For local singer, musician and teacher Jane Dee, music has not always been easy to share.

As Make Music Day approaches this Sunday, Jane’s story is a reminder that music is not only about performance. It is also about growing confidence, social connections, reliving memories, making new memories and reclaiming something that was once hidden.

Jane said she spent years holding back part of her musical identity after being bullied at school for playing violin.

“I had barely any self-confidence to start with, but I wanted to step out of my comfort zone, so I did,” she said.

“I entered the school talent quest playing my violin and it was all downhill from there for the rest of my school life.

“I was known as that nerdy music kid who played that screechy instrument.”

Jane said the experience affected her well into adulthood, but she has now reached a point where she is ready to share her music without worrying about what others think.

“Being bullied at school affected me right up into adulthood and sometimes haunts me to this day, but I found a way to cope,” she said.

“I’m at a point in my life where I don’t care what people think about me. I’m doing my thing.

“I know I can’t please everybody, but for the people who do enjoy what I do and are happy to share the music with me, I will do it for them.”

Jane’s decision to bring violin back into her performances came partly from listening to local audiences.

After moving into a region where country music is often requested at gigs, she began learning more country material. She was also looking for something fresh to add to her shows.

“I was bored with just singing and playing guitar and keyboard at gigs, and I knew I had the violin skills in me,” she said.

“Country songs and fiddle obviously go together, so I tried one song at a gig and the reception was unbelievable."

“I was made to feel like a rockstar. The reception gave me the fuel I needed to do more of it.”

Her experience reflects the wider role music plays in regional communities, where live entertainment is often woven through pubs, clubs, halls, fundraisers, festivals, schools and local gatherings.

In towns across the Hilltops, music is not only something people sit and watch. It is something people dance to, move to, sing along with, learn through and gather around.

It brings people out on a cold night, fills a club with energy, gives young performers a reason to be brave and gives older residents a chance to reconnect with songs, memories and each other.

For Jane, that connection is at the heart of why music matters.

She has been teaching music for 26 years and said she regularly sees both children and adults who love music but feel too nervous to have a go.

“I see it in the kids and I see it in the adults, especially at my gigs,” she said.

“People tell me, ‘I wish I could play’ or ‘I wish I could sing’, and I always say, ‘Why don’t you?’”

Through the support of the Murringo community, Jane now has access to the local hall one day a week, where she offers space for people to sing, play, dance or simply enjoy music.

She also encourages people to join in at gigs, whether by singing, playing percussion or taking part in workshops.

“I let them play my instruments, my percussion. I let them sing,” she said.

“I’ve been known to walk around the crowd with my microphone and pass it around.”

Jane said the response from adults who take part in music can be powerful.

“The feedback I get from adults is life-changing,” she said.

“Music heals, simple as that.”

She said people did not need to be perfect, professional or formally trained to receive the benefits of music.

“You don’t need a music teacher to heal you,” she said.

“You just need to either turn on some music and sing along, or if you do want to learn an instrument, find a teacher to help you.

“Find an instrument at a garage sale or dust one off. Everyone’s got a guitar or something at home that they can start with.

“And there’s dance as well. Every day I put on music and start my day with a little dance to pick me up.”

Across the Hilltops, that love of music is supported in many different ways.

Young Regional Conservatorium has been delivering music education and performance across the wider Hilltops region since 1984, providing tuition not only in Young but also in surrounding towns and smaller communities.

Its work reaches across school programs, instrumental and vocal learning, ensembles, student concerts, workshops and performance opportunities, helping students of different ages and abilities develop their skills close to home.

For regional families, that access matters. It means children and adults do not have to leave the district to begin learning, develop confidence, perform with others or take music seriously.

It also gives local students a pathway from early lessons through to more advanced study and public performance.

Local venues also play an important role in keeping music visible and accessible.

Southern Cross Cinema and Arts Complex in Young has become more than a cinema. With its stage, upgraded sound and lighting, and community support, it provides a valuable local space for live music, concerts, theatre, school performances and community arts events.

Those places matter because music needs somewhere to happen. It needs halls, stages, schools, pubs, clubs, teachers, volunteers and audiences willing to show up.

Jane said regional communities need more spaces where people feel encouraged to play, learn and share music without judgement.

She is now planning a series of pop-up gigs at venues across the Hilltops, designed as informal live jam sessions where people who play music, enjoy singing or simply want to take part can join in.

She said the idea came from seeing how many people at her gigs enjoyed singing or playing a song with her during breaks.

“It’s free and just another way to let music heal us all,” she said.

For Jane, music has become a way to give back as well as perform.

“I like to devote a lot of my time to charities, fundraisers and all sorts of things,” she said.

“For the first time in my life, I feel good about myself. I’m loving myself and I’m proud of myself.”

Make Music Day is celebrated internationally each year on June 21, encouraging people of all ages and abilities to take part in music.

In the Hilltops, Jane’s message is simple: people should not let fear, age or past criticism stop them from enjoying music.

Whether it is singing along at a local venue, picking up an old instrument, joining a workshop, learning through a teacher, dancing at home or stepping onto a stage for the first time, music belongs to everyone.

For Jane, that belief has been hard won.

“Music heals, simple as that,” she said.