Michael Buick says he has never really thought about the positive impact he has on others.
The Invercargill thespian, singer, teacher, mentor, musician and graphic designer said he was "absolutely gobsmacked" upon learning he would receive the King’s Service Medal.
He had always enjoyed his career and helping others had felt "par for the course".
"It’s a lovely recognition of all of the time and work that people have put into me along the way and the trust that they’ve had in me to do a lot of the things that I’ve done.
"In some ways, it feels like maybe that investment from other people has paid off."
Mr Buick has contributed to the southern creative scene since the early 1990s, particularly through Invercargill Musical Theatre (IMT) and the Invercargill Repertory Society.
He has largely volunteered his time as a musical director, performer or musician in many IMT productions, and received Otago Southland Theatre Awards for best musical direction in 2015 and 2020.
His contributions have helped to ensure the success of IMT’s productions and its reputation in the region.
In his teaching career in Invercargill, he has been directly influential in the development of many emerging musicians and actors in Invercargill since 2000.
At New River Primary School, he developed a music programme that could be taught school-wide, empowering all teachers in a music-enrichment programme.
In the late 2000s, he was convener of the ILT Sing Out festival, a massed choir event for Southland primary schools, and helped to bring in a major sponsor to ensure the festival’s continued survival.
Mr Buick was made a life member of Invercargill Musical Theatre in late 2022.
