KDU Entertainment Arts Student Climbs Her Way Up In the Entertainment Scene

SHAH ALAM, 21st OCTOBER 2015 – When it comes to career choices, there’s little surprise that many students opt for what society dub as ‘professional’ choices on the basis of it being a safety net. But now and then, there are some groups of talented individuals who believe in themselves enough to break the mould.

Enter Shery Chong Sher Yean, a Diploma in Entertainment Arts student from the School of Communication and Creative Arts (SCCA) at KDU University College. Shery gained her share of the spotlight after climbing her way to the Top 10 on the MY FM Be MY Star DJ competition. Ambitious and confident of her talents and capabilities to succeed in the entertainment industry, Shery enrolled in KDU’s Diploma in Entertainment Arts programme as it is what she dubs as the perfect course for her as it encompasses everything she needs to learn and be exposed to in order to build a career within the fast evolving and, very often, tough to crack entertainment industry.

The Diploma in Entertainment Arts programme is a student’s first step towards becoming an artiste in the entertainment industry as it aims to transform one into an all-rounded talent in a variety of roles such as singing, hosting and modelling. Not only that, students will also learn how to manage their own career in this highly-competitive business, as well as how to brand, position and market themselves.

“I’ve always had a tendency towards arts, I love to sing, dance and act. This is my passion and when I found out about the Entertainment Arts programme in KDU, it was a no-brainer that I opt for this course of study,” Shery explained.

“So far, it has been one of the best decisions I’ve made for my future; every day I learn more about the skills needed for the industry which includes soft skills as well, such as time management, communication and organisation skills,” she continued.

Clearly set on the entertainment arts scene, Shery shared that she never saw herself in other areas of study except those related to entertainment arts such as Performing Arts. Citing acting as one of her most favourite component of the programme, she finds the acting classes liberating and allows for creative conveyance of emotions and actions.

Her direct shot into the local entertainment industry surfaced through the MY FM Be MY Star DJ competition. Despite not having prior experience or exposure in being a DJ, she gave it a shot anyway out of curiosity to experience and explore new things. She counted her lucky stars when it was revealed that she managed to land a spot in the Top 16, but expressed sheer incredulity when she reached so close to the winning seat of being in the Top 10.

“The experience was surreal. The competition gave me a lot of exposure to how the industry works and of course, insights of being a DJ,” she quipped. Spending over a month competing for the top spot, Shery had established some valuable connections especially in the form of mentorship.

“I’m very lucky to have been able to meet such great people; the crew members and the other contestants were really great to me. But most importantly, through the competition, my mentor, MY FM DJ Jeff Chin had truly gave me so much valuable advice, guidance and support that I can’t get anywhere else. This competition had also piqued an interest in me on the areas of hosting,” Shery explained.

“Although my studies were primarily Entertainment Arts and not exclusively hosting, the knowledge and skills that I picked up during class were definitely applicable, especially when it comes to figuring out the right personality to inject to your persona in hosting different segments and such,” she continued.

Citing being a professional performer as her ambition, Shery takes all these experience in her brief stint within the industry back to the classroom where she continues to pursue her dreams on a daily basis.

The study of entertainment arts involves more than just practicing dialogues or studying films. Here at KDU, we acknowledge the skills required to understand the business and the industry itself, hence, students are equipped with soft skills in order to truly groom them to be versatile and able to hit the ground running.

To find out how you can hit the ground running with KDU University College, log on to www.kdu.edu.my or call 03-5565 0538 (KDU University College, Utropolis, Glenmarie) / 03-7953 6688 (KDU College, Damansara Jaya).