Beginnings: Stewart has been involved with music one way or another for most of his life.  His earliest musical recollections are of listening to western yodellers, Jim Reeves, The Beatles and the Moog synthesizer (thanks to his parents’ eclectic record collection).  He grew up in a musical family and they spent many hours playing music together.  Also, he has strong gospel music roots, having sung in church bands for many years.  All this provided a rich musical heritage which contributed significantly to his musical style and vocal technique. 

Training and development: Stewart studied music to year 12 level at Marryatville High School, while also singing in school and church musicals and various groups and ensembles.  He studied subjects at Cert IV and Diploma level in Commercial Music Performance at Onkaparinga Institute of TAFE SA, where he achieved excellent grades.  He has also taught voice lessons to a number of students and he plays several instruments including piano and guitar.

Performance history: Stewart honed his vocal skills singing anything from sublime jazz to country, soul to pop.  He has performed in a diverse range of ensembles over the years including the ‘Adelaide Connection’ jazz choir and the fun rock-cabaret band ‘2 B A Llama’, as well as singing in numerous choirs and doing a number of solo performances.  Regular singing in church bands has been a significant part of his musical experience.  Also, he has been involved in numerous community and church events such as the ‘Stirling Christmas Carols’, ‘Hills Church Alive’ and ‘Jesus and all that Jazz’ in the Adelaide hills.  More recently Stewart has made appearances in country music festival competitions and has done various guest spots and performed at local venues.

Venues performed at – past and present – include:
♫ Festival Theatre Piano Bar                 ♫ Stag Hotel                                         ♫ Limbo Nightclub
♫ Bonney Theatre                                 ♫ Northern Festival Theatre (Pt. Pirie)   ♫ Le Rox Nightclub
♫ Hahndorf Inn                                     ♫ Tamworth Town Hall                         ♫ Toucan Nightclub
♫ Coca-Cola Stage (in Tamworth)         ♫ Barmera-Monash Football Club

Competition wins for the 12 months of April 2005 to April 2006: In recent times Stewart has competed in regional and national country music festival competitions in order to gain exposure and refine his act in this genre.  He met with considerable success, helping to confirm his abilities as a performer.
♫ 7 first place wins       ♫ 1 Senior overall winner           ♫ Finalist in SA Champion of Champions 2005
♫ 8 second place wins   ♫ 1 Festival overall winner         ♫ Finalist in Victorian Champion of Champions 2005
♫ 4 third place wins       ♫ Grand finalist, Aristocrat Entertainer of the Year, Blazes Showroom, Tamworth 2006 

Current focus: Although recognised mainly as a vocalist, Stewart is also a songwriter.  In recent years this skill has come to the fore with Stewart developing as a unique singer-songwriter who has honed his craft to an accomplished level.  “I guess I’ve gone back to my roots – when music was fun, the words meant something and the melody was catchy.”  Stewart writes in his own unique style, reflecting various musical influences.  The songs he writes are fresh and heartfelt; inspiring ballads, melancholy love songs and memorable pop tunes.

What can people expect at a Stewart James performance?  “Lately I have been taking the opportunity to showcase some of my own songs – along with a few from my favourite artists – as a solo performer in acoustic mode.  However, I can also provide entertainment in a variety of styles and formats according to the event.”

Future: Stewart plans to release a CD in the future and to continue performing live.  If you wish to be kept updated of this and any other news please contact Stewart by email or post.  (Any names and addresses collected will be used for this purpose only and will not be passed on to any third party).

Booking details:

Stewart James
Mobile: 0403 945 214
A/H: (08) 8388 0901
Email: sayhello@senet.com.au
www.saccm.com/artists/stewartjames/

Postal Address: PO Box 251 Nairne SA 5252
Plewase contact Stewart directly for higher quality pictures.

Over 1,197 Hits from Aug 11 2005 to May 7 2007
Hits from May 10 2007

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