While some might think that tradies are a little rough around the edges, one brickie proves that sometimes sharing your artistic side is just about finding the right context. James Smith, former brickie, has started a new career as an opera singer in Brisbane, and has been invited to sing in front of a very interesting audience!
James Smith is only 23, so it’s not surprising he’s just discovered his singing ability. “I just started doing karaoke. You know, Johnny Cash, David Bowie and all that and just up at the local pub.” Says James. “When I heard this CD of my cousin’s, an Opera CD, I heard I wondered if I should give this a bit of a crack and so I started singing opera.”
According to his website, James became a little obsessed with the newfound genre of music. He started practicing at home – surprising more than just himself. “I got this neighbour… he heard me sing, and left open the doors to his patios.” James then decided to get some singing lessons and to attempt Opera singing seriously.
“I got a hold of a teacher in Brisbane, I went to the Brisbane Conservatorium of Music, because I wanted to get professional training.” He received just twelve singing lessons and has since performed in front of hundreds of people.
He started off at a friends’ wedding, but word soon got out of his voice and he gained a bit more experience singing in public.
In early December, he President of the Irish Club Association asked him if he would sing on St Patrick’s Day for him, after hearing him at a wedding. “The Lord Mayor came along with Irish ambassadors. I sang for about about six hundred people.”
“So after the Irish Club, I met this fella down at the local gym, he’s French, you know. “ James says. “He’s the President of the Alliance of France … and he got me onto the Bastille night event,” James recalls. “He said ‘I’m looking for a singer’, and I said ‘I’m a singer - What do you want? I’ll sing it’. So on the 12th of July, I sang in front of about 400 people.” At the Bastille Day Grand Dinner Ball, James performed before Queensland Premier Anna Bligh. He sang the French National Anthem and the Nessum Dorma - to a standing ovation.
More recently, a neighbour asked him to sing at the Mardi Jackson Origin Fight Night, at the Brisbane Convention Centre. “He said will you sing ‘Advance Australia Fair’ in the boxing?” Said James – in front of 800 people.
But the transition hasn’t been all smooth sailing – he is still a bit nervous on stage. “Aw, I get really nervous when I’m on stage. On Wednesday night I did a concert at Brisbane City Hall with a crowd of about 900 people. I was shaking – my legs were shaking! But at the end, it was good.”
“But then I did two songs. At the end, it was brilliant, people wanted to talk to me – I just wanted to go home and go to bed. I get anxious before I get up on stage, and wonder how it’s going to turn out - whether it’s going to be good, bad or hopeless.”
James performs under the stage name James Corona – and everyone wants to know what inspired him to choose that stage name. “I like Corona the beer,” laughs James, but shares that isn’t the real reason. “My street address is Corona street,” he says simply. “I thought …we’d go for ‘Jim Smith’ I thought James Corona sounded pretty different.”
Now James is no longer a labourer, but works full time as a singer. He practices twice a day in preparation for his performances. But what do the other tradies think of his new career?
“They love it. They think if I love it, I gotta pursue the dream.”
Advice for anyone wanting to enter into singing?
If it’s Opera and other people think you’re good, then do it. Just get out there and do it. Start at weddings, start anywhere, even on the street. To get there you have to do it all yourself. Then it’s constant building blocks, again. My advice would be just try it.
