TOM O'Brien feels equally at home on stage as he does behind the scenes.
The former St Joseph's College Lochinvar student, 18, plays piano, guitar and ukulele but also spent part of his final year at school as a followspot operator and assistant stage manager on productions.
"I love with the music and performing side of it being able to bring a form of art to an audience that will appreciate it," Tom said.
"I like being able to share another perspective. With music it's all about interpretation - I like being able to take a song and perform it in the way I interpret it, so it may not sound like the same genre it was originally performed or composed in.
"With the backstage part, even though we don't often get recognised, I like being able to make the production happen, being able to see how it all works, making it work and I like troubleshooting, believe it or not, I like being able to fix problems that happen. I definitely stay calm under pressure."
Tom hopes to combine both passions in his future career.
He has been accepted to study a Diploma of Live Production and Technical Services at the National Institute of Dramatic Art or NIDA, which he said accepts just 15 people into the program each year.
"It makes me feel pretty excited and ecstatic," he said.
"I was doing my RSA work placement at Club Charlestown and was on my lunchbreak sitting in the middle of the Charlestown Square food court [when I got the news].
"I ran downstairs to get better service to call my VET Entertainment Industry teacher Alicia Paterson to let her know.
"She pushed me quite a lot over the years and she has helped me get through and stay motivated and is one of the main contributors to me loving this industry."
Tom hopes to later study for a bachelor of music and a bachelor of secondary teaching.
"My end goal is to be able to share my experience and teach others. I'd love to be both a Music and Entertainment Industry teacher. It makes me feel happy knowing I can pass my knowledge onto other young people."
Tom started playing piano in year six.
His music teacher suggested he enrol in VET Entertainment Industry for his Higher School Certificate and he "fell in love with the subject".
For the mandatory work placement in year 12 he worked as a followspot operator on Hunter Drama's production of Oliver at the Civic Theatre.
As part of the subject he learned about and helped livestream award ceremonies, liturgies and other events to the school and families.
"[COVID] encouraged us to learn some stuff we wouldn't have learned without the pandemic," he said.
After his HSC he volunteered his time as an assistant stage manager on the school's production of Matilda Jr.
