In celebration of Vocalo's 15th anniversary, we're looking back on some of our favorite archived segments of "This Is What Chicago Sounds Like." Back in March 2018, Vocalo producer Fyodor Sakhnovski sat down with Ciera McKissick, the founder of AMFM. AMFM is an organization supporting Chicago artists by sharing their work on a large scale and planning community-centered arts events. As a queer woman of color operating in a male-dominated industry, she has worked hard to make a name for herself and is intentional with the experiences she creates. This is what her Chicago sounds like.

This segment of “This Is What Chicago Sounds Like” was produced by Fyodor Sakhnovski. To learn more about Ciera McKissick and AMFM, follow @mister.ms and @amfmlife on Instagram.

In celebration of Vocalo's 15th anniversary, we're looking back on some of our favorite archived segments of "This Is What Chicago Sounds Like." Back in February 2018, Vocalo producer Fyodor Sakhnovski sat down with Dr. Aymar Jèan Christian — an associate professor of communication studies and director of the Media and Data Equity Lab at Northwestern University, and the founder of OTV - Open Television. Inspired by the city’s diverse arts scene, Aymar hopes to uplift Black and Brown creators in the Chicago community and present their work to the world. This is what his Chicago sounds like.

This segment of “This Is What Chicago Sounds Like” was produced by Fyodor Sakhnovski in February 2018. To learn more about Dr. Aymar Jèan Christian and OTV, visit weareo.tv or follow @dr_aymar on Instagram.

Chicago illustrator and painter Ennis Martin's passion for the sci-fi genre began at a young age. His parents introduced him to various films, books, and television shows that allowed him to foster curiosity and creativity. He is known for his iconic paintings of whales with feet and other sci-fi creatures and uses the same passion for sci-fi to create art that inspires younger generations to tell their own stories and share them with others. He works to inspire and test the limits of what we can create with our imaginations using sci-fi and fantasy. This is what his Chicago sounds like.

This episode of “This Is What Chicago Sounds Like” was produced by Ari Mejia. Stay up to date with Ennis Martin’s work by following @a.m.one_kryptonian on Instagram.

Anti-racism organizer and owner of 51st Ward Books Nina Sánchez uses creativity to liberate her community and forge a better future for her community and her family. She became deeply involved in the Pilsen community at a young age, and now works toward a liberated present through 51st Ward Books and other community-centered anti-racism work. This is what her Chicago sounds like.

This segment of “This Is What Chicago Sounds Like” was produced by Ari Mejia. To learn more about Nina Sánchez and 51st Ward Books, visit www.51stwardbooks.com and follow @51stwardbooks on Instagram.

Chicago-based multimedia artist and educator Tony Smith built his career connecting the past and present of Chicago artists, activists, musicians and other cultural leaders. Smith has a hand in many of Chicago’s artistic institutions; he has worked at the South Side Community Art Center, taught classes at Hyde Park Art Center and his work has been featured in the DuSable Black History Museum. Having grown up around music and arts all his life with high school educators as parents, Smith now spends his time teaching many of the skills and lessons he learned from the greats to his students. He hopes he may help his students find and use their creative voice because it can change the world. This is what his Chicago sounds like.

This episode of “This Is What Chicago Sounds Like” was produced by Ari Mejia. Stay up to date with Tony Smith’s work by following @tas_exposure on Instagram or visiting his website, www.tonysmithphoto.com.

Ivan Vazquez is a Mexican muralist and painter making waves in the Chicago art scene. His work is inspired by Mexican and indigenous Aztec art as well as Chicago hip-hop culture and his time as a b-boy growing up. Being part of the b-boy community introduced him to hip-hop, which continues to influence his art today. Vazquez also uses art as a tool to heal from past traumas, and an opportunity to make an impact on his community. This is what his Chicago Sounds Like.

This episode of “This Is What Chicago Sounds Like” was produced by Ari Mejia. To learn more about Ivan Vazquez visit his website www.ivanvazquezart.com and follow @thechicagolago on Instagram.

As the founder of DTK Ceramics, Chicago ceramicist David T. Kim creates pottery with the hope of fostering connection. Inspired by Korean poetry and his parents’ ties to the restaurant industry, he creates both dinnerware designed to interact with dishes in fine dining establishments (many of which have Michelin stars) and everyday items to become part of someone’s routine. He hopes for all of his work to be functional, used frequently, and become meaningful as a part of users’ lives. This is what his Chicago sounds like.

This episode of “This Is What Chicago Sounds Like” was produced by Ari Mejia. To learn more about David T. Kim and DTK Ceramics, visit www.dtkceramics.com and follow @dtkceramics on Instagram.

Chicago rapper, dancer, social worker, mother and educator Ọmọlará Mino, also known by her artist name Omo Nyame, works to shape the future through teaching. Mino teaches a course on African American history which she calls Sankofa, meaning “to retrieve" in the Ghanaian Twi language. The course allows her students to interact with their history in a different way, reconnecting Black students with their African roots and introducing them to many different Black revolutionaries. This is what her Chicago sounds like.

This episode of “This Is What Chicago Sounds Like” was produced by Ari Mejia. Keep up with Ọmọlará Mino on Instagram @omonyame.

Hac Tran is the co-founder of HAIBAYÔ, a creative organization which strives to amplify the Southeast Asian diasporal culture of Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood — specifically, the Asia on Argyle community. He works to fight gentrification in the area and advocate for the people who call it home through his work as a cultural ambassador for the Uptown Chamber of Commerce. This is what his Chicago sounds like.

This segment of “This Is What Chicago Sounds Like” was produced by Ari Mejia. Stay up-to-date on Hac Tran’s work at HAIBAYÔ by following @hai_bayo on Instagram.

Jeanine Valrie Logan is a certified midwife and birth worker fighting for reproductive justice in underserved Chicago and Illinois communities. She is the founder and lead steward of Chicago South Side Birth Center, with hopes to open in 2023, which will strive to offer individualized care to Black and Brown mothers and infants seeking alternatives to hospitals. This is what her Chicago sounds like.

This episode of “This Is What Chicago Sounds Like” was produced by Ari Mejia. To learn more about Jeanine Valrie Logan and Chicago South Side Birth Center, visit www.chicagosouthsidebirthcenter.org.