Katie Noonan
Katie Noonan is the voice of alternative darlings george. Her sweet vocals have made her one of the most recognisable voices of our generation. Over the two albums that george has released they have sold over 250,000 albums. In addition to the george projects, Katie has also been involved in several side projects.
She released a jazz album with Paul Grabowsky, a duet album of jazz /opera classics with her mother Maggie Noonan and an album under the title of Elixir - an acoustic driven art jazz/roots ensemble.
In addition to this Katie has a long standing relationship with several State arts bodies, in particular The Sydney Symphony, The Queensland Orchestra and The Australian Chamber Orchestra.
Katie's solo album Skin was released in mid-2007. Katie released her new album Blackbird on November 1st 2008.
How many children do you have? What age / sex are they?
I have 2 beautiful little boys - Dexter (just turned 2) and Jonah (8 months).
What has surprised you the most about becoming a mother?
I love my husband even more and my heart grew bigger the minute I first saw each child and?.the ability to survive on little sleep!
Do you miss anything about your life prior to having children?
Sleeping through the night! And spontaneity - that gets harder with little ones I guess!
What is the hardest part about being a mum?
Balancing work and mumma time?.balancing art and heart ?.but as we all know the positives far far out weigh the negatives.
How has your relationship with your partner changed since becoming parents?
We have become so much closer - viewing eachother as parents had made us love and respect each other more. Also, we have learnt to prioritise our time to together when we can.
What advice do you have for new mothers or mothers to be?
Take help if it is offered, sleep as much as you can and remember time for yourself also. Get out of the house each day.
What are you great at?
Cuddling my boys!
What are you terrible at?
Driving - still on my learners!
How do you manage the juggle of family and work?
I have learnt to prioritise more and learnt to say no more also! But in a way it has helped me to worry less - because at the end of the day my family is so much more important than work. Also i took control of my work environment where possible - I tried to eliminate negative forces out of my immediate work circles.
What do you think about "me" time? Do you practice it, preach it or have you resigned yourself to catching up later on?
My partner and I really try and give eachother me time, but it is hard of course. We both love music, so I guess we escape through music and that is our "me" time. A gig - which of course is also work - also feeds my soul and gives me my time as well?so i am very lucky in that respect.
Who do you admire? Why?
Single mums - I think they are super women. Like all mums, I find motherhood challenging, but I am so lucky to have a very supportive, hands on husband - so I can't imagine how hard it would be without a partner. So single mums - I really do salute you!
What kind of 'Australia' do you hope for your children's future?
A fair, loving communtiy that embraces individuality and celebrates diversity. A community that protects children and the air they breathe.
How do you know of the Essential Baby community?
I joined the mailing list in my first pregnancy!
Finally, a question all mums must face (no matter who they are!) - what are you feeding your children for dinner tonight?
Well my 8-month-old Jonah will probably have a combination of breast milk and organic apple and muesli and my 2-year-old Dexter will probably have spagetti bolognaise and some fruit for dessert (or whatever i can persuade him to eat!)
