Creating a 15-track album with twelve Noongar community members located across Australia required a mix of ingenuity, technology and cooperative effort.

Just like the Noongar language lessons, the song writing process was facilitated online, with a combination of pre-recorded video content and one-on-one sessions with facilitators supporting participants to craft and sing their songs at home, instead of within the usual workshop environment or recording space.

After recording their vocals at home using a music-making app, final studio production of Ngaalang Moort: Noongar Lullabies from Home was managed by Charmaine Councillor, Phil Bartlett and musician/sound engineer, Sean Lillico.

In December, the participants gathered online to hear the entire collection of songs for the first time, ahead of the public release.

The album and songbook were launched in January 2021 at the Fremantle Arts Centre to an audience of more than 350 attendees who gathered on the lawn for a picnic and singalong amid a beautiful backdrop of native flowers and djindas (stars) styled by local artist Sandy McKendrick.

The occasion was live streamed for people who couldn’t attend in person, with Noongar Radio broadcasting live from the event.