Students of Unversitas Muhammadiyah Yogykarta (UMY) attained the other achievement. Students associated in Student Activity (UKM) of Student Choir (PSM) Sunshine Voice of UMY achieved gold and silver medal in the 8th Grand Prix Pattaya International Choir Festival in Thailand on 21-25 July. The team comprised of 33 singers gained gold medal for Folklore Acapella and silver medal for Mixed Choir. The achievement displayed that UMY is a ‘Muda Mendunia’ university.
A staff of Student Development, Student and Alumnus Development Board (LPKA) UMY Sugito, S.IP., M.Si. was interview on Thursday (30/7) at LPKA office, A.R. Fachruddin B, UMY. He stated that his party always encouraged students to compete and gain achievement in international level. “This university obviously supports the students to compete in national and international level for academic and nonacademic fields. And, the students just achieved gold and silver medal in International Choir in Thailand,” he uttered.
Sugiato was with the Sunshine Voice (SSC) team in Thailand as the team supervisor in the 8th Grand Prix Gatttaya from the departure to the competition. The university support was only in financial aspect but also accompanying them during the preparation and the competition, as well as motivating them.
“We supervised them and provided them fund, mentoring for all the student activities from the preparation to the departure. And, the essential aspect was the motivation for them to always boost their spirit and effort to join the competition,” he told.
Sugianto inserted that the university was proud that PSM UMY could reach international achievement. It can bring good for the team as well as UMY, and it showed their endeavor. Moreover, it was the first time for Sunshine Voice of UMY to compete in international level, but they had attained the achievement. We proud of them,” he continued.
Furthermore, Chief of PSM SSV UMY Marilda Azka conveyed that it was the pride for her team. In fact, gaining achievement in international level was not as hard as being the winner in national level. She told the reason that all competition categories in international level obtained appreciation of the judges. “Indeed, there are differences between national and international competition. In international level, there was appreciation for all categories, while in national level the appreciation was not as much as in international competition and the participants were greater,” she explained.
Azka, the students of International Relations, addressed that the participants of the Grand Prix Pattaya were from Asia-Pacific countries like the Philippines, Thailand, Macau, and Indonesia. In the competition, PSM SSV sang “Matahari” by Erros Djarot rearranged by Poedji Soesila and “I Remember” by popularized by a band namely Mocca rearranged by Wisnu Cahyadi for Mixed Choir. “For Folklore category, we sang a Sundanese song entitled Tokecang reaaranged by Yason Christy Pranowo and a Banyuwangi song entitled Luk Luk Lumbu reaaranged by Budi Susanto Yohanes,” she mentioned.
Additionally, Azka and her friends expected that PSM SSV UMY can join other international competitions which the participants are not only from Asia-Pacific countries.
