to participate would be starting. I signed up immediately.”

Minard completed the WHFR Staff Training class at HFC, which provided the first step in allowing her to DJ on the radio station. On MO-Tivation Nation, Minard plays music that uplifts, inspires, and encourages her audience. She also conducts interviews with local business owners or anyone who has an uplifting story. She’s served as a substitute DJ on other WHFR radio shows.

“My favorite part is the interviews. I am a people magnet, and I enjoy hearing other people’s stories,” said Minard. “All of my guests are notable. This is one of the reasons I love WHFR. We focus on the independent artists and names you may have never heard of. I consider every guest a high-profile personality and treat them as such. There's a Detroit music producer named Big He (Phil Hernandez El). I booked him during our Radiothon, not realizing it was that time of year. He stayed the entire show and helped me read scripts for donations. He did so well, I thought he worked with us at WHFR!”

Minard added with a laugh: “I often say, ‘Please don’t make me choose between radio and nursing.’”

“DJ Mo is a positive and passionate member of our WHFR team,” said McGraw. “She puts her heart into her radio show and genuinely cares about each and every listener she reaches. Mo is a joy to have on our airwaves.”

Tune in to WHFR FM radio to listen to current programming. You may also listen online. The station is playing classical music while it awaits a safe return to its on-campus presence.

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VIRTUAL ONLINE FUNDRAISER: A Different Kind of Dearborn Homecoming August 7-9; SUPPORT WHFR AND 20 OTHER LOCAL CHARITIES

Typically around this time of year, WHFR would be preparing to participate in Dearborn Homecoming and inviting you to visit our tents at the festival to meet your favorite DJs, peruse our purged CD collection, and grab some free WHFR swag. This year we are asking you to do something that is not quite so interactive, but is sure to be just as entertaining: attend the Dearborn Homecoming Virtual Online Fundraiser, taking place 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. on August 7th, 8th & 9th.

The event will include interviews with representatives from the Dearborn Homecoming charity partners, scenes from previous homecomings, and details on how to donate. Each 9 p.m. showing concludes with a collage of previous year's fireworks displays (additional detailed activities listed below).

Here is the main link to donate and with more info about the event. To donate to WHFR, make sure you scroll down and choose “WHFR Radio/ Henry Ford College” https://dearborncommunityfund.org/2020/06/30/dearborn-homecoming-2020-on...

We know that many of you are big fans of our traditional CD purge, where we offer older CDs and records for $1-per-disc donations. Those funds directly finance WHFR's operating expenses (most of which still exist even though we aren't actually in the studio these days). Sadly, the CD purge isn't happening this year, but you can still support WHFR directly by donating to the station anytime at https://giving.hfcc.edu/whfr

We hope that you will attend the Dearborn Homecoming Virtual Online Fundraiser. Also, being an online event, this is an especially great opportunity to reach out to former Dearborn residents/Detroit locals and WHFR/Henry Ford College alumni who may have moved away and would like a little taste of home! Please feel free to share this info by posting to social media and/or personally inviting friends, family, and anyone else who you think would be interested in this event. Thank you!

HARDCORE PUNK IS STILL ALIVE WITH WEREWOLF JONES by RYAN YOUNGS

Great article by our Web Guy: Ryan Youngs about the band WEREWOLF JONES:
I listen to music for the way it makes me feel first, and everything else comes second. Perhaps this is why a band named Werewolf Jones caught my attention at a show just before things started to shut down due to the pandemic. Werewolf Jones took the stage as the late act for Saturday night of the Hamtramck Music Festival at Outer Limits. Their sound was awesome! It was fast, it was loud, it was full of fuzz, and reminded me of listening to old hardcore punk tapes decades ago. They are definitely taking cues from the older bands in the genre like Bad Brains, Minor Threat, and fellow Detroit area brethren Negative Approach. As far as sound goes, my first thoughts around instrumentation were pre-hip-hop Beastie Boys as it was so raw and fast, but after a little more thought early Negative Approach might be a little more inline. Vocally, my first thoughts were of Tony Reflex of the Adolescents if he had deeper voice and yelled more, haha. At any rate, if you like hardcore punk music from the early 80's or if you just want to go out and see a rock show that is super high energy but not at a massive venue check these guys out. Since live music shows aren't much of a thing right now, you can find Werewolf Jones music on Spotify, bandcamp.com, and Youtube.com.

Brief Break from Classical Programming with some Public Affairs Shows on Race and the Cornavirus airing 11am-2pm Friday June 26

Current Public Affairs Programming running Friday June 26 from 11am - 2pm

11am: Big Picture Science - Soap, Skin, Sleep
Some safeguards against COVID-19 don’t require a medical breakthrough. Catching sufficient Z’s makes for a healthy immune system. And, while you wash your hands for the umpteenth time, we'll explain how soap sends viruses down the drain. Plus, your body’s largest organ – skin – is your first line of defense against the pandemic and is also neglected because of it. Find out why we're suffering from "skin hunger" during this crisis.

Guests: