She's taking sound steps in pursuit of her dream

Mirayah Rivera, a Greater Media Boston radio group intern, is gearing up for her own show. (Michele McDonald/Globe Staff)

Mirayah Rivera has big plans, but today she's thinking small. Listening carefully on her earbuds while watching the sound waves make a bright graph on her computer console, the Jamaica Plain teen is alert for obscenities or "swears," as she puts it. In her second week of a summer internship with the Greater Media Boston radio group, Rivera, who turns 16 on Saturday, is focusing on the details as she edits songs for FCC compliance, the kind of production skill that will one day, she hopes, land her a job in media.

During a break at her work station, Rivera explains how she has learned to load songs into the system, to edit, and to create her own concert calendar promotions and public-service announcements.

"I'm learning the actual steps behind everything," she says, her voice big and confident. "I'm actually preparing myself for what I want to do in the future, which is radio broadcasting. Every child always has a dream. I always wanted to be that voice."

This isn't Rivera's first step toward her dream. Before winning the internship with Greater Media - which owns WBOS-FM (92.9), WTKK-FM (96.9), WKLB-FM (102.5), WROR-FM (105.7), and WMJX-FM (106.7) - the Boston Collegiate Charter School student already worked with GRLZ radio. This low-power station, broadcasting at 540 AM from Dorchester's St. Mary's Women and Children's Center and at grlzradio.org, highlights the talents and tastes of young women ages 15 to 18 and focuses on positive images of women.

During the school year, Rivera has a regular show there as "DJ Chica," playing danceable reggaeton music and promoting local musicians. But this paid summer internship, which pairs Greater Media with one GRLZ radio student, gives Rivera much more hands-on experience with radio technology.

GRLZ Radio, says Rivera, is "like a family," with lots of positive feedback, open discussions, and support. But the radio aspect is more elementary. "We planned our shows. We learned how to work the mikes, but we had other people do the technical stuff," says Rivera.

"We're going to take it to the next level," says Paul Jarvis, assistant program director at WBOS and program director of Radio You, the youth-oriented broadcast service on the HD2 channel of WBOS. "Bring her up to the level of a commercial operation and give her production skills. That's the beauty of an actual radio internship. This will teach her very practical day-to-day radio things, and she'll find out that things change day to day, too."

At Greater Media, Rivera begins her afternoon in front of the computer in the tiny alcove belonging to Radio You. Here, she works closely with Radio You assistant program director Lauren Boyle (a.k.a. Radio You midday host Lauren LaRocque), mastering the basics and planning her own weekly show, which should be up and running Tuesdays, 7-9 p.m., by next week. (The station's programming is original from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and repeats overnight. Those without HD radios can access the station atRadioYouBoston.com.)

While the planning isn't yet complete, and Rivera knows she'll be focusing on music from her Latina heritage, she doesn't think she wants to do an all-reggaeton show again. "I want to make it more diverse," says Rivera, "bring in DJs who play mix-tapes. I want something where listeners can enjoy and dance."

Moving upstairs to the Radio You studio, she shows her mastery of the complicated control board, where she will record her show.

"I want to work on my voice," confesses Rivera, who hopes to study broadcasting at Emerson College after high school. "If I could work on my tone, it would be a lot better."

She plays a concert announcement she has recorded and points out how with editing, her tone is less breathy and sounds more confident. After one week, the young woman - who will be a sophomore in the fall - has learned how to put music behind the spoken announcement, too.

These skills will soon be taught at GRLZ Radio, as will the editing tricks that make popular - but unplayable - songs radio friendly.

"I'm going back this week," says Rivera. "I've learned so much, I want to keep the girls updated. I want to take it back and give it to them. I don't want to be the only one to have this experience."