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Jessica Mauboy

In their own words

Recorded 2018

Jessica Mauboy
Audio: 2 minutes

To feel the music, to be present, to be in the moment, was really the key of every moment of stepping into that light, every time was to be real and to remain at heart with whatever this is and whatever it’s creating. It was just healing; music is a healing process for me. And I’m sure it kind of really takes people through their story, at times when they’re by themselves or when they’re with a ground of people or a crowd, you feel this permission to just, you know, have time to yourself and be you. I think that’s why I’m so close with music, that’s why I have so much faith in it and I put everything into it, in the 15 years that I’ve been working my way of presenting music or performing or singing.

I’m always learning, I think I’m always kind of finding people that are inspiring me every day and I’m kind of taking a part of them, or a piece of them, or something that they’ve written or visually kind of, you know, shared, and just kind of reusing sometimes, or just kind of really taking that, putting it in some of my files and storing that and perhaps down the road, whether it’s that colour or the sound that really will inspire me in making the music.

My kind of way of living is not trying to live in regrets. I think everything you do takes you a step further to being the best you can, being best at anything. You make a mistake, you gave it a go and you must try it again. And there’s always going to be a way out, it’s just being patient with it.

You know, I think it is about being brave and trying to find whatever that confidence within you that’s so deep down there. Be kind to it and, you know, it’ll come up every time you do it and you try and you get better at it. Be brave and always have that faith and belief in yourself, really.

Audio transcript

Acknowledgements

This recording was made during interviews for the National Portrait Gallery's Portrait Stories series.

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Jessica Mauboy

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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

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