People | Academics | Music

Chairperson
Dr. Pravina Manoharan
Qualifications
BA, Music, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM); MA, Music, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM); PhD, Ethnomusicology, Monash University
Personal Statement
As a musician, I have always been intrigued by the role music plays within a community. Why does music matter? There is a greater significance beyond a composition, and recognizing the importance of music within various societies and cultures and how it functions, as a creative practice is the essence of ethnomusicology, an area that I specialise in. Furthermore, the articulation of the self against the larger fabric of a community’s musical practice is also fascinating as the identity of the composer, musician and audience is often manifested within a single composition.
Publications
Manoharan, P., & Othman, J. A. (2019). The Soundscape of” Bermulanya Di Sini… Kedah Tua”!. Wacana Seni Journal of Arts Discourse, 18.
Othman, J. A., & Manoharan, P. (2019). Constructing Gender in the Performance of” Bermulanya Di Sini… Kedah Tua”. Wacana Seni Journal of Arts Discourse, 18.
Ramli, N. H., Backer, M. B. A., & Manoharan, P. (2019). From Monuments to Movements: Curating an Artistic Re-imagination of Kedah Tua. Wacana Seni Journal of Arts Discourse, 18.
Backer, M. B. A., Saidin, M., & Manoharan, P. (2019). Translating Archaeological Artefacts and Architectural Remains at Lembah Bujang, Kedah through the Performance” Bermulanya Di Sini… Kedah Tua”.
Manoharan, P., Backer, M. B. A., Shafii, A. S. H. (2017). Thaipusam: A Journey in Spiritaul Healing. In Locating the Soul in Performance for Healing. Penerbit, USM.
Backer, M. B. A., Manoharan, P. (2017). Mind, Body, Spirits and Souls in Traditional Healing: A Perspective of Bageh, In Locating the Soul in Performance for Healing. Penerbit, USM
Manoharan P. & Yoshioka, Y. 2016. Challenging the Boundaries of Convention: Sirius Quartet in Concert. Wacana Seni Journal of Arts Discourse. Vol 15, Pp. 36 -39
Othman, J. A. Hardy, A. S. Manoharan, P. (2016) Performing a Negotiation of the Borders Between the Academia, Industry and Community. Wacana Seni Journal of Arts Discourse, Vol 15: Pp. 137–146.
Manoharan, P. (2008). Towards Fusion: New Trends in Hindustani Sitar Music in Malaysia. Wacana Seni Journal of Arts Discourse. Vol. 7, Pp. 23-44.
Manoharan, P. (2008). From Classical to Fusion Changes in Hindustani Sitar Music in Malaysia. UPM Music Forum Monograph Series. UPM Monograph Publications. Pp. 16-23.
Manoharan, P. (2018) The Spirit of Dance & Music in Promoting Peace: A Project with Rohingya Refugee Children in Penang, Nuspark.
Proceeding/Conference Presentation
Voices from the Jungle: A Rohingya Journey. (20 & 21 August 2019) Driving Refugee Empowerment Through Digital Inclusion in South-East Asia, Penang, Malaysia.
Performance as an Expressive Tool To Voice Cultural Identity Among Refugee Children: A Case Of Rohingya Refugee Communities. (2018) 5th Symposium, International Council for Traditional Music, Malaysia
Translating notions of diasporic identity through Tamil hip-hop in Malaysia, (2016),The 7th Asian Translation Traditions Conference. Monash University, Malaysia
Translating Archaeological Artefacts and Architectural Remains at Bujang Valley through Performance, (2016) 4th SYMPOSIUM OF THE ICTM STUDY GROUP ON PERFORMING ARTS OF SOUTHEAST ASIA (PASEA), Malaysia
Grants
Principal Investigator
Performance as an Expressive Tool in Voicing Cultural Identity for Refugee Children: A Case of Rohingya Refugee Communities (Active )
Co Researcher
Silk Shadows Speak: A Study of Malaysian Children’s Voices on Heritage Folktales Using Performative Tools. (Active )
Translating Archeological Artefacts and Architectural Remains at Lembah Bujang Through Dance.
