Author: Wawan Hermansyah, Lecturer in Music at Sumbawa University of Technology
Yesterday, before Friday, we gathered in the Music Arts Lecturer room at the Sumbawa University of Technology. A little bit of nostalgia about the ups and downs of maintaining the existence of the Music Arts Study Program since 2014. This is a rather exclusive study program, due to its very limited number. There are only about a dozen across the archipelago. In fact, in eastern Indonesia, the Music Arts Study Program at the Sumbawa University of Technology is the only one.
As a unique and potentially rich program, the Music Arts Study Program at Sumbawa University of Technology is not just about producing musicians, but is a home for those with an interest, love, and talent for music.
To reach the current GOOD ACCREDITED level, the path taken has not been easy. The challenges are various; limitations in the resources of lecturers with truly linear knowledge in the field of music, the increasing need for maintenance and renewal of musical instruments, to the stigma of a society that still underestimates this study program.
There are still many who think that Music Arts graduates have no selling point, when in fact the opposite is true. The creative world is developing rapidly, and the music industry now offers a wide range of career opportunities; from educators, composers, and producers to those in the digital entertainment industry.
The Music Arts Study Program serves as a bridge connecting local potential with global opportunities. It accommodates the talents of our young people so that they not only survive, but also grow and shine.
It is not easy, but the first step has been taken. Where there's will, there's a way.