An alumnus from the BA (Hons) Contemporary Music (Audio Technology) programme, Yap Khai Zhen is a music producer, audio engineer, and artist from the class of 2021. He works with international artists, songwriters, and producers on various projects in the professional music industry, with a focus on the Pop, R&B, and Hip-Hop genres.

Khai Zhen enthusiastically describes his varsity experience as a time of professional and personal growth. The programme prepared him for a life beyond the campus by introducing a professional full-time music environment through the assignments itself. Music composition assignments with a short turnover time thoroughly prepared him to work at a professional pace, while getting hands-on experience with industry-standard equipment on campus. Meanwhile, the short turnover time allowed him to refine his workflow and grow his creativity too.

The programme’s lecturers played significant roles in Khai Zhen’s academic journey as well, offering important feedback and support on his work. He is especially thankful for BA (Hons) Contemporary Music (Audio Technology) programme leader Ms Christine May-Yong and Mr James Boyle for mentoring him as a budding artist. “They’ve taught me that it’s okay to make mistakes, but what’s important is to have faith in your craft – if you want people to love what you’ve created, you have to love what you did first,” the alumnus mentioned.

Additionally, the programme’s groupwork-based structure allowed him to grow in soft skills that are crucial in the music industry: being a team player, being confident, and daring to be different. Khai Zhen cites the programme for helping him become more outgoing and sociable, allowing him to network easily with fellow members of the music scene and spurring on potential collaborations with them. This includes his former course mates, who has kept in touch with each other as a community while they advance in their respective music careers.

“Studying in Sunway University has been fun and comforting,” Khai Zhen commented on his overall varsity experience. The well-equipped campus provided a comfortable environment for him to work on projects and exert his creativity as a musician, which brought forth greater knowledge and appreciation for the Malaysian entertainment industry. Khai Zhen is a proud local artist, with a strong passion to inspire and contribute to the local scene.

Having been passionate about pursuing music from an early age, the 2021 graduate began his professional music career by collaborating with an artist friend who allowed him to work on a song. This quickly set him in motion to constantly collaborate with artists and producers while releasing music of his own, which opened doors to work with top tier professionals in the scene today. Khai Zhen is now an exclusive songwriter and producer for Universal Music Publishing Malaysia, Singapore & Thailand!

Overall, Khai Zhen’s experience taught him to step out of his comfort zone, adapt, and learn, allowing him to continually expand his creativity. “So much (is) going on in this modern world today,” he said regarding the importance of being more open minded and less afraid of change. “Being daring to do and strive for your dreams, instead of putting yourself in a box, can lead you to many interesting and exceptional opportunities in life.”