Consultation
- Malaysia-Japan Traditional music Exchange (Traditional music documentation), Japan Foundation Kuala Lumpur, 30/01/2018 – 03/02/2018
- Malaysia Japan Traditional Music Exchange Project, Japan Foundation Kuala Lumpur, 24/02/2017 – 03/03/2017
- Text book Reviewer, Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia, 22/10/2018 – 31/12/2018,
Course Listing
VZM101 Basic Music Theory
VZA101 Introduction To Music
VZM152 Aural Skills
VZM162 World Music
VZM189 Applied Music
VZM390 Industrial Training
VZM513 Music Pedagogy And Performance Thesis
Email:pravina@usm.my

Lecturer
Dr. Yumi Yoshioka
Qualifications
University of South Carolina, U.S.A.
Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) in Piano Pedagogy, 2003
University of South Carolina, U.S.A.
Master of Music in Piano Pedagogy and Performance, 1999
University of South Carolina, U.S.A.
Indiana State University, U.S.A.
Bachelor of Music (Hons.) in Piano Performance, 1997
Vincennes University, U.S.A.
Associate of Science in Fine-Arts, Music Performance, 1994
Personal Statement:
I personally believe that music is not something that you just learn in a classroom. Music is something that extends beyond the four walls of a practice room and can be used as a tool to impact the society as well. I am passionate about developing programmes that involve children and the community around them through creative music events where the fear of performance is replaced by the fun of performing with friends and family. Music is to be enjoyed, not dreaded.
Performance:
Japan, Malaysia, and U.S.A.
Presentation:
Germany, Italy, Malaysia, and U.S.A.
Community Service:
Community Music Program (Free Piano Lessons for Children)
Publications:
2014
The Application of the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy in a Music Theory Workbook: Beginners Aged Between 10 to 12 Years Old
International Music and Performing Arts Conference, Proceeding
2011
Incorporating Comprehensive Musicianship into Late Intermediate to Early Advanced Piano Lessons
THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THE ARTS IN SOCIETY, Vol.6. [ISSN: 1833-1866]
2008
Music Theory for Blind Musicians in Malaysia
2nd International Conference on Applied and Creative Arts,
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak,
Conference Proceeding
2007
“Teaching Music with Technology in Malaysia”
Article submitted as part of proposed coffee table book published by the School of Arts, USM
Coursework:
VZM148E Fundamentals of Keyboard
VZM189 Muzik Gunaan 1 (Applied Music in Piano)
VZM197E Keyboard I
VZM227E Pedagogy and Instrumental Repertoire 1
VZM229 Muzik Gunaan 2 (Applied Music 2 in Piano)
VZM277E Pedagogy and Instrumental Repertoire 1
VZM289 Muzik Gunaan 3 (Applied Music 3 in Piano)
VZM329 Muzik Gunaan41 (Applied Music 4 in Piano)
VZM400 Projek Muzik ( Music Project: Solo Piano Recital)
Email:yumi@usm.my
Ext:2333

Lecturer
Dr. Johan Awang Othman
Qualifications
BMus (Oberlin Conservatory) in Music Composition (Minor in Theory); MMus (YALE) in Music composition; and PhD (Universiti Sains Malaysia) in Art History & Theory.
Personal Statement
As a trained music composer and an academic in the field of art history and theory, I am currently interested in exploring the relationship between the human as a subject and its enculturation. This exploration and study of the human subject and various cultural inscriptions onto its body – the somatic – through artistic expression, particularly within the form of theatre, have been my ongoing mission to understand how subject formation moves within the social and cultural, specifically the Malaysian culture. To problematise the idea of subjectivation within the nation state of Malaysia, through the concept of language, music, images, signs, amongst others, especially within the context of the theatre, as a music composer and currently a playwright, has been and will be an ongoing activity and process.
Publications:
- Cultural Decentralization Within a Post Colonial Territory: Movements in Malaysia’s Music Culture, Wacana Seni: Journal of Arts Discourse, 1, 79-86 (2002)
- The Body As Agency of Imaginary Gendering, Humanities, Society and Culture: International Proceeding of Economics Development and Research, 251-255 (2011)
- Constituting Gender, Locating the Body, Journal of Gender Studies, 24:6, (2015)
- Can Medea Speak? Tracing Euripides’ Medea’s Complex Performative Gendering in Her Speech from the Outside in the Outside, PROCEDIA: Social and Behavorial Sciences, (2015)
- Performing a Negotiation of the Borders Between the Academia, Industry and Community., Wacana Seni: Journal of Arts Discourse, 15: , (2016)
Music Compositions:
ittar for chamber
orchestra performed by the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra during MPO Forum
for Composers Phase I 2003.
topeng 1 for orchestra performed by
the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra during MPO Forum for Composers Phase II
2004.
topeng 2 for 18 performers performed
by the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra Chamber Players for Contemporary Music
Concert 25 April 2007.
