Musician hits high note

By Lachlan Ellis

Australia Day was a special day for a Bacchus Marsh man, awarded with an Order of Australia Medal, for his 30 years of service to music.

Andrew Houston is a Life Member of the Western Region Concert Band, joining the Band in 1992, becoming Manager in 1995, and Musical Director in 2000.

In 2004 he co-founded SingWest (formerly the Western Region Concert Choir), and has serviced as Musical Director of SingWest since 2011.

He said he was shocked and humbled to receive the prestigious Order of Australia Medal.

“I wasn’t expecting it…it hasn’t changed anything really, it was probably a shock given the last couple of years where things have been so interrupted with COVID. But we’re still working very hard,” he told the Moorabool News.

“I joined the Western Region Concert Band as a player when I was at Melbourne Uni, and I was a member of the Australian Army’s Reserve Band as well. They had a few problems with conductors, I was a bit reluctant to take that up, but long story short, I started conducting there in 2000 and I’ve been there ever since.

“It’s great, there’s a really good volunteer group there, great committee…of course, you can’t work in isolation, it’s a real team effort. So to get this honour’s great, but there’s a really good team behind it.”

Mr Houston said a passion for community music, and the fun and rewarding nature of his work, was what had kept him going for three decades.

“I have my own music that I play in the Melbourne blues scene, but I’m also passionate about getting volunteers to do community music. It’s music at all sorts of levels…I can play professionally, and also work with the amateur and volunteer circuit, and try and get some really good results out of the volunteers,” he said.

To read the full story – Simply click on the following link

https://issuu.com/themooraboolnews/docs/mn_2022-02-01/5

in the 1 February 2022 edition
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pick up a paper around your town.