BAYS Plus: A Chance to Learn from the Best
Everyone has dreams but what sets one apart from the other is the effort taken to make it happen. The road to success is more than just saying what you want to be, it also requires you to work hard and find ways to become the person you want to be. Ask any successful person you know, all of them would agree that without determination and passion, they won’t be where they are now.
Hence My Performing Art’s (MYPAA) Borak Art Youth Series (BAYS) Plus in Ipoh this year, surpassed all expectations in their turnout as more than 200 participants mostly university and college students, showed up to ‘learn from the best’.
The two-day event held at Heritage Hotel from April 23 to 24 saw an amazing lineup of speakers who are known for being successful in their respective fields. Expecting only about 100 participants, the figures even stunned MYPAA founder and director, Izan Satrina Dato’ Mohd Sallehudin.
“It is always great to be back in Ipoh. I hope all the participants of BAYS Plus will take this advantage being surrounded by the ‘big brothers and sisters’ from local and regional industry. Who knows, you might come up with the next big thing!’ said Izan as she officiated the affair.
Eizaz Aziz then took the stage and started the first session of BAYS Plus by telling the stories about leveraging on what he loved most, music. Much like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerbeg, Eizaz left university to build Guitar Empire, an import/export company that specializes in musical instruments, acoustics material, studio/ballroom acoustic design, renovation and supply. Aside from being the founder and director of Guitar Empire, the young Eizaz holds the position of Executive Secretary of the World Youth Jazz Festival and was previously the principal clarinet player and section leader of the National Youth Orchestra for four years. Eizaz then shared one of his memories in the industry he loves dearly.
“I remember receiving an order from a school who wants to purchase musical instruments on a low budget. After seeking for local supply, I decided to fly to China and make a deal there. Now, I operate contract manufacturing of instruments in Tianjin, China,” said Eizaz.
BAYS Plus caters to the needs of young individuals who are keen on making their name in the art industries including creative writing. Among the panelists who spoke about the world of creative writing was Wani Ardy who has been penning poems, lyrics and melody at the age of 16, who shared his tips and ideas to the young crowd who were eager to become writers.
“Your characters need details, it needs a life and a story line to become alive,” were among Wani’s advice that caught my attention.
The co-founder and creative head of Pestle & Mortar clothing, Hugh Koh, shared the humble beginnings of Pestle & Mortar Clothing with the team selling just a few designs and shirts at local festivals. Like the saying ‘Rome wasn’t built in one day’, the clothing line slowly made its name as a leading street wear label in Southeast Asia region where celebrities like Steven Aoki, Mark The Cobra Snake and N’Fa Jones were seen wearing its designs. Hugh also advised the audience to grab opportunities to learn as much as they can and never be afraid of taking chances.
Among all the fantastic lineup of sessions held during BAYS Plus, the most memorable was the panel discussion among five speakers including Kaloy Mapeso Uypuanco from Philippine who is the brand manager for Sonic Boom, Tuan ‘Tapai’ Faisal the co-founder and managing director of Playground Production, Imran Syeikh Founder of Ombre and Jibril’s Lounge and Meor ‘Myo’ Shahiran the founder of Bodysurf Music. The two hour session, curated by Izan Satrina, discussed how to turn a passion into business, something that everyone dreams of.
The young audience couldn’t help but feel amazed by the journey taken by each panellist. Take Meor Shahiran, known to many as Myo, who is not only the founder of legendary Bodysurf Music but also the drummer of a senior local band, called Muck where the band has evolved from just a simple indie rock band to becoming one of the most successful bands after experimenting with loads of musical styles. Among indie music lovers, many have put Muck as one of the leaders of Malaysia’s underground scene.
Kaloy Uypuanco also talked about his journey and ten years of experience in the world of entertainment and advertising, “You definitely need to work hard and stay committed to be successful,” said Kaloy shortly during the session.
As BAYS Plus is about encouraging people to pursue their dreams, participants also got a chance to network among themselves during the Activate the Artpreneur in You (ARTIVATE) Bootcamp session guided by the representative from Bandung Creative City Forum, Fikri Satari and Dr Tita Larasati. Audiences were guided step by step, in groups, to discover how to make a living out of their dreams and passion. Another interesting session during the two day event was ‘Meet the Mentors’ huddle where guests were given a chance to get close and personal with mentors from different fields such as Hasnul Hadi Samsudin, the Director of Creative Multimedia Division for Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) and Mimie Baharuddin, the gallery manager for HOM Art Trans where they received meaningful advice and tips to pursue a future in the creative world.
Other speakers who took part in the event were film director and founder of Sarang Art Hub, Mamat Khalid and founder of The Wknd, Fikir Fadzil. Guests were also entertained by performers including Fazleena & The Lasykar, Sefa, Jack Malik and Wira.
In short, BAYS Plus has become yet another successful event in Ipoh that sparks the fire of youngsters to create the next best thing. As its proud official media partner, Ipoh Echo is proud to see young and energetic participants who are now on the right path to pursue their dreams. We hope to see more events like this in the future to guide and to encourage more youngsters in the world of art.
Ili Aqilah