Dedication and hard work have seen Mansfield Secondary College year nine student Reiley Schelfhout recognised for his musical talent at the recent schools’ 2025 NEVR (North-Eastern Victorian Region) Spotlight Concert at the prestigious Melbourne Recital Centre. Selected as the only rural school representative among the many metropolitan musical performers, Reiley described the opportunity as “amazing” and said it will “definitely encourage me to get out there a lot more.” Unbeknown to Reiley, one of his music teachers at the college, Paul Riley, made a submission to the concert organisers for his student to be included in the lineup at the 28 July event. The concert is promoted as “a celebration of musical excellence in government schools” across the region. “The annual NEVR Concert provides an invaluable opportunity for hundreds of our young people to share their musical talents, experience the thrill of performance, and connect powerfully with the audience,” said the regional director, Karen Money. Reiley’s family travelled from Bonnie Doon to watch him perform two pieces back-to-back — “The Devil Wears a Suit and Tie” by Colter Wall and “Losing You” by John Butler — during the two-and-a-half-hour concert. His first song included not only guitar but a stomp box as well. Paul said that song attracted more audience response than any other. Because of the short turnaround between songs, Reiley had two different acoustic guitars tuned for each performance. The allocated time was six minutes to perform both songs, but Reiley managed to push it out to nine. He was also the only act to play unaccompanied on the stage. Providing back-up support backstage was his teacher and mentor, Paul, who was equally excited by the experience. The pair shared a dressing room at the recital centre adorned with pictures of Australian music royalty including Nick Cave and Tim Finn, who have also performed there. Reiley is a versatile musician and singer across different genres but says he just “loves country.” Musical influences include Jack Johnson, Chris Stapleton, Tyler Childers, Zach Bryan, and Colter Wall, as well as many other singers and songwriters. His passion for music began from an early age with violin lessons. “But as I grew older, I became interested in the guitar and took lessons from my brother,” said Reiley. Then his parents asked him to sing when he played because they liked the sound of his voice. His guitar teacher, Paul, is extremely proud of the hard work and commitment Reiley has put in over several years, racking up more than six hours of music tuition per week at school and lots of practice outside of that. Reiley plays with two school bands — “Glitch” and “Small Town Gods.” “This school is so supportive of music and the arts, allowing students to be the person they are destined to become,” said Paul. Students at Mansfield Secondary College have the opportunity to study music from year seven through to year 12. Years nine to 10 study a music elective that provides students a performance-based program followed by a music technology program. Reiley has developed a following around the district with gigs at the last two Jamieson Autumn Festivals. The Mansfield Shire Youth Crew is also a strong supporter of Reiley’s music and organises regular gigs through the local area. His community spirit also involves playing at the dawn service on ANZAC Day at Bonnie Doon. Reiley agrees the latest performance has boosted his confidence and he hopes to continue his musical endeavours, which include writing his own material as well. He intends to take on music at VCE level next year.
