Jen Young from Just Sing Out Music Academy crowned best music teacher

A passionate music teacher of three decades has been named the Sunshine Coast’s best and doesn’t have plans to slow down anytime soon.

Jen Young from Just Sing Out Music Academy. Picture: Patrick Woods.

A veteran music teacher passionate about singing feels “humbled” to have won the title of best on the Sunshine Coast.

Principal of Just Sing Out Music Academy Jen Young, 46, was voted the best music teacher in the region after receiving 14 per cent of votes in our competition.

Ms Young has been running her academy on the Sunshine Coast since January, 2021 which has a team of 11 teachers at their Birtinya studio.

Ms Young said she sees about 150 students every week counting choir members, one of which consists of about 40 women.

The music teacher of about 28 years focuses on singing and piano, but other academy teachers also offer guitar, violin, drums and song and dance.

Ms Young - born and bred in Brisbane - began dabbling in music from the age of five, learning from a piano teacher living just across the road.

“I took to it like a duck to water,” she said.

Jen Young from Just Sing Out Music Academy won the Sunshine Coast Daily’s best music teacher competition. Picture: Patrick Woods.

She immersed herself in every creative and artistic pathway possible at school, joining choirs, musicals and drama camps.

Ms Young then began teaching whilst completing a Bachelor of Music and continued to teach and involve herself in the creative and musical scene for 15 years.

She decided to focus on singing as it felt like “freedom” to her.

“It brought me the most joy so I went with that.”

She then met her husband and had her two children before the family moved to America for several years where Ms Young ran the Houston Show Choir before Covid brought them back to Australia.

Ms Young said she finds music “very rewarding”.

“I think that music is one of those things that touches everyone,” she said.

“It is so much about how we feel.”

Jen Young from Just Sing Out Music Academy won the Sunshine Coast Daily’s best music teacher poll. Picture: Patrick Woods.

She said music can be enjoyed on any level by anyone and can support schooling, mental health and people looking to connect.

“Teaching music to other people combines my two favourite things which is music and helping people,” Ms Young said.

She said her students on the Sunshine Coast want to have fun whilst getting “something out of it” during their lessons, whilst “other places are very challenge focused”.

Jen Young, owner of Just Sing Out Music Academy. Photo: Adrian Bell/Just Sing Out

Ms Young thanked those who voted for her and said it was an exciting and a little unexpected outcome for her.

“I am so incredibly humbled,” she said.

“I’m just really glad that other people were voted for as well.

“I know there is such a great music scene so to win is a huge honour.”