You can pronounce my last name however you like but I say “brewer”.
I grew up in Sydney, NSW. After leaving high school, I studied acupuncture at the University of Technology, Sydney and at University of Western Sydney, completing my Masters degree in 2005. I enjoyed a successful 20-year career as a practicing acupuncturist and massage therapist. Music has always been my passion though, so these days I mostly just do that. I am currently studying a Bachelor of Creative Industries at the University of the Sunshine Coast where I am doing courses in music, creative writing and drama.
I was born into a fundamentalist religious cult (thanks Mum for getting us out of there!) and am a survivor of child sexual assault. My family had to deal with some pretty heavy stuff (suicides, drug addiction, kidnapping, domestic violence) but, despite all that, we have come out of it very closely connected and used the lessons learned from these devastating incidents to understand that love and honest connection are worth fighting for. The experiences and stories from my family, as well as those from my career as a health practitioner have led me to become a very vocal advocate for non-violence and universal human rights for all.
In my twenties, I worked for 18 months in aged care and also worked for five years as a recreation officer at the Royal Far West Children’s Health Scheme in Manly, NSW, working closely with families affected by disability. I also had a crack at being a Cub Scout leader in 2016/17.
I believe that children and young people deserve our time, attention and respect, and I am very lucky to be a father to three amazing children. When I talk to older kids, I usually end up telling a bit about my life story with all the lessons it has taught me about consent in sexual relationships, harm minimisation with regard to risk-taking, and about kindness in all of our interactions with other life forms on Earth.
