When I told my art teacher I was considering becoming one, she told me to instead contemplate the idea of studying Fine Art, telling me that I could be a great artist one day.” Haff endi says that when he was an ISKL student, it had never occurred to him that he could do Art professionally. “ISKL was great – it was like an introduction to an art school with many excellent art facilities, like ceramics, photography, a dark room, technical drawing classes, painting, and computer printers. I was dabbling with lots of diff erent materials and art forms.” Tony Pietra Arjuna, a fi lmmaker
whose most recent fi lm, Shadowplay, won Best Film, Best Director, and three other categories in the Neo- South Independent Film Festival, attended ISKL from Grade 5 until his sophomore year. In the episode, Tony shares
his experiences about how he has remained closer to home than the other fellow alumni guest panel and how his connection to Malaysia is a driver in the stories he tells in his fi lms. He says, “A lot of it has to do with identity. The ‘third culture kid’ is something I have grown up with. I am now Malaysian by nationality but went to Boston for several years after that. I never grew up in Malaysia apart from vacations.” Tony graduated from Emerson College, Boston, Massachusetts, with a Bachelor's degree in Mass Communication and worked as an editor before moving into the fi eld of direction.
ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET Joining via Zoom from Utah in the USA, Kirstin is a Mezzo-Soprano, renowned for her rendition of Carmen in the opera Carmen. Kirstin has graced some of the world's greatest stages, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York and the Sydney Opera House. Kirstin is a graduate from New Mexico State University and Eastman School of Music and is currently Associate Professor and Artist in Residence in the School of Music at the University of Utah in the USA. She shares how she feels that the Arts are a very high- pressure environment and how her experience as a student and now a teacher is essential for creatives to develop more than just their artistic skills. “Entering into a professional singing career today looks very diff erent compared to when I joined
back in 1999. I like to impress the idea on my students that we must be entrepreneurs and behave like small business owners to manage a whole host of skills that have nothing to do with the Art we create,” says Kirstin. She has even instigated a new course at the university that applies entrepreneurship skills for musicians, a direct result of the changed circumstances during the pandemic. In this course, they learn to be proactive and take full responsibility for their Art, skillset, and sense of responsibility, which are duly critical in becoming an artist. Agreeing with Kistin, Varqa says, “As a musician, you can’t just be a musician, you also have to be a business person... you kind of have to understand how to sell yourself almost.” The discussion continued with many other questions that delved into the arts industry, such as valuable lessons they learned at university and their application processes. There was even a chance to catch a glimpse of Tony and Varqa's fi lms and music scores and a unique recording of Kirstin’s operatic performance ‘Habanera’ from Carmen performed on her rooftop terrace last year. To wrap up the end of the program, ISKL Alumni host Hezril asked the panelists to give one piece of advice for an ISKL student or alumni with a passion for the Arts. Kirstin Chavez shares, “It is so important to not be afraid to question yourself and others. This is something that has helped me a lot when I went through some of my lowest moments. I could fi nd a place where I could be quiet and alone and to be able to ask myself whether I was doing what I was meant to be doing. That was the only answer I ever needed,” says Kirstin.
LEARNING JOURNEYS Haff endi's piece of advice is to enjoy the journey and the process of reaching your goal. “One day, you will look back and remember that journey – even the complex parts and those experiences will shape you,” says Haff endi. Varqa adds, “You have to be able to build a mentality of being positive. When you are constantly learning and trying to better yourself and doing something as a human, that is how we can continue to move forward.” Finally, Tony talks about how things right now look scary and uncertain for those just fi nishing High School or college. “This will make you more resilient
in the long run. In an ever-changing world, what is essential is being able to adapt to change. Students are now at the forefront of their careers and lives, so it should be easier for them to adapt and start afresh,” says Tony. When asked about the chosen topic for the subsequent Alumni Black Box sessions, Lynette shares that this will be announced early in the new 2021/2022 academic year. “We have a wealth of talented and experienced alumni individuals, all eager to help the next generation of ISKL students and alumni.” Lynette added that the beauty of recording the event and live streaming the Black Box sessions means that people, wherever they are in the world and in whatever time zones, are now able to watch the panel discussion at their leisure!
To watch the full conversations, head on over to the ISKL Alumni website at https://alumni.
iskl.edu.my/ or go to
https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Ns7zSNmITco&feature=
youtu.be
ABOUT ISKL
Established in 1965, The International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL) has become known as a center of excellence in the world of international education. ISKL is a co-educational, private, not-for-profit school responsible for the learning journey of over 1,700 students aged 3-18 years representing more than 65 nationalities at its campus in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. ISKL offers a robust international curriculum which combines leading North American educational frameworks with global best practice. The curriculum recognizes that students are on a lifelong learning journey and is driven by ISKL’s mission to challenge each student to “Be All You Are” and develop the attitudes, skills, knowledge, and understanding to become a highly successful, spirited, socially responsible global citizen. ISKL is accredited internationally
through the Council of International Schools (CIS), and in the United States through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). There is a strong focus on service and sustainability across its divisions and ISKL is a member of the Eco-Schools organization and the Green Schools Alliance.
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THINK GLOBAL PEOPLE EDUCATION
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