Music advocate receives national nod

AFTER decades teaching and performing music, Newlyn North’s Judy Turner was honoured during this week’s Australian Folk Music Awards with the Contribution to Folk Award.

The CresFest founder and co-director received her accolade during a ceremony at Brunswick Ballroom in Melbourne on Wednesday.

“It’s lovely to be recognised by your peers,” she said. “It’s like the community giving you a pat on the back.”

Between establishing the Melbourne Scottish Fiddle Club, and Stringmania Camp in the 1990s, and more recently CresFest in 2022, Ms Turner said the accolade is a recognition of the musical opportunities she’s brought to various communities.

“They’re not giving me the award for my musical contributions, or my tune writing, or the number of bands I’ve been in,” she said.

“It’s about the music I’ve made possible for other people, enabling people of all ages to connect with each other and with their communities through music.”

A musical educator since the 1970s, Ms Turner’s love of music was imparted from a young age by her parents.

Her mother was a music teacher herself, while her father was an avid folk performer.

“Mum always had us singing around the piano,” Ms Turner said. “Dad was a part of the folk revival in the 1960s so we had a lot of records of American, British, and some Australian folk artists.”

Initially studying violin at Canberra High School under the tutelage of French musician Josette Esquedin, she said the opportunity for her to develop her craft was instrumental in her musical journey.

“She came to my school and anyone who wanted to would learn for free,” she said.

 

“The state school system in Canberra at that time had so much belief in children and understanding of what they need, you’d get your instrument given to you by the school and the teacher would come and teach.

“It was an incredible privilege that doesn’t exist in the state system in Victoria at all. I really lament that because for me, it was lifechanging.”

Ms Turner was nominated for the award by CresFest co-director and Ballarat performer Stella Savvy, who’ll succeed her in the director’s role following next year’s iteration. After CresFest 2025, she plans to enhance music education in Creswick’s primary schools, offering children similar opportunities to her own.