Dave
was born in Auckland, NewZealand in 1962 and lived there till
he moved to Sydney Australia in 1991. At age 7 Dave developed
strange motor movements and vocal noises which grew steadily in
strength until his teenage years. He endured a lot of teasing
and humiliation during his teen years and was treated with everything
from Psychiatric to Allergy therapy. After many years of frustration
the condition ultimately caused him to drop out of school in 1979
at the age of 16. About this time he began to write songs about
his life experiences and as an outlet for his feelings.
He
was placed in a workshop for people with disabilities in the hope
of a placement in the workforce. At about this time Dave had a
profound spiritual experience while visiting a Catholic Youth
group at a Franciscan Monastery. After travelling to many countries
in 1984 he began training as an Electrician on his return to New
Zealand and now has his own business in Western Sydney, Australia.
Dave has been a part time Youth minister for the Catholic Diocese
of Auckland and worked with the Marist Brothers in Youth homes
in Sydney. It was in 1990, while a Youth minister, he was watching
L.A.Law one night on television and saw a man doing some of the
noises and movements that he made. After consulting a neurosurgeon
he was finally diagnosed with Tourettes Syndrome, a neurological
disorder causing motor and vocal symptoms known as Tics.
This has been a huge relief, as he now knows he is not crazy.
(Well not for those reasons anyway). Dave married Rhonda in 1992
and they have 5 beautiful Children.
Dave is a regular speaker to Youth at camps and conferences and
runs a small 3 monthly café night in St Marys N.S.W. Dave
recently released his first CD, “A waste of Breath”
featuring 6 songs in which he expresses some aspects of his faith
and life experiences.
Dave is a member of the Catholic Association of Musicians and
the Tourettes Syndrome Association.
