Jamie Garlett's life changed when he picked up a guitar after losing his vision

Ballardong man Jamie Garlett believes in the healing power of music. 

After losing his vision nearly 20 years ago to an inherited degenerative eye disease, Jamie says he spiralled into a depression that he only felt strong enough to face when he picked up a guitar. 

Now, the Wheatbelt father of five is recording an album inspired by his Indigenous culture and hopes to show his children, who may also inherit the disease, that anything is possible. 

Growing up in the West Australian Wheatbelt town of Northam, 100 kilometres east of Perth, Jamie said he first realised his vision was failing when he started experiencing headaches in school. 

Years later he was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at the age of 27.

"There was a long time of blaming my father because he's the one who carried the condition in his blood," Jamie said.

"His parents had passed away so who was he to blame or talk to about it?"

Going down the 'wrong path'

Before losing his vision, Jamie was an avid footballer and cricketer, but as his eyesight deteriorated he had to give up the sports prematurely. 

Feeling a great loss, Jamie looked to other outlets. 

"Growing up in this town all the young fellas were doing the wrong things and I would follow them," he said.

"I started getting into alcohol and drugs, down the wrong paths with the wrong people.

"It took a long time to get out of that place."

He believes he would have continued on that antisocial path if it wasn't for his medical diagnosis.

"Being blind made me change into the person I am today, that change came naturally because I had no choice."  

When the guitar 'all made sense'

Music had always been a part of Jamie's life, with a father and cousins who performed in bands throughout his childhood. 

But despite this, picking up the guitar himself wasn't always on his radar.

"I was about eight when I first started learning some tunes on the guitar from my cousin on a bus back from Esperance after Battle of the Bands," he said.

"It was my cousin's band against my dad's band, and my dad won. He showed me a few tunes and I really didn't take it on board at the time.

"I only need my fingers and my mind. 

"You don't have to worry about who is out there in front of you when you are performing because you can't see them anyway."

Becoming a role model

Jamie is on a mission to record an 11-track album, sharing his talents and his family's heritage with audiences. 

His songs pay tribute to family members who have passed, the story of his uncle being taken from his family at four years old, and love stories for young Indigenous people.

"I get caught up in my emotions when I'm performing them sometimes because they are so personal," Jamie said.

"When I play my music I feel like I'm in control of everything, I'm in another place. 

"Being blind doesn't even count up there. It takes it all away."

Jamie is part-way through the recording process which sees him travel to Fremantle with his support worker.

He wants to inspire his family.

"When my grandkids came along they made me realise that I have to try and find a way to carry on for them because there is a high chance that they will inherit retinitis pigmentosa as well," he said.

Jamie's next goal is to secure a performance at Optus Stadium in front of his beloved Fremantle Dockers, combining his two loves of AFL and music.