🎙️ Meet WSCA’s DJ of the Month for May 2026!

WSCA is powered by the passion and personality of our volunteer DJs — the voices that fill our airwaves with music, stories, and the kind of energy you can’t fake. To celebrate them, DJ Rob Howell kicked off a new series highlighting one of our on-air hosts each month.

You’ll get to know the people behind the mic — their shows, their favorite tracks, and what keeps them spinning for the Seacoast community. Keep an eye on our website and socials for each new feature, and join us in showing some love for the folks who make community radio what it is: real, local, and full of heart.

Meet this month’s DJ – Niki Rafter, “Good Vibrations”, Tuesday Afternoons,  2 to 4 pm

My name is Niki and I am a  DJ at WSCA. My show is called “Good Vibrations.”

 

This is your second round of being a DJ here. How did you find out about WSCA the first time?

 

I was researching local radio stations, because it was something that I did in the past

back in college, and I thought, “I think I want to take a stab at that again.” That was in New Hampshire, actually, at Colby Sawyer College. When I was there  I did a show every Saturday and had so much fun with that and thought, “Yeah, I want to do something like that again. That would be fun.” So I reached out to Nicole and met her and told her my idea for a radio show and she loved it. My idea was simple; just to play music that would make people happy.  

 

And then I started training. I trained with JD, Jon Nash and SuperSport and they were amazing. I just felt welcomed right away. I felt like this was where I wanted to be. And yeah, I haven’t looked back since.

 

You took a break after doing your show at WSCA for a few years? 

 

I did have to take a year off. I went off for a little bit to focus on my job which is hairstyling.

And that time that I was away from the radio station, I really missed it. I really felt like something was missing from my life.

 

And so I was thinking, “I’ve  got to make this fit into my life again because it’s such a big part of me. It brings me so much joy and purpose.” And so I started back up in the fall of 2025 and I feel like it’s been the best decision for me. 

 

Earlier you mentioned that there’s something about being on the air that’s fulfilling and you were saying you were learning things about yourself.  How does that work?

 

I feel like having a radio show has helped me connect with other people, connect with the community, connect with my listeners, but also, connect with myself, in that, I’m discovering ways to express myself through music and through sharing music that means something to me. Music has the ability to change someone’s mood, even someone’s day.

 

I think even just speaking on the airwaves, that really built up my self-confidence. And with having a radio show and talking about something that I feel passionate about, it made me feel like “hey, I know some stuff and I want to share that with anyone who’s interested.” It helped me find my voice.

 

You’re also doing voice over work?  

 

Yeah, so I started doing voice over a few years ago, 

 

During the pandemic, I thought it would be a good idea to have a job where I can work remotely but also be creative and have fun. So I hired a coach and she taught me how to break into the biz. It was so cool! 

 

I think in any creative venture is an opportunity for self exploration. Like I have discovered these voices that I didn’t know I had, and parts of me that I didn’t know existed. And it could be cathartic. So in a way, I guess being a DJ can be that way as well, because we’re kind of like, we’re not really acting, but we are on, you know? We do have to come up with this persona, you know?

 

Which for you, in your particular show, means what?

 

Happy, light, and positive because my show is “Good Vibrations.” And I just want to spread good vibrations and good music. I want to spread good energy and positivity through music. And through talking too. And sometimes that can be hard, you know, if I’m having a bad day. But then I realize when I come here and I just do it, I convince myself that I’m having a good day. So it’s always been kind of like therapy for me. It’s just me and the microphone and my music. And it just, I feel different when I leave.

  

You mentioned that you’ve discovered, through doing voiceover, all these voices. Do you think those voices are somehow reflective of your personality, like different parts of you?

 

Oh, absolutely. I feel like these are parts of me that maybe I haven’t expressed.

 

Some of it depends on what you’re reading, right?

 

It depends. I mean, the characters are the characters, but there’s still you in some of these

characters, in each one of the characters. It can help me just kind of be silly or be serious or be assertive, you know? Because that can be something that I struggled with in the past. I was just being really shy and being really quiet. And DJing and voiceover has helped me use my voice, find my voice, and know how to kind of assert myself and express myself, express the silly parts of myself and fun parts of myself.

 

What was the first band, or musician that you were totally bonkers for as a kid?

 

As a kid, I was really into Radiohead, Weezer.  Beatles, things like that. My folks were into a lot of new wave and post-punk stuff like Talking Heads, The Clash, Psychedelic Furs, so that kind of stuff was always playing throughout my childhood. And it kind of evolved from there into indie stuff. The indie music scene in Philly was fantastic with artists like Kurt Vile and Deer Hunter, things like that. It was really cool to be a part of that.

 

Were you going to a lot of shows at that time?

 

Yeah, going to a lot of shows at a lot of small venues, where now, some of these artists are

playing at bigger venues or they’re not playing as much. It feels like they’re vintage now.

 

What do you love about WSCA?

  

I love the community. I love how involved they are with the community here in Portsmouth.

 And I love being able to do shows, play what I want. I love the freeform radio. I love having, you know, guests on occasion. And I love going to the shows here at the Button Factory. It kind of feels nostalgic, feels like a… like a high school basement show.

  

How do you see the future for you in terms of the station?

 

As for my show, I have been thinking about bringing more guests on more regularly for

interviews or live performances, just to kind of mix things up and get even more involved

with the local music scene here.

 

Thanks Niki!