Q & A

How did you become involved with the Station and your programme?

Persistent persuasion by Naomi Millett, the long term presenter of The Guitar Show, led me to enrol in the 2007 RTRFM course for presenters.

But, in 1977 I remember buying an FM radio tuner so that we could listen to the first FM station at the University of WA, the predecessor of RTRfm.

Since the guitar programme started, every Sunday night at 8pm in a quasi-religious way we listen/record the show. My lasting affair with the guitar began by discovering classical guitar, then I tried learning to play but it soon became clear that I should focus on collecting records and CDs, promoting a few concerts, serving as an office bearer in the Classic Guitar society, maintaining a diary of guitar events on my web site , learning to build guitars and learning to present the Plucked Strings program. The nut is a part of the guitar.

How long have you been with RTRFM?

As a presenter not long, just since mid-2007, but, as a listener, many years.

What do you enjoy most about presenting?

Basically it gives me a wonderful excuse to play lots of music. Although it seems to take a long time, there is enjoyment in dreaming up themes for a programme and selecting the tracks. At this stage it is great to present a show with the minimum of glitches! But with more experience I anticipate growing satisfaction from sharing the music.

Strangest experience at RTRFM?

Straight after nervously introducing my first solo show, to receive phone calls from caring listeners to tell me I hadn’t turned up the microphone!

Favourite RTRFM programmes?

Spoonful of Blues, Rockin’ the Roots, Saturday Jazz, Sunday Morning Coming Down.

What do you do in real life?

Once I had ‘real’ jobs but since 1994 I have made classical guitars. It’s more like a pre-occupation than a way to earn lots of money.