building community the art of

Local musician, radio host and educator Mary Roth uses passions to bring people together

By Kristen Dowd, Photos provided by Mary Roth

To learn more and see upcoming performances, visit @ArtistsWithaPurpose on Facebook. For more information on the radio show, check out www.capemayradio.org.

WHEN local radio host Mary Roth interviewed musical legend Graham Nash ahead of his concert at the Ocean City Music Pier last August, it wasn’t surprising that the two musicians struck a chord with one another.

Of course, one of the ways the pair found common ground was a bit surprising – at least it was for Mary.

As the two chatted, Mary brought up iconic Crosby, Stills & Nash album covers she remembered putting away while working at a record shop as a teenager. Graham, it turned out, had similar memories.

“He said, ‘I worked at a record shop, too. I put away Elvis. What else did you put away?’” Mary remarked with a smile in her voice. “You just never know what’s going to come out of an interview.”

The kismet moment jogged another memory for Mary, about her 2016 song “December Records,” partly inspired by her days working in the record shop in 1980 and written around the time she was interviewing a curator for a John Lennon art exhibit.

“It’s about youth and growing up and the record shop is a backdrop,” Mary explained. “You know how some songs can have more than one dimension to them?”

Multidimensional isn’t only an apt way to describe music, but also a rather perfect way to describe Mary herself. Since her days as a toddler singing her way down the Atlantic City Boardwalk from her stroller, music has continued to be a driving force in Mary’s life. She’s a singer/songwriter/vocalist, and she finds her rhythm on the Celtic bodhrán drum and strums the strings on guitar, bouzouki and the Appalachian mountain dulcimer.

She has taught music classes for both children and adults at Montgomery County Community College in Pennsylvania and Atlantic Cape Community College, and she takes her talents to the airwaves, too, when she hosts her “Artists with a Purpose” radio show on WCFA-LP 101.5 FM in Cape May. Mary’s motto for her show – and, really, for so many of her pursuits – is “community building far and wide through the arts.”

“It’s a great message, especially in these times,” Mary said. “Artists with a Purpose” doesn’t only feature musicians. The program has also showcased poets and directors to actors and environmentalists – and everyone in between. In addition to the rock ‘n roll legend Graham Nash, guests have included Jane Seymour, Livingston Taylor, Peter Max, Dar Williams and a score of others, both from local and national stages. And as a Jersey local herself, Mary loves when she can highlight the talents and missions of those in the surrounding communities. While she spent time puddle jumping around nearby shore points through the years (along with some time in Pennsylvania and a short stint in Northern California), Cape May is now where she calls home.

It’s fitting, too, and not only because her radio show is based in town. Mary has performed all around Cape May, including at the annual Christmas tree lighting for 13 years. She has hosted open mics at Magic Brain Cafe (in addition to a number of other places, such as at the Ocean City Free Public Library) and performs at Good Scents, which is also the underwriter for her radio show.

“They’re really great in supporting both myself and the arts,” Mary said.

Nowadays, Mary brings her range of genres (she’s found much inspiration lately in Appalachia music) “all over,” she said, taking her “community building far and wide through the arts” motto to heart. She performs in Lehigh, Bucks and Delaware counties in Pennsylvania; in Lewes and Rehoboth Beach in Delaware; and all across the Garden State.

At the end of the day, Mary wants to continue bringing music to as many people as she can reach, whether that’s through her radio show, open mic events or personal or group performances.

“There are more things to bring us together than separate us,” Mary said, “and I think music can do that.”

ALEX approached Black Elm as if she was sidling up to a wild animal, cautious in her walk up the long, curving driveway, careful not to show her fear. How many times had she made this walk? But today was different.

A SMEAR of red across her thumb pressed into the hollows and spirals of her skin. Pip studied it like a maze. It could be blood, if she squinted. It wasn’t, but she could trick her eyes if she wanted to.

THE federal agents in my office were lucky for two reasons. First, my left hook wasn’t what it had been before getting shot. And second, I hadn’t been able to work my way up into feeling anything, let alone mad enough to make me consider doing something stupid.

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