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Big news: Zara has decided to make this Friday her last-ever Dropout Boogie! We ask her what she’ll miss about spinning tunes and keeping us company every Friday from 7pm till 10pm – and what she’s learned along the way.

How did Dropout Boogie come about? I’d been volunteering around town at SYN, PBS and Triple R. I initially volunteered in the Triple R music library and then on the front desk. Never ever with the intention of having a show! I just wanted to hang out and contribute towards the vision of the station. 

After doing a few fill-in shows, I was offered the Friday time slot. I always wanted Dropout Boogie to have a mixture of genres, and a pretty laid-back, Friday night feel, together with some pumping boogie tracks – after all, it is a Friday night. “Dropout Boogie” is actually a Captain Beefheart song, an artist I love, and the name works well with the vision of the show. Dropout and kick back on a Friday, and get a little boogie on!

What do you remember of doing the very first episode? I remember being incredibly nervous – so much so, I tried to script my talk breaks.

Favourite-ever guests? Ooh, that’s tricky. We had Loobs in for Radiothon. They rang Triple R to subscribe while on air and the poor woman who answered was terribly confused. They are such a fantastic bunch of people; [it was a] really great chat that eventually went off-topic. They were there because they loved the station and acknowledged what it does for the music industry, rather than coming in for publicity.

Any on-air nightmares? Where do I begin? You need to have these experiences; they make you a better broadcaster. I’ve conducted an interview without having the band’s mics on, calling my show the wrong name, and once I forgot my own name on air or something to that effect. I did lots of fills for Emerald from Tomorrow Never Knows and I announced myself as Emerald...

Aside from chatting on mic and playing music, what would you always do during Dropout Boogie? Eat snacks, message friends...? Aside from all the cool stuff like listening to music and welcoming guests, a three-hour show can be quite intense. I’ll often message friends or watch cat videos on instagram (LOSER!).

What are you going to miss most about bringing us tunes every Friday from 7pm till 10pm? The community! I love Triple R vols, presenters and subscribers. We all share a unique passion and give our time/money to the station.

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What message do you have for all the Dropout Boogie subscribers and super-fans out there? Hi Mum. (Actually, she doesn’t even listen.) Um, I’d say thanks for tuning in and often messaging in regards to the show. There is such a great amount of young talent at Triple R and the time slot will be filled with someone great! I will continue to be around the station and force myself upon a mic to do fill-ins – that’s for sure!

What are the biggest life lessons you’ll take away from the Dropout Boogie experience? When you’re doing something that makes you feel terrified, that’s when you grow as a person. I was so nervous about having my own show and living up to the Triple R standards, I was in disbelief I had the role and was so fearful of being on mic and sharing what I liked. It has helped my confidence tremendously; interviewing bands that are too cool to give you answers has helped me gain skills for my professional career. ALSO chicks can dig music, talk about music, play punk and deserve a time slot on radio to share this.

Listen to Zara’s final Dropout Boogie this Friday from 7pm to 10pm and revisit past episodes of Dropout Boogie in the meantime.