Recognition in the 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours' List is acknowledgement for the hard work of composers and conductors everywhere.
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That is the opinion of Southern Highlands music man and composer, John Douglas D'Arcy OAM.
Mr D'Arcy has been honoured with a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in recognition of service to the performing arts, particularly to music.
The Berrima-based musical educator, conductor and composer said that while he was very happy about receiving the accolade he felt it was also recognition for the work of all conductors and composers.
"People will often ask you to change a key in some music, but they don't realise how much work goes in to doing that," he said.
"It could take several hours to re-write the music and make rehearsal CDs etc, but all people hear is something that is played over about three minutes."
Mr D'Arcy's contribution to music is extensive and he has had significant influence in Southern Highlands musical circles since moving to the region about 20 years ago.
His life-long love of music moved up a notch when he studied music and mathematics at Sydney University.
He went on to become a music educator, a career that spanned 35 years including 20 years guiding the musical talents of young people at Sydney Grammar School.
His musical contributions include being a conductor of groups such as the Blue Mountains Orchestra, Northside Youth Orchestra, Suzuki String Orchestra and many more.
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He has also conducted weekend and summer school workshops, Suzuki Talent Education and the Flute Society for 25 years as well as being a former tutor of Saturday School at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
More recently he has influenced the entertainment appeal of several Southern Highlands groups including Highlands Singers and Sing Australia Southern Highlands.
In fact, both those choirs will now have the privilege of being led by two recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia, conductor John D'Arcy OAM and accompanist Rhonda Langford OAM.
Mr D'Arcy also assisted his wife singing teacher Yvonne D'Arcy, the driving force behind Berrima Smalls Concerts which have been delivering classical entertainment to Highlanders for the past 13 years.
He has had a long association working with various other Highlands projects including the Highlands Theatre Group Orchestra, as well as being the founder and principal of Tutor's Orchestra Southern Highlands and a piano teacher at Powerpoint Music.
Mr D'Arcy said that some of the proudest moments of his career have been his long teaching association with Sydney Grammar and most recently becoming a published composer.
That publishing has occurred in only the last couple of years.
It is an achievement that has made it clear to Mr D'Arcy, aged 70, that you are never too old to achieve dreams.
"As I teacher I didn't have time to work on getting my work published, but more recently I have 24 pieces published with Wirrapang Publishers," he said.
Mr D'Arcy said that another career highlight was the opportunity to write the musical, Rumplestiltskin with another talented Highlander John Forbes.
Meanwhile, roles as a solo pianist for silent movies shown at Mittagong, and Silent Music Festival Sydney since 2010, as well as being an organist at several churches in the Southern Highlands have kept him busy.
He has also put his vocal talents to the test as a singer with Sydney Chorale, Lachrymae Singers and Bundanoon Voices.
