Paul Greene has spent plenty of time learning how to sing his own tune - now he's working to amplify the voices of others.
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The musician and Olympic sprinter is also a self-taught recorder and producer.
"I decided to make a record in 2000, and I sold enough records to make more records," he said.
"Rob Hirst [of Midnight Oil] guided me and a I developed a label back then, so I was making, manufacturing and releasing them myself.
"I just taught myself how to do it, I figured it out by making mistakes. They can be your most valuable asset."
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Ten years later, he produced his first record himself, followed by an album for James Blundell.
When COVID-19 upended his life, it offered an opportunity to dust off those skills and put them to use helping others.
"Right at the start, all my gigs had stopped, everything had fallen apart and I was thinking I was going to be on the street," he said.
"Thanks to Nowra being a small community my landlord helped me out with rent for a litte while, which I'm very grateful for.
"To have that time, to be forced to change, even though it's daunting, it really does suit a creative mind.
"To have time to not do anything is really important for an artist - no one makes a living from doing nothing, but it's where all the ideas come from."
And so Red Shelf Records was born.
Mr Greene has worked with a number of local artists, and those further afield.
He's particularly proud of two projects.
One was the revival of project Hirst and Greene. An EP is slated for release early next year, and Mr Greene believes parts of the project have made their way into and upcoming Midnight Oil album.
"It's something I'm really looking forward to hearing," he said.
"And it's always really good fun recording with Rob."
The second is more personal.
After the bushfires, children at Cobargo Public School were encouraged by their teacher to process their experiences through music.
"I didn't really know what I was walking into," Mr Greene said.
"I knew Cobargo quite well and when I drove in I was shocked at the damage.
"A third of the kids at the school lost their houses."
Mr Greene said there was "no hint" of self pity from any of the students. Instead, they were focussed on the strength and resilience of their community.
"It's a really beautiful outlook and it was incredible to see the natural bravery of these kids," he said.
"They had a real pride in themselves and their town, and it comes through in these songs.
"Some of them are melancholy in a very innocent kind of way. It's a really beautiful project."
Mr Greene hopes to continue his work with local and emerging artists. He said it was immensely rewarding to support a musician through the process of developing an idea through to hearing the final product.
"I want to help people be self-sustainable musicians," he said.
"To see somebody hear themselves as an artist for the first time, it really drives me. I love that moment.
"I'll be looking for more local artists to work with and develop, I'm building a new recording studio, it's really exciting.
"The record label is the culmination of all the things I've done myself, and it gives back to me as much as I feel I put into it. It's really rewarding to see people shine."
Interested artists can go to www.redshelfrecords.com