Image

Hailing from the class of July 2020, Kirthana Kuhendran from the BA (Hons) Contemporary Music (Audio Technology) programme has immersed herself in the audio facet in the world of theatre. She is currently the resident sound designer at theatrethreesixty, a collective of playmakers dedicated to telling the stories they want to tell and paving the way for new Malaysian theatre. Kirthana’s job scope includes creating or sourcing sound effects, ambience, music and any other auditory elements used for a theatre production. At the same time, she takes on singing and acting projects on a freelance basis.

“Education, Experience, and Expansion” are the keywords Kirthana uses to describe being a student in Sunway University. From her first year, the programme’s lecturers gave their best in preparing students for the future with insightful and meaningful education. She recalls how she learned to be independent and a professional in the industry as well as how to face challenges and overcome them. These values equipped her to begin her career. Her education inspired her to pursue excellence by taking initiative and being proactive in her job, always going the extra mile to seize an idea or opportunity and answering questions before they have been asked.

Kirthana also recalls the variety of experiences she had as a student, brought forth by the many opportunities presented to her by Sunway University. Throughout her varsity life, she was given many chances to showcase her talents by participating in end-of-semester showcases and concerts. One such highlight was when she was granted the opportunity to represent Sunway University alongside fellow course mates in an exchange event with other Malaysian tertiary music education institutes, such as UCSI University and ASWARA. She was also invited to perform at events organised by the Sunway Education Group and the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, such as the Sunway Education Group Staff Appreciation Night in 2018 and the “Women of Great Times” National Women’s Day Gala Dinner in 2019. 

Apart from performances, Kirthana also represented Sunway University at The NAMM Show 2018, the world’s largest event focused on music products, pro audio and the event tech industry. Upon receiving the 2018 President’s Innovation Award, she received a sponsorship to the United States to attend The NAMM Show and participate in the GenNext programme, a programme focused on professional development in the music and audio industry. The experience helped her learn more about the industry and network with established industry professionals.

Being a Sunway student expanded Kirthana’s viewpoint and mindset as she worked alongside different people from different backgrounds as well as students from other courses. She credits her lecturers for impacting her life significantly by broadening her horizons on the various job scopes available to her. It was through an introductory sound design module conducted by Professor Matthew Sansom that she first discovered her love for the field of sound design. “When I first joined the course, I never would have imagined working in this industry, but after my classes with Professor Matthew, I realised I have found something that I enjoy and that I wanted to learn more about!”

Kirthana’s varsity experience taught her an important value that the creative industry plays in society by providing an outlet of creative expression and cultural enrichment. The experience gave her a newfound understanding of how to give back to the art community using her skills. Through the quality education and valuable experiences brought by the programme, Kirthana aims to hone her talents to contribute to the preservation and growth of the Malaysian art industry, specifically that of the performing arts.