DESCRIPTION:
'Courage and Excellence' is about breaking stereotypes. Having the courage to defy expectations and create a positive and respectful future for yourself and your community.

Written, recorded and filmed over 5 days in March 2016 in the remote community of Walgett in Northwest NSW, 'Courage and Excellence' is an outcome of a Desert Pea Media community project with a group of young Indigenous people enrolled at Walgett Community College.

The project came about through a partnership between Desert Pea Media, The Smugglers of Light Foundation and APRA AMCOS.

Desert Pea Media projects involve a dialogue-based storytelling process that encouraged participants to analyze 'the real', 'the ideal' and 'the bridge'. In simple terms this means critically thinking about how to create positive change for individuals, for each other and for our communities.

With the musical direction of Joel 'Roc West' Westlake, mentoring from previous DPM participant - Kamileroi hip-hop artist Michael Graham (aka MC Boomalli) and project direction from DPM founder - Toby Finlayson, we then turned the narrative into this awesome song, which we filmed immediately on location around Walgett.

Special thanks to DPM mentor and community elder - Ros McGregor for her unwavering support and friendship over nearly 10 years, and to the Walgett community.

CREDITS

Young people from Walgett NSW - Co-Directors/ Co-Writers
Toby Finlayson - Producer/ Director/ Writer/ DOP/ Editor
Joel Westlake - Music Producer/ Co-Writer
Michael Graham - Co-Writer
Roy Weiland - Colour Grading/Motion Graphics
David Nicholas - Audio Mixing & Mastering

LYRICS

Two rivers meet in Walgett, The Gate
Dangerous, violent is what some say
Life’s like an uphill battle some days
But don’t believe what ya read on the front page

Depends what ya know, where you been, what you seen
If ya very keen you can accomplish your dreams
Little bit of help and self esteem
It can get ya somewhere if ya know what I mean

Truth is my people still deal with trauma
Broken, hopeless, flora and fauna
Born to stand out can’t shift the blame
Kamileroi people gotta change the game

Don’t break the chain (yup) use ya brain cuz
Black soil plains to the gate (yep) straight up
Wake up - ready set chase ya dreams
Yep a little bit of courage is all you need

Be courageous like a full-grown lion
COURAGE
Never give up yo, just keep trying
COURAGE
Aim real high, yep reach for ya dreams
COURAGE
Trust what ya seen, things ain’t what they seem.

The past the hardest part, hard to undo
Life like ours is hard to go through
Pretty tricky, true blue cuz, what would you do?
Me and my crew build something brand new

We never get told no dreamtime tales
Only hear yarns bout going to gaol
Yep, all across Northwest NSW
Kamileroi people getting set up to fail

The Gate’s a lot more than drug dependents
Drunk delinquents & court defendants
Under par schools with poor attendants
Warriors (aye) Kamileroi descendants

Straight up soldier fam defend
Future faced with fam & friends
Injustice happening again and again
Kamileroi people here till the end

Be courageous like a full-grown lion
COURAGE
Never give up yo, just keep trying
COURAGE
Aim real high, yep reach for ya dreams
COURAGE
Trust what ya seen, things ain’t what they seem.