David Waldie’s dream is to become a singing, dancing, acting triple-threat, just like his hero Hugh Jackman.
Key points:
- David Waldie says his album is about overcoming barriers and mental health battles
- Collaborator Kate Fletcher-Becroft says listeners should prepare to have ideas on Down syndrome challenged
- The album release will coincide with the pair’s original cabaret show on disability
The Brisbane artist, who lives with Down syndrome, will make his musical debut on Friday when he releases his first album, in collaboration with music therapist Kate Fletcher-Becroft.
Waldie said he wanted his music to convey the sides of himself that others often weren’t able to see beyond his disability.
“I’ve overcome a lot of things. I’ve dealt with death in the family, I’ve dealt with a lot of things in my life that are not pretty, so hopefully this album will show everyone who I really am,” he said.
“There are different sides of me that no-one knows. I’ve had an emotional journey with mental health, and I’ve written a song about it.”
Waldie said the release of Speak Your truth was the first step in his quest to become a chart-topping Australian singer songwriter.
He joked that now his acting and singing skills were coming along nicely, all he needed was to get in shape.
Waldie’s confidence comes from his firm belief in the power of music to make the world a better place.
“Music is probably the world’s biggest healer right now,” Waldie said.
“Music makes me happy and it makes everyone happy.”
Challenging stereotypes
Fletcher-Becroft, who also plays on the album, said the work will challenge assumptions about living with Down syndrome.
She said there was a popular perception that people with Down syndrome were happy all the time.
However, she said the reality was that people with Down syndrome were complex and multifaceted, like everybody else.
“Dave, as much as he is the happy, bubbly funny person, there are other sides to him that people don’t realise,” she said.
“Just because he has Down syndrome doesn’t mean he doesn’t have feelings exactly like everyone else; like feeling sad, feeling angry, feeling frustrated.
“Music is that universal language that Dave’s able to connect with people in a different way to show who he is.”
Speak Your Truth will be released on Friday at the PIP theatre in Milton, Brisbane.
On the day, the pair will perform a live performance of “DisaWHAT?!?”, their original cabaret show on the topic of disability.
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