Composition for Piano No.8 performed
by Loo Bang Hean for a CD recording of ‘Malaysian Contemporary Music Vol.1’
produced by Hardesh Singh and CH Loh in collaboration with ‘Off The Edge
Magazine’, February 2008.
the dancing mouse [vocalize version]
for soprano and harp based on a poem by William Radice of the same title. The
poem is taken from a set of 14 poems that form the last part of a new book
published separately in June 2008 English-German, illustrated edition by
Hirundo Press in Hamburg. The recording performed by Helen Radice on Harp and
soprano Angelika Huber for the book launch in Hamburg.
the dancing mouse for soprano and
harp. Kuala Lumpur performance at Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Center 13 July
2008 during the HSBC Young Composers Workshop 2008.
Chin Yen Lin (soprano) and Tan Keng Hong (Harp).
Dying In Order To Live for soprano
and piano. An excerpt from an opera in progress based on a libretto Conference
of the Birds by William Radice. Excerpt
premiered on 13 July 2008 at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Center during the
HSBC Young Composers Workshop 2008. Chin Yen Lin (soprano) and Chee Su Yen
(Piano).
Conference of the Birds an opera.
Libretto by William Radice. The opera is based on a 12th century Persian poem
Mantiq-ut-Tayr by Farid ud-Din Attar. A workshop performance of about one hour
in length took place at the Wawasan Open University Penang on November 20 – 22,
2009. Produced by the Five Arts Centre. Marion D’Cruz as Executive Producer and
James Lochhead as Penang Producer. This version is an electronic based music
accompaniment to voice.
Neutral Space – for solo piano
performed by Ernst Surberg of Ensemble Mosaik on the 29th November 2009 concert
of “Young Composers Competition Concert and Jury’s Music” as guest
composer.
whose shadow would fall on for
trombone and piano. Written for Dirk Amrein (trombone) and Juerg Henneberger
(piano) premiered on 24 July 2011 at School of the Arts, Universiti Sains
Malaysia Pulau Pinang.
the dancing mouse choral version to
be performed at the 29th Asian Composers League Conference and Festival in
Taiwan on the 27th November 2011 by the Taipei Chamber Singers. (the
performance of this piece was replaced by “whose shadow would fall
on” revised version for clarinet and piano).
whose shadow would fall on revised
version for clarinet and piano to replace performance of “the dancing
mouse” at the 29th Asian Composers League Conference and Festival in
Taiwan 2011.
the dancing mouse rearrangement of
selected settings for mezzo soprano, clarinet, cello and piano. To be performed
and premiered by Bridges Collective Ensemble in Melbourne (pre-tour March 2012,
UiTM and at the KL Pac (April 2012).
the doctrine of final causes for
solo oboe. Written for Amari Barash. Performed in the USA 2012.
songs and soundscapes for the play “The Sandpit”. Performance in March 2012 at Penang Performing Arts
Centre.
He too a simulacrum, that another person was dreaming him. for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets and 2 bassoons.
This work was commissioned by the High Winds Ensemble for a performance in
2013.

Lecturer
Ms. Tan Jin Yin
Qualifications:
Bachelor of Management (Honours), University Sains Malaysia;
Master of Arts (Music Pedagogy and Performance), Universiti Sains Malaysia; Master of Fine Arts (Vocal Performance), Nanjing Normal University (NNU), China
Personal Statement:
The oldest musical instrument is the human voice and It constantly amazes me what the human voice can do. It is one powerful tool that can express oneself emotions. I believe through continuous learning culture and understanding the systematic vocal technique, will eventually heighten the art of singing.
Publication:
Tan, Jin Yin. (2019). The Research on Artistic and Singing Performance of Malaysian Social Dance Music Ronggeng. Dissertation, CNKI, China.
