Enrolling in Universitas Pelita Harapan Conservatory of Music (UPH CoM) is proven as the right decision for Christopher Kai Song, an international student from Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

Christopher?s passion for music has been rooted since he was only eleven years old. He recalls how happy he was when his parents let him buy a guitar despite having zero knowledge beforehand of how to play the instrument. Little did he know, it became the starting point of his love for music, especially Jazz. Through the relentless practice he did by himself, he managed to participate in several school events when he was in high school.

As his passion for music grew, Christopher was faced with tough challenges in paving his way into the music industry. After graduating from school, he could not enroll in the music course right away since he did not get full support from his parents. ?Studying music still carries a common stereotype even up to this day such as how it will not be so beneficial financially for the future career despite the fact that it is not true,? Christopher said.

With such a challenge, Christopher decided to earn some money first by working in a retail store and music recording studio without leaving his passion behind. Amidst his busy schedule, he would still play in some gigs and during this time he finally realized his profound love to perform on stage.

At that moment, Christopher found his true calling and vision in which he aspires to be a full-time musician. Unfortunately, the pandemic happened, and he was urged to make a big decision for his education.

After doing some research and looking through different colleges in Malaysia, he couldn’t find any courses that meet his ideal requirements. However, after doing further research, he stumbled upon the UPH CoM which offered online classes during the pandemic. This assured him to start his first year studying online. The pandemic is no longer an obstacle.

Being a student of UPH CoM has deepened Christopher?s musical skills with the benefit of finally being able to move to Indonesia to study offline. As it turned out, he found that he enjoys playing music in a professional manner with the provided facility rather than just for entertainment purposes.

Once he settles in, he also finds the right community and helpful lecturers to further unlock his potential and broaden his networks. One of his favorite things about studying at UPH is the nonexistent gap between his lecturers and the students which allows them to have a fun jamming session together with free lessons in between. Having these benefits that exist in UPH, Christopher is glad to have made the right decision for himself.

As Christopher paves his way to the music industry, he is planning to establish his career in Indonesia. Having band arrangement as his favorite subject, Christopher wishes to implement this subject later in his career when he gets to collaborate with other inspiring musicians in Indonesia.

At UPH CoM, international students are provided with supporting facilities to ensure a smooth transition and successful study experience.

“We assign dedicated academic advisers for our international students at UPH CoM to assist them in adapting to their studies. Additionally, we provide them with support through lectures and study materials available in English, which facilitates a better understanding of the lessons,” stated Indrawan Tjhin, S.Kom., B.Mus., M.M., M.B.A., the dean of CoM UPH.

UPH students have successfully competed and participated in various national and international competitions and festivals, including the Bali International Choir Festival, Ubud Village Jazz Festival, International New Music Festival Composition Competition, Musicaphoria, Reverberation, Anugerah Musik Indonesia, BNI Java Jazz Festival, Earfest, UPH National Jazz Competition, and UPH National Piano Competition.

For international students inquiries, please contact Ms. Delicia Nugroho, Head of the Music Study Program, via email at delicia.nugroho@uph.edu or our Student Consultants at undergraduate.admission@uph.edu.