Ruangsak "James" Loychusak - the singing sensation who's now taking charge of a new music school - says he's not all that intelligent, nor even that talented, but he's got the drive that makes dreams come true.

He was signed 12 years ago to perform and record for RS Promotion, and the company was amply rewarded with his success and loyalty. But his decision to become manager of a new academy run by the Mifa Music School - which belongs to rival GMM Grammy - has earned him accusations of being ungrateful.

It wasn't a decision that came easily for James. For two years he pondered the move to the Mifa Artist Academy, which officially opens in March.

He'd wanted to get into music instruction for a long time, ever since graduating from Prasanmitr University with a degree in musicology.

James would have liked to open a school with RS, but that wasn't part of his employer's strategy. He could have opened his own facility, but the massive investment involved made it a risky option.

So he went to the four-year-old Mifa Music School and found the potential for success. The dream came true.

The academy will teach not only the ins and outs of music, but how to get into show biz. Its parent organisation, GMM Grammy, is an entertainment behemoth, with a record label, television shows via Exact and events organising through Index and GMM Live.

The academy curriculum will cover voice, dance, acting - including for the stage - and something James calls "extreme instrument".

"We all have musician heroes," he says, explaining that the course will give students a chance to learn to play instruments in the style of top GMM artists as well as foreign guests.

The word "extreme" notwithstanding, James plans to run the school in a modern, straightforward business style.

"The syllabus should be flexible, according to trends and circumstances. I want to create an overall dynamic ambience in which everything can be adjusted."

The music business, James notes, is a lot bigger now than it was when he was riding high in the charts. Artists today face fierce competition, so they have to be versatile.

"Why is it that music fans used to be able to remember the stars much better than they can today? It's because they had time to really look into the stars' personalities and lifestyles.

"Nowadays we have advanced technology and rapid communication, and the fans' brains are overloaded with choices, including lots of foreign artists, with J-pop and K-pop.

"I think Thais should create T-pop," James says. "I hope our country's leaders consider this aspect of music as well. I understand how important economics is, but I believe music is good for the heart and makes people gentler. The music industry, too, should be aware of its impact on society and should only create meaningful music."

The "ideal" superstar performance, James thinks, would be like Chinese acrobatics. "You'd be able to see what hard work has produced."

A dreamer since childhood, James had his ambitions suddenly and dramatically shifted seven years ago, when he was in a fatal plane crash in Surat Thani. Nothing in life, he discovered, is certain.

"Since then I've never looked farther ahead than five or 10 metres," he says.

"I've been trying to live a life of kind attention and care to everything - the fans, for example. I don't struggle with it. I'm just trying to live happily for the rest of my life."

 Kupluthai Pungkanon

 The Nation