A love of music, built largely in solitude on a Drysdale Road property, is miles from the glory of one of Australia's most celebrated war heroes, but the two have come together through one of the shire's Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop Award recipients.

Murdoch Smith is quietly shaping a future that already points well beyond Euroa, and can boast - but doesn't - the spirit of the Second World War surgeon-soldier on whom Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland based her annual Dunlop Awards, which aim to find students who reflect the values associated with Dunlop’s legacy.

Murdoch, 16, developed his independence early, navigating COVID interruptions at primary school by creating his own routines — including a self-devised 'Person Man' segment, where he broadcast daily weather updates and recordings to classmates.

It was an early sign of initiative that has since translated into long hours with a guitar and which sees his parents Alison and Brian simply beam when Murdoch straps on his brand new Fender Telecaster - just one of over a dozen guitars in his studio - and begins a one-man jam session with furious licks that flow seamlessly together out of the Pro Reverb amp.

“He’s just a big-hearted, good kid,” his mother Alison said, over the top of the music.

“We love him to death.”

Both parents said the discipline behind Murdoch's progress had come from watching their own working lives.

With no strong musical background in the family, his development has been largely self-driven, supported by time and space on the family’s farming properties.

“He’s just spent a lot of time on his own,” Brian said.

"So he had the time to really teach himself to this kind of level."

Murdoch was one of 13 young people from across the Euroa electorate to be recognised with a Dunlop Award, recognising students' character as equally as their achievements.

The students and their families were welcomed to Parliament House for a special day of recognition, including an official award presentation, a guided parliamentary tour, lunch, and the opportunity to watch Question Time, where Ms Cleeland formally acknowledged their achievements during her Members’ Statement

She said the annual event was one of the highlights of her parliamentary year.

“These awards are not just about academic achievement; they recognise character, resilience, kindness, and the quiet leadership we so often see in our regional communities.”

She said the strength of the recipients lay in how they carry themselves, often away from the spotlight.

“These are young people who make their schools and communities better simply by the way they treat others and the example they set.”

For Murdoch, those qualities manifest not in words, but in repetition — hours alone, refining a craft with no guarantee and no shortcut, and one meeting lets you know his modest charm would be having its influence on those around him.

He attributes where he is now as a musician to his unyielding grit.

“I would have to say it was probably just my persistence,” he said.

“I’m really determined to get things done the way I want them done.”

That drive has a clear direction, with him declaring that he is 'striving to be number one', and yet declares it with humility that makes it land well, and then announces the bombshell.

“That’s why I want to move to Nashville," he said.

"And play on the Grand Ole Opry.”

(The Opry - now in its 100th year - is not just a gig, but is recognised worldwide as the country music stage where the very best performers 'have arrived'.)

However, Murdoch has kept his ambitions largely to himself, with few of his peers following the country scene.

“I don’t really tell many people my dreams,” he said.

His progression has already moved beyond the local scene.

Through a connection with Mike Tuck - a touring guitarist with Texan artist and former The Voice (USA) finalist Jake Worthington - Murdoch has undertaken informal online lessons and also secured a rare backstage experience at Worthington's performance as part of an international tour at Margaret Court Arena in March.

That opportunity included the chance to play both Tuck’s and Worthington's guitars, and placed him in direct contact with working musicians, offering an early look at the professional environment he hopes to enter.

Meeting Worthington’s band had him already rubbing shoulders with the kind of people he can see himself working with in the future.

While those experiences are shaping his development, his style leans toward traditional country influences, particularly artists like Oklahoma great Vince Gill, alongside more contemporary US performers such as Ella Langley and Lainey Wilson, as he continues to develop his own voice.

The experience of observing professional environments has left its impression.

“They were unreal - definitely people I could see myself around in the future,” he said.

Despite that exposure, his playing opportunities remain largely local, with performances limited to school settings as he looks for ways to break into live performance.

“I want to get out there, but I just don’t really know how to start.”

Still, the foundation is clear — hours of repetition and an approach shaped by independence.

When asked what advice he would give younger students considering music, his answer was immediate.

“Just go for it,” he said.

“The best thing you can do is practice — that’s what I do every day.”

Beyond ambition, his connection to music carries a quieter role.

“It’s something to lean on,” he said.

“When you feel like no one’s there, you can always pick up a guitar.

"I feel instantly better when I’m around one.”

For now, Nashville remains an impatient distance away, but not abstract.

“I want to get out there as soon as I can,” he said.

For those closest to him, the direction is already clear.

“We’re very proud of him,” Brian said.

And for Murdoch, the outlook remains steady — there is no bravado, just quiet certainty.

“All I can say is… people can look out for me.”