Meet Melody Yasaman Baha

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Melody Yasaman Baha. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Melody Yasaman, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

I get this question a lot. I think it stems from the fact that I am a curvy, tall woman and curvy woman are normally not as confident. Society really makes that challenging. I used to be so insanely ashamed and insecure about my body and my height. My own friends called me “big bird” when I was in middle school and they would make fun of me. What did I do? I owned it. I didn’t let it break me, especially because Big Bird is an amazing and unique character. I started to realized I too, am unique so why not own that? Confidence comes in waves honestly. I have days where I am absolutely NOT confident feeling very down and days where I am a ray of sunshine and confidence.

I remind myself that I am not less worthy of love and respect because I don’t meet society’s standard of beauty. We are all born different and we will continue to be different. So embrace it. You can go through life worried about people that will mean nothing to you in 5, 10, 15 years from now, or you can live life on the edge and be concerned about things that genuinely do NOT matter. Choose wisely.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am a women that wears many hats. I have always been an Actress from a young age, living and growing up in San Diego, I had a talent manager at 13 years old, booked my first agent at 14 years old. My beautiful mom would drive me to Los Angeles for auditions every week. I had an entertainment permit in high school so I could skip class as needed to work on films and attend auditions. Then enough was enough, I moved to Los Angeles when I turned 18. I spent two years there and realized I was not truly enjoying it anymore. It became superficial and exhausting to live in LA around people who didn’t want to see me happy, tried to tear me down. I remember going to a commercial audition and when I got there, the casting assistant called my name, I walked up and said “Hi, yes. I’m Melody”. She looked at me, with complete shock. “You’re Melody? I think you’re here for the role of the best friend, not the lead.” I looked at her, so serious… “No. I am here for the leading role. The casting director requested me herself.” She couldn’t believe that a tall, curvy, Middle Eastern woman was auditioning for the leading role and not the best friend. She was terrible. She wouldn’t let me audition for the lead. That was one of many terrible experiences. I needed a break, I wanted to feel normal and have fun again. Not feel the pressure for a while. All my friends were doing things I couldn’t do, I was tired. I was a teenager, so let me be one.

When I was turned 20, my dad unfortunately passed away and my world turned upside down. I was a mess, my emotions were all over the place and I was lost. I no longer wanted to live in Los Angeles anymore, so when I turned 22, I moved to New York City to attend The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. The best thing to ever happen to me, was moving to New York City. My life completely changed, I became a new woman. Inspired by the lights, the chaos, human connection, culture, broadway, all of it. 2018, was the year I was graduating. My last semester, I met a group of girls in class who I truly connected with. We built a series of characters together and a story line we felt the world could relate to. We had a class the last semester, where we created our own work and that inspired me to build something bigger, a production company. I wanted to build on something that could become a legacy. Gathering powerhouse women to make these beautiful, untold stories was motivating.

I act, produce, write, and then school inspired me to direct. I love actors so much. I love their energy, the passion and unique qualities they bring to every character they play. It is unbelievable what we creative people can accomplish.

Since I was a teen and truly introduced to TV/Film and theater, I fell in love with the different roles in the industry. I love being an Actress and playing different characters, immersing myself in them, but I also truly enjoy putting an entire group of people together and making something magical. I created Melodically Productions so I could bring people together and tell shared stories, unique stories that spotlight not only women, but women you wouldn’t typically see on screen.

I learned so much and continuously am learning something new every day in this industry, so I want to share that knowledge with others. Inspire and motivate others to utilize their resources, even the minimal ones. The beauty of being creative, is you can do so much with so little. With a great community of talented humans by your side, you can accomplish a lot together.

I am focused on building that continuously and sharing a unique story I have been working on with my best friend and producer the last 2 years. Stay tuned!

I want to continue building that community and sharing our gifts with each other and the world. Follow Melodically Productions for more!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Trust your intuition. It is so important to feel you can trust the people you work with and that they are kind and respectful. I surround myself with people who believe in one another and don’t get jealous, but celebrate successes.

Community. Community. Community. Building a community of people you trust, who are loyal to you, work hard and want to see each other succeed, is so important. If someone has proven to you, that time and time again, they are not looking out for your best interest, then get rid of them. Move on!

Allow yourself to make mistakes and don’t let other’s definition of success or failure define you. You are on a completely different journey than anyone else. Don’t compare yourself to anyone. Don’t accept anyone’s definition of your life, define yourself.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

My mom driving me to Los Angeles to pursue my dreams meant everything to me. It meant she believed in my talent and my dreams. She knew I was meant to be something special and I was meant to share that special talent with the world. As a child, your parents support is so crucial.

My dad always taught all of his kids, especially his daughters that we should be independent. That no one can take away your independence or your education. As women, culturally we have always been taught that men are the providers and money makers, but my parents wanted more for me than that. They never wanted me to rely on anyone to take care of me, to feel stuck in a situation over money.

They also led with love and understanding. Although my father and I had our challenges, he never made me doubt his love for me and his support of me following my dreams. I will never take that for granted.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.melodybaha.com
• Instagram: @melodybaha
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bahamelody/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melodybaha/
• Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3216259/