Hi John, how long have you lived in Castlemaine for?

I moved to Castlemaine from the western suburbs of Melbourne in 2009. I’d never lived in a country town before. It’s been an amazing journey, living in the country and becoming part of the community. I didn’t have that in Melbourne and I really love it.

What sort of work have you done over the years?

I taught for more than 20 years in various places and roles including at Kensington community school in the early 80s, working with kids from the community flats. I trained as an art teacher, became a media teacher, and in the end, was a person who worked with young people.

I have a masters in creative art therapy and did some volunteer work at Winters Flat for six months.

You organise monthly Jazz Jams on the first Sunday of the month and the 3/4 Club on the third Sunday of each month – can you tell us a little about your music journey?

I started a radio show with MainFM (which was WMA back then). At first, I was playing my own CDs but then I started doing a desert island disc format (where people get to pick the six things they’d take to a desert island). I did that for five years and I really enjoyed it. The radio is a great way to get people to talk about themselves and ask probing questions I wouldn’t ask in real life.

Then I met Ken Turnbull who was keen to start a Jazz Jam and James Evans. I’d met heaps of musicians doing the radio show. Jazz Jam for me is about connecting people and helping people get to know each other – especially in our age group (I’m 78). And just after that, I met two blokes from Melbourne who wanted to start a jazz festival. I was involved in that for three or four years. 

Then I started playing more music. I’d always played guitar and sung at parties – plus a few brief adventures with bands. My girlfriend at the time played clarinet and we started busking in Maldon – people seemed to like it, people actually thought we were musicians (we didn’t think so) and we started getting gigs. Plus I was involved in a few country bands, The Dodgy Brothers and Slim Hope – and a few other bands since then.

Have you travelled much?

In 76’ I went backpacking around India for six months – wandering around on $2 a day.

I also worked for a year in Iran teaching English. I’d have to leave every 10 weeks because I didn’t have a visa. I’d go over the border to Afghanistan and come back. I left Iran in late 78’ only a few months before the revolution. When my daughter was in her last year of grade six – in 92’ we went to Europe for a year. We went to Egypt and saw the pyramids and travelled to the Greek Islands. We bought a car in France and ended up traveling around. It was an amazing experience. People always say I’m very adventurous and I tell them it’s because I didn’t know what else to do.

Do you have any other interests?

My partner and I perform a concert at the Maldon Hospital every month – we’ve been doing that for the past six or seven years. They are a great audience and I really enjoy doing that.

You’ve recently had some health concerns – would you like to tell us a bit about that?

Late last year my voice changed. At first, I thought it was natural ageing. I went to a speech therapist at Castlemaine Health and they sent me to the Austin Hospital for a biopsy and it turned out to be cancer of the larynx – it was in very early stages. I got referred to Ballarat and did six weeks of daily radiotherapy. 

Let me tell you, it was one of the best times of my life. The treatments were only 15 minutes and I learned to depend on people – I had a list of 20 friends who offered to drive me and I would spend the two hours there and back chatting with friends. I had a fantastic time and it changed my life for the better. 

There were four phases for me, each lasting about six to eight weeks: 1. was diagnoses which was easy. 2. was treatment which I found pretty easy although it was confronting. They make a mould of your face, head, and shoulders and then put you in it and bolt you to the table and fire x-rays at the cancer cells. 3. was recovery. That was actually the hardest. I couldn’t speak or swallow and I was quite isolated. 4. Rehabilitation and doing Jazz Jam on Sunday was a great part of that. It was a fantastic day. We had more people than we’ve ever had before.

What are you reading at the moment?

I’m a big reader. I really like non-fiction. At the moment I’m reading Sapiens: A Brief History of Human Kind. It’s fascinating.

What philosophies do you live life by?

Back in the 70s I studied Zazen (Zen meditation). I’m a big believer in the power of the mind. Use your mind to make life as good as you can. Be kind, be generous, and be grateful. Forgive others and yourself. 

Finally, what do you love most about the place you call home?

I love the sense of being a part of the community and I feel validated and like I’m doing something worthwhile. I wish I’d moved here much earlier.