When I suggested starting a school radio programme, I imagined myself interviewing famous musicians. My teacher was encouraging, but she asked a question I had not considered: who would actually listen? I assumed everyone would, simply because the programme was new. That turned out to be my first mistake.

With two friends, I recorded a twenty-minute show about music we liked. We spent hours choosing a lively introduction and making our voices sound clear. Only twelve students listened. Some classmates said the show sounded professional, but they could find similar music programmes anywhere. I felt disappointed because we had worked so hard on the technical details.

Instead of giving up, we asked students what they wanted to hear. Their answers surprised us. They were interested in ordinary school experiences: getting lost on the first day, joining a club, or preparing for a match. We invited a quiet student, Ella, to talk about growing vegetables on her balcony. She worried that nobody would care, yet her practical advice received more questions than any music topic we had tried.

We also shortened each programme to eight minutes. Editing was difficult at first. Removing a funny conversation felt like wasting good work, but we learnt to keep only the parts that helped listeners understand the subject. We now plan the main point before recording, which saves us time afterwards.

Our audience has grown, although we are still far from being famous. The most satisfying moment for me was when a younger student said that hearing Ella had given him the confidence to join the gardening club. I still enjoy using the recording equipment, but I no longer think it is the most important part of the project. A programme works when people recognise something of their own lives in it. Next term, we want listeners to suggest questions and help make the shows, rather than simply listen to us.