By Margaret Maccoll
Sharing the positive elements of his culture through storytelling, music and song was the aim of Noosa musician and artist Gregg Dreise when he performed last Friday at Noosa Civic.
NAIDOC Week provided him the opportunity to point out how wonderful his culture is, he said.
A proud Kamilaroi and Euahlayi man, Gregg grew up in St George in south-west Queensland before moving with his family to Noosa at the age of 14.
The youngest of eight, Gregg’s memories are filled with times spent sitting around campfires, singing and storytelling.
“There was always a guitar around. I come from a long line of storytellers,” he said.
Gregg’s musical ability led him to play in a number of bands about Noosa.
Now the talented storyteller, who has appeared a couple of times on ABC’s Playschool, uses didgeridoos, guitars, laughter and high-energy performances to pass on culture, unity and wisdom through his educational talks.
He has also put his stories into words and pictures. Gregg has created both the words and illustrations for nine children’s books and worked collaboratively on a further nine.
The father of four said the challenge in illustration was to ensure the characters in his books could tell the story to children just by them looking at the pictures.
“It helps those kids who can’t read yet,” he said. “Illustrations are a language spoken around the whole world.”
Gregg is very proud of his Kamilaroi and Euahlayi heritage. He said, like all Indigenous people, his connection to country was huge and while his ancestral lands extend from south-west Queensland into north-west New South Wales, he now feels the connection whenever he comes home to Noosa from his many touring commitments.
