Administration officer Rhonda Brooks keeps the UNE Office of Advancement, Communications and Events organised and on track. Her other passion is creative freedom and expression through music - and she says it's "very addictive".
What is your private passion and how did it develop?
Music! I’ve always had a desire to create music. From an early age I would tinker on my grandmother’s piano while visiting her during the school holidays and try to work out how to play a song that was in my head. We had no musical instruments in our house when I was growing up, so this was my only opportunity.
As a teenager, many of my friends and I would sing and harmonise together just for fun. At the age of about 17, with the help of a musician friend, I bought a guitar and taught myself how to play. I became obsessed! I would play and sing with friends and dabbled in writing basic songs, but I was always too shy to perform in public.
At 24 I met my husband Tony, an artist and self-taught musician who plays cross-harp (harmonica). When we married, music took a backseat to working and raising a family, although I would often play and sing songs for our children. After they grew up and I had more time for myself, I dusted off my old guitar. Once again I became obsessed – creating music is very addictive and I bought a new guitar and amplifier. I practised obsessively, performed covers on stage, wrote and performed my own songs, and finally recorded my songs. My enthusiasm inspired my husband to rediscover his interest in playing the harmonica. He now also dabbles in playing the guitar, cajon (a box-shaped percussion instrument) and, more recently, the didgeridoo.
We perform as a duo called The Gooeys – a name that originated from our children calling us "old gooeys". I sing and play guitar and my husband plays harmonica and cajon. We play mostly originals, with a few select covers.
What does it involve and how much of your time does it consume?
It depends! During my most creative period of writing, performing and recording songs it was at least an hour or two every day after work and quite often 10-14 hours over the weekend. I set up a recording studio at home and taught myself how to use the recording software. I ended up recording, mixing and mastering two albums, with eight songs on each. I have written about 30 songs all up, one of which was sold as a promotional jingle. At the moment I probably spend 2-6 hours a week on music.
How does this passion enrich your life?
When you are completely immersed in music, it takes you to another level. Your mind is completely absorbed in the moment, and nothing else exists. It’s a release from the pressures and stresses of life.
Creating something, anything, is hugely rewarding. It’s what humans do; it gives you purpose.
What (if anything) does this personal passion and your enjoyment of it bring to your working life?
In my previous job I was paid to write a jingle for a product. I publicly performed the song for the first time to delegates of a conference in Coffs Harbour. This then led to the recording and production of a music video. I love being creative. For most of my life I have worked as a graphic and/or interior designer, but this was the first time that I had created music to sell a product. I found producing the video - something I had never done before - particularly rewarding.
Do you have other personal passions you would like to share?
My other personal passion is gardening. Watching plants grow and thrive gives me great pleasure. I love eating produce from my garden, and watching the insects and birds that come with it. Music is my sound and gardening is my silence. Both are creative and afford me opportunities for reflection. Both are a release from the pressures and stresses of life, and both have brought me happiness and peace.
I have had a wonderful life full of love. Love of music, love of art, love of gardening and love of family. I have since inherited my grandmother’s beautiful old piano and love it, too!
