Than Yuan Ling

Hi everyone! I am Yuan Ling, currently 20 years old, and pursuing Contemporary Music (Audio Technology) in Sunway University. I was born in a family with musical backgrounds as both my parents and brother acquired musical skills. My parents played instruments such as piano and Yamaha Electone and met each other in a music school which sparked a relationship. My older brother also plays the piano, violin, and drums and is an alumnus of the Malaysia Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (MPYO). For me, I started my music journey at the age of 4, learning the Junior Music Course in Yamaha Music School which has given me numerous opportunities to perform in concerts and competitions as a group and as a soloist. One of my proudest moments was playing my piano composition at the Yamaha Festival Hall when I was 10 years old. Since then, my interest in music deepened and I started exploring different instruments. I joined my primary school band, playing the flute and also took violin lessons for a year. However, piano is still my preferred instrument as it can play complete music with melody and harmony at the same time.

Throughout my secondary years, I joined the Chinese Orchestra club because I found an interest in a traditional Chinese instrument, erhu. I was actively involved in the orchestra as a performer, committee member, and organizer for various events including camps and study trips to Taiwan. Although my schedule was hectic at that time, I managed to complete my UEC exam in good grades and achieved a diploma in piano.

After my high school graduation, I told my parents that I would like to study music instead of other courses. They agreed with my decision and asked me to choose between music performances or contemporary music. After much consideration, I decided to study contemporary music because I wanted to widen my knowledge in music composition and explore audio technology which I have never gotten a chance to learn before. Previously, I attended the Sunway University open day and took a liking to the course programme as it includes the subjects that I was looking for. Besides, the facilities such as the iMac labs, recording studios, and practice rooms are very well equipped. Apart from that, Sunway University offers many scholarships and education funds to deserving students. At this point, my parents still needed to support my brother in his Master’s Degree. To lighten the financial burden of my parents, I applied for a scholarship and also went for the Sunway music talent audition. Thankfully, I passed the audition and was awarded the Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali Scholarship, otherwise, I may need a study loan. I am truly grateful to receive this scholarship, this motivates me to try harder and do my best in my bachelor's degree at Sunway University. This is #MySunwayStory!

Than Yuan Ling
BA (Hons) in Contemporary Music (Audio Technology)
Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali Scholarship