Performing Experience:
Thailand, China, Malaysia
Interest:
Vocal Performance, Opera Workshop, Vocal Pedagogy, Choir Performance, Choir Pedagogy
Expertise
Vocal Performance, Vocal Pedagogy, Choral
Teaching:
History of Western Music, Choir
Course Listing:
- VZM247E Choir 1
- VZM297E Choir 2
- VZM347E Choir 3
- VZZ 397 Choir 4
- VZM218 History of Western Music 1
- VZM278 History of Western Music 2

Lecturer
Dr. Mohd Fairuz Zamani
Qualifications
PhD (Music Performance), Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI)
Master of Performing Arts (Music), Universiti Malaya (UM)
Bachelor of Music Composition (Hons.), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM)
Diploma in Music, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM)
Fellowship Diploma of the London College of Music (FLCM) (Pianoforte Performance), University of West London (UWL)
Licentiate Diploma of the London College of Music (LLCM) (Pianoforte), Thames Valley University (TVU)
Personal Statement
A musician and an academician who is formally trained in Piano Performance, Music Composition, and Musicology. I integrate these fields through my research on Malaysian contemporary composers – performing their works, analyzing and understanding the ideological and theoretical construct and inspirations behind each composition, and explaining them through music analysis and philosophies. I love to inspire others by showcasing good musicianship and leadership skills and get inspired by the same qualities.
Publication
- Zamani, M.F., Idrus, M.M., & Goh, Y.L. (2019). Razak Abdul Aziz: The Forgotten Composer. ASEAN Journal of Management and Business Studies, 1 (1). 76-83.
- Zamani, M.F. (2020). Maguntip and Wayang Kulit: The Influence of Malaysian Traditional Performing Arts in Razak Abdul Aziz’s 10 Pantun Settings. International Journal of Applied and Creative Arts, 3 (1). 1-9.
- Zamani, M.F., Gani, A. F. A (2020). Razak Abdul Aziz’s 10 Pantun Settings: Imagery behind the chosen texts. International Journal of Academic Research in Business & Social Sciences, 10 (6). 959-990.
- Zamani, M.F. (2020). From The Eyes of a Performer: Performance History of Razak Abdul Aziz’s 10 Pantun Settings. The Interdisciplinary of Management, Economic, and Social Research. 89-96.
- Zamani, M.F. (2021). Fairuz Zamani’s PhD in Music Performance: A Review on Preparing Chosen Piano Works of Razak Abdul Aziz for Two Academic Recitals. Wacana Seni, 20. 79-85.
- Zamani, M. F, Idrus, M. M. (2022). Music as Poetry and Performance: Marriage, Past Instabilities, and Razak Abdul Aziz’s Musical Performance. 3L: Language, Linguistics, Literature (Accepted for publication)
Selected Recent Performances
Journal of Arts in Society; International Society of Music Education (ISME);
- Fairuz Zamani Piano Recital (16 December 2019) – Piano Station, Summit USJ
- Fairuz Zamani Lecture-Recital (29 April 2019) – Institut Pendidikan Guru, Pulau Pinang
- Fairuz Zamani Solo Piano Recital (30 April 2019) – Pelinggam Cahaya, USM
- Fairuz Zamani PhD in Music Performance: Recital 1 (26 July 2019) – Orchestra Hall, ASWARA
- Piano Duet Gala Concert (23 November 2019) – Peseban Agung, USM
- Fairuz Zamani PhD in Music Performance: Recital 2 (6 February 2020) – Orchestra Hall, ASWARA
- Konsert Orkestra Simfoni Kebangsaan Bersama Bintang (30 October 2021) – Panggung Sari, Istana Budaya
- Konsert Orkestra Simfoni Kebangsaan Patriotik Tanah Airku (6 November 2021) – Panggung Sari, Istana Budaya
- Beethoven 250th Birthday Celebration Concert (18 November 2021) – The Residence of German Ambassador
Composition/Arrangement
- Nuance of Rebab Fantasy (2013) for soprano, SATB chorus, piano, and Mak Yong music ensemble
- Selected songs for Koir Kebangsaan ‘In Love with Rock’ (2015)
- Selected P. Ramlee songs for Koir Kebangsaan ‘Wajah’ (2016)
- Images (2017) for voice and piano
- Mek Mulung Cycle (2018) for soprano, SATB chorus, Mek Mulung voice ensemble, and orchestra
- Two Miniatures (2022)for solo piano
Course Listing
- VZM101 Basic Music Theory
- VZM189 Applied Music 1
- VZM206 Music Theory 2
- VZM229 Applied Music 2
- VZM256 Music Theory 3
- VZM289 Applied Music 3
- VZM352 Desktop Publication in Music Technology 2
- VZM390 Industrial Training
Email:fairuzzamani@usm.my
Ext:3063

Lecturer
Profesor Kehormat Tan Sooi Beng
Qualifications
BA (Music) Cornell University, Ithaca, New York; MA (Music) Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut; Ph.D (Music) Monash University, Melbourne.
