Rebecca's Interviews: Greg Page

Rebecca:  What path led you to become a children's musical entertainer?

Greg:  It was really a combination of interests/passions that led to being a children’s entertainer.  I had been playing guitar and singing in bands for many years as a teenager in Australia, and I knew that I wanted to do something with music, but I knew that the chances of being able to make a living out of music were very slim.  I then looked into teaching because I knew that was an area where I could use my musical skills to sing songs with the children in a classroom situation.  So, a desire to teach and a passion for music were the two things that caused me to end up as an entertainer.
 
Rebecca:  Bring us back to the beginning, how did you become a Wiggle? 

Greg: It was when I was studying at University to become a teacher.  Anthony Field had asked me to consider attending the University that he was studying at, Macquarie University. Apart from the high female to male ration, he said that the other thing about the course he was studying (Early Childhood Teaching) was the fact that it relied heavily on the arts, and allowing children to be as creative as they can be.  Music was a big part of that philosophy.  Anthony had already begun the course when I started, and was two years ahead of me, and when I began attending the campus, Anthony introduced me to Murray Cook, who was also in Anthony’s year.  We were all musicians, and had been playing in bands of various calibre over the course of our lives.  About a year after I had begun the course, Anthony called me up one day and told me he wanted to write some songs for children using what he had been learning at University as the basis and foundation for the songs.  Making the songs interactive, engaging and teaching simple musical concepts was the key.  So, we hired a studio and recorded what we thought at the time would be a “demo” tape to take to a record company to try and get a distribution deal.  However, that initial demo tape became the original Wiggles CD and tape that was released – the rest they say, is history!
 
Rebecca:  You enjoyed tremendous success during your 20 years as a Wiggle, what was your most memorable moment of that part of your career? 

Greg:  We had an incredible journey with The Wiggles, and it is still going today for Anthony.  We experienced so many high points that it is hard to find one defining moment that would be considered most memorable.  We were privileged in so many ways to be allowed into children’s lives – families trusted us to be “be in their lounge rooms” with their children and in the car with them when they went on holiday.  We met children who were sick and very ill, and saw smiles come to the faces when we walked into the room.  We played massive venues filled with children who were there with their parents or grandparents and were full of energy, bursting at the seams to have a great time.  We travelled to many parts of the world and saw and experienced so many things.  As I said, it would be very hard to pick a most memorable moment!!
 
Rebecca:  You took a break from The Wiggles due to health reasons, how were you able to overcome those issues and make your return to music? What strengths did you rely on?

Greg:  That was a particularly hard time in my life for a number of reasons. I really had to rely on my strength of character to get through that time.  Finding my own internal coping mechanisms was so important, so for me, I turned to spirituality to help me through.  Finding ways of looking at life and how to cope with the challenges we face was instrumental in my recovery.  Once I had a diagnosis, I was able to understand what the condition is and learn how to manage it.  Not knowing what was causing all the symptoms was the biggest problem that I faced. Thankfully, I had the support of my family and friends to help get me through that most-awful time, and assist in getting me well again.
 
Rebecca:  As a father to six children what advice would you give them if they were interested in a career in music? 

Greg:  Don’t EXPECT to succeed! I would say that if you love music and want to make a career out of it, be aware that making a career out of music is rare! Do it because you love it and don’t expect anything else to come from it.  Put your heart and soul into it, and good things will come because you are passionate about it and live for it.
 
Rebecca:  What new and upcoming projects are you involved in right now?

Greg:  Lots going on in my world at the moment. Several projects that I am working on to help other people bring their projects to life, so now I am really working as a producer or Executive Producer of entertainment.  I have started my own label called “Yellow Entertainment” which is designed to be an outlet for my own creative ideas, but also a platform to help others bring their creations to life through my own experience and skills.

To learn more about the exciting projects Greg has on the horizon visit www.gregpage.com.