Melissa Dueñas

Melissa Dueñas is a researcher on Lost Notes. Dueñas is a former podcast producer for Wondery and a long-time record nerd and DJ. Coming up as a record collector in her hometown of San Diego, Dueñas pursued DJing to create space for overlooked sounds. As a DJ she’s known for building eclectic sets that span decades and genres. Dueñas has opened up for artists like Durand Jones and the Indications, Peanut Butter Wolf and Dam-Funk. Throughout the years she’s had radio residencies on WorldWideFM and Dublab where she took deep dives into various facets of music culture through her curation and guest interviews. In 2015 Dueñas earned a B.A. in American Studies from UC Berkeley and in 2020 an M.A. in Arts Journalism from USC Annenberg. Her journalism has been featured in L.A. Taco, KQED and KPCC. Currently, Dueñas is working on a book that chronicles her original research on the East Side Story compilations. (Photo: Roberto Camargo)