Personal Statement
I am an advocate of activism in academic research and am actively engaged in developing methodologies in the practice of community theatre for young people and revitalizing traditional theatre such as the Hokkien glove puppet theatre in Penang. Central to the strategies is the collaboration and partnership of the researcher with the tradition bearers, students, and the young people of the community in all aspects of research, documentation, and performance towards the common goal of revitalizing their traditions. This type of people-centred collaborative research approach strives for more horizontal and equal relations between the researcher and the research subjects and engages the communities to sustain their own cultures in their own terms.
Publications:
Author: Bangsawan: A Social and Stylistic History of Popular Malay Opera (Oxford University Press, 1993);
Co-Author: Music of Malaysia: Classical, Folk and Syncretic Traditions (Routledge, 2017); Co-Longing for the Past, the 78 RPM Era in Southeast Asia (Dust-to-Digital 2013), Potehi of Penang (George Town World Heritage Incorporated, 2017);
Editor: Eclectic Cultures for All: The Development of the Peranakan Performing, Visual and Material Arts in Penang (USM, 2019); The Multicultural Performing Arts, Crafts, Food and Festivals of Penang, School of the Arts, USM 2011.
Co-Editor: Emergent Sino-Soundscapes, Musical Pasts, Transnationalism and Multiple Identities, Special Issue, Ethnomusicology Forum (ISI Journal), 25/1. Routledge: Taylor and Francis. 2011.
Articles: ‘”Negotiating ‘His Master’s Voice’: Gramophone Music and Cosmopolitan Modernity in British Malaya in the 1930s and Early 1940s”, Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde, Journal of the Humanities and Social Science of Southeast Asia. 169 (2013), “Community Musical Theatre for Inter-Ethnic Peace Building in Malaysia”. Chapter 13. In Brydie-Leigh Bartleet and Lee Higgins (Eds), The Oxford Handbook for Community Music, New York: Oxford University Press (2018); “Malay Women Singers of Colonial Malaya, Voicing Alternative Gender Identity and Modernity”, Chapter 4, In Andrew Weintraub and Bart Barendregt (Eds), Vamping the Stage, Female Voices in Asian Modernities, Hawaii: University of Hawaii Press (2017); “Cultural Engagement and Ownership through Participatory Approaches in Applied Ethnomusicology”,Iin Svanibor Pettan and Jeff Todd Titon (Eds), Oxford Handbook for Applied Ethnomusicology, Volume 1, Theory, Method, Sustainability and Conflict. New York: Oxford University Press (2019).
International Academic Appointments
Editor-in-Chief of Wacana Seni, Journal of Arts Discourse; Advisory Editorial Board of Asian Music (USA), elected Executive Board Member of the International Council for Traditional Music (ICTM), Unesco NGO.
Awards: Joint Award, Society for Ethnomusicology (SEM), Bruno Nettl Prize (2014), Association for Recorded Sound Research (ARSC) award for category of Best Historical Research in Recorded Folk or World Music (2014) for the co-authored book, Longing for the Past; Cendana Sponsorship Award for Revitalizing Potehi Glove Puppet Theatre (2018), The US Ambassador’s Award for the “Preservation of Bangsawan, a Traditional Malay Performing Art”, The US department of State Overseas Federal Assistance Awards (2009-2010), The Nippon Foundation Fellowships for Asian Public Intellectuals (API Fellowships Program (2008-2009), Distinguished Visiting Scholar, Faculty of Arts, Monash University (2001).
Email:sbtan@usm.my
Ext:3798