Grow the Music is an initiative from South Easts Arts, which has run successfully at Wallaga Lake since 2015. This year the program reached out to include young Eden artists. 

The concert opened with a performance from the Duurunu Miru dance group in the outdoor amphitheater, before the crowd moved inside for the rest of the evening’s performances. 

Pupils from Eden Public School started the night off with a bang and warmed the audience up with a tyre drum performance.

For their first Grow the Music experience, students of Eden Marine High School created an original song and film for the concert. 

In only 10 days, the group worked together with Grow the Music mentors Warren Foster, Lizzy Rutten and Emily White to develop their performance. Most of the students were interested in music, but hadn’t sung or played on stage before. 

Kaylay Chalker is a keen drummer, and said working with the Grow the Music mentors was an unforgettable experience. 

“It was the best musical experience I’ve ever had, especially working on the drums with Liz,” she said. 

“We got to meet so many new and talented people, I really hope we can do it again next year.”

For their film, the Eden Marine students focused on the topics of self-confidence and bullying. 

Each student in the Grow the Music program wrote something negative about themselves on a piece of cardboard, such as annoying, fat or ugly. 

On the other side of the piece of cardboard, another student would secretly write their favourite qualities of that person, such as creative, beautiful and funny. 

The first student would then flip the piece of cardboard to read the secret description and then turn to their side to discover who had written it.

Siara Maher came up with the theme of the film, which she said is important reminder for young people to stay positive about themselves. 

“I think it’s very easy to be negative about yourself, so this was a way for people to discover some really positive things that people might think about them that they had never thought of before,” she said. 

“And by making it into a film to share with everyone in the crowd, hopefully it will make them think about the good and bad things they say about themselves and other people.”

Nathan Lygon was MC of the evening and performed a didgeridoo solo. Local singer songwriter Chelsy Atkins impressed the crowd with her vocal and guitar skills. 

A performance of The Bundian Way had a number of performers sharing the stage, including country singer Robbie Bundle and Eden elder Uncle Ossie Cruse. 

Performers from the Wallaga Lake community conert returned to the stage in Eden, including Bermagui rapper Gabadoo and vocalist Allo Walker.