Triple R Radiothon with 'Round & Round' presenter Sarah Smith

Listening to music in the car wouldn’t be quite the same without Triple R blaring through the speakers. In honour of the station’s annual ‘Radiothon’ subscription drive we had a chat to host of Tuesday drive show ‘Round & Round’, Sarah Smith.
Hi Sarah, thanks for taking the time to chat with Forte Magazine, how are you and what are you up to at the moment? 
Thank you for taking the time to write these questions! I’m very well. I just finished up my show ‘Round & Round’ for the evening and am currently drinking a cup of tea, listening to The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and getting stuck into this Q&A.
First things first, how much have you changed since that 17-year-old punk wannabe who first caught on to Triple R? 
I still love The Stooges and secretly dance around my kitchen to The Ramones from time to time, but these days my record collection is much more diverse and I’ve definitely lost (most of) that teenage ‘tude.
Have your music tastes changed much over the years? 
So, so, so much. When I was younger I would go through phases obsessing over one particular sound  – be it Britpop, punk or grunge – and just listen to the same few records over and over again. However, once I hit about 18 my whole world opened up and I discovered that not only is it entirely possible to love all kinds of music at once, but that life is a lot more fun if you can see the genius in both the Pixies’ ‘Subbaculture’ and Ginuwine’s ‘Pony’.
How rewarding was it for you when you made that transition from listener to presenter with Triple R? 
Growing up in Melbourne I was in total awe of RRR and so many of the station’s intelligent, funny and insightful presenters. When I actually got the opportunity to sit in the studio and broadcast for the very first time it was kind of like that “We Are Not Worthy” scene in Wayne’s World – but with less Alice Cooper and more awkward pauses.

 
 
 
 
And what was your first show at Triple R like? 
My VERY first show was a graveyard shift. I was wracked with nerves – scared that I’d either fall asleep or accidentally take the whole station off the air. I ate lots of bananas, drank an irresponsible amount of energy drinks and may have briefly lost my mind at about 4:38am. But I survived and had a stupid amount of fun while I was at it.
Have there ever been any funny radio happenings over the years? 
I think the funniest thing that has happened to me personally was on my first ever graveyard shift, when a particularly inebriated caller took it upon himself to help get me through the whole show. He just kept calling every 15 minutes or so to offer me a piece of advice or request a song. By the end of the night I couldn’t understand a word he was saying and was mildly concerned that he was just a figment of my delirium.
What’s the biggest myth surrounding radio presenters? 
That we have a face for radio… 🙂
The Radiothon subscription drive is on at the moment, how important is this time of year for the station?
It is THE most important time of the year for RRR. The station is run by over 200 passionate volunteers, but it needs the support of subscribers and the community to ensure we can keep broadcasting the same independent, creative and free-thinking radio Melbourne has come to love over the last 40 years.
And why should everyone get involved with Triple R? What sets your station apart? 
RRR is truly, hands down one of the greatest radio stations in the world. It is independent, not-for-profit community radio that supports the local music scene and offers an intelligent and entertaining alternative to the commercial networks. No matter what time of the day you tune in, you’re guaranteed to either learn something new or catch a killer tune.
Thanks again for having the chat with us, do you have any last words of wisdom you’d like to share with our readers?
Give everything in life a chance (even Ginuwine).
The Triple R Radiothon is on until August 23, to subscribe and show your support to the station visit the website. Read up more about Sarah and her show here.