Cooper Smith has been challenging other people's expectations about him his whole life.
Smith, 18, lives with cerebral palsy — a disorder that affects his speech and motor skills. But that hasn't stopped him from pursuing his passion: music.
"I've always really had a love of music and I just thought, 'How could I share what music I enjoy to an audience?'" he told SBS News.
"So, I just decided to buy an app on my iPad and just started practising to DJ."
Smith first got behind the decks as a five-year-old, playing around with his dad Andrew's vinyl collection in a tin shed in their backyard.
In recent years, this young DJ and music producer has been making waves in the Australian music scene. His passion for Afro-house has seen him play sets at major music festivals — and perform at the Australian Open tennis tournament last weekend.
Now, he has his sights set on taking on the rest of the country — and the world.
'I'm absolutely in awe just watching him'
Smith was diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP) from an injury at birth. He has a type of CP known as dystonic quadriplegia, meaning it affects his four limbs along with his speech.
"Since the day he was born, he has had to fight — and to be super, super strong and extremely stubborn," his mother Bronwyn Leeks said.
"It's a movement disorder and not one person is the same.
"The main thing to remember is to always expect and assume high intelligence. Even though Cooper's speech is affected, his intellect is amazing.
Since being gifted a set of DJ decks in 2021, Smith's star has continued to rise, performing at major music festivals. Source: SBS News
"I'm absolutely amazed every single time I see him up on stage or at any gig or any festival, and I'm absolutely in awe just watching him."
Smith's friend and mentor, Callum Mitchell, said he has "an ability to do anything he puts his mind to".
"There's not a single thing you can tell him that he cannot do. He has an excellent way of proving you wrong — or finding another way to do something that an able-bodied person can do instantly,” he said.
"He has gone from a local gig that I booked him at to one of the number one nightclubs in Melbourne," Mitchell said, calling his growth "rapid".
"He's just achieving his goals and setting himself a new one instantly."
'I want to make the whole dance floor feel connected'
Smith's star has been on the rise since being gifted a new set of decks by the Dylan Alcott Foundation, an organisation that works with young Australians living with disability, in 2021.
"If I had to describe it (my journey), it would be quick," he said.
"It's just so unusual how fast it's all gone. Most of the DJs I play with have been doing it before I was born.
"I love Melbourne so much — just how supportive the DJ scene has been to me … it's kind of amazing."
Smith has garnered thousands of fans through social media and has performed sets at music festivals including Ability Fest and Beyond the Valley.
Smith (left) has received support from Grammy-nominated Australian music producer Dom Dolla (centre) and Paralympian Dylan Alcott (right). Source: Supplied
"At the end of the day, I just want to make the whole dance floor feel connected. It feels very intimate, like I'm deeply connecting with tons of people."
Offstage, he works hard to be able to meet the physical demands of performing live.
"Gym is so important because it makes me attractive. And secondly, what it helps me do is DJ for longer without being tired," he said.
Taking the main stage at the Australian Open
Smith's talent most recently landed him on the Australian Open main stage on the day of the men's singles final last Sunday.
Speaking to SBS News ahead of his set, he said he was "so excited" to be playing his first-ever arena gig.
"Seeing my name on the line-up was really surreal. I couldn't believe it," he said.
Pia Del Mastro from Untitled Group, the music and events company behind the Australian Opens Finals Fest, said she thinks Smith is "going to be a superstar".
"He's so young and he's got so much ahead of him," she said.
"The industry loves him, and he knows music and he knows what crowds love, so as a DJ and a producer, he comes with so many things that are just going to benefit his career in the long run and also inspire everyone else around him."
The John Cain Arena set was specially built with his accessibility needs in mind.
"It's super important to have artists like Cooper in this space, it amplifies everything we do," Del Mastro said.
But not every venue has accessible performance spaces for everyone.
"Most of the venues don’t have lifts so I need to walk up the stairs," Smith said.
"My main problem is sometimes they don't have the equipment I need to play, but usually it's fine."
Mitchell said his friend has learned to use "whatever equipment is provided".
"Cooper wants to be a DJ like any other Melbourne DJ or any other DJ in the world. He figures out how it all works and adapts very quickly," he said.
'An ARIA by the time I'm 23'
For his friend and mentor, Smith is an inspiration to everyone — not just those living with disability.
"I think he proves that no matter what is in your way, there's other ways around it," Mitchell said.
"As a music producer, I think the journey is endless."
As for Smith, he has his sights set on taking on the rest of the country — and the world.
In the coming months, he'll be playing gigs in Brisbane and Melbourne before setting off for Europe in June to "gain experience" and "make connections across their amazing music scene".
"I want to play internationally in the next two years, and probably win an ARIA by the time I’m 23, maybe a Grammy — and I will."
