Xin Ying Ch'ng PhD (Musicology)

I pursued a Masters degree in Musicology at the University of Southampton from 2011 to 2012. The course expanded my understanding of music not only in analytical and performative contexts, but also as an important socio-cultural and political tool. I enjoyed my time at Southampton so much that I decided to continue my studies with a PhD in 2012.

I am confident to say that the strong musicological grounding and the teaching opportunities I had at the University of Southampton have enhanced my skills and made me more intuitive to understanding the needs of the 21st-century student.

I chose Southampton as it has a strong emphasis in historical musicology, with expertise in a broad range of musical interests. The lecturers are extremely knowledgeable and have been very helpful in guiding and advising me in my career. I liked that the university has a vibrant and active performing arts scene so that I could continue performing in music clubs and societies, such as the Southampton University Symphony Orchestra (SUSO) and Sinfonietta.

I am now a lecturer in Music at my alma mater UCSI University in Kuala Lumpur specialising in music history. I have taught classes in music theory, writing and research methodologies and have the opportunity to supervise final-year research projects at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. I am confident to say that the strong musicological grounding and the teaching opportunities I had at the University of Southampton have enhanced my skills and made me more intuitive to understanding the needs of the 21st-century student.

I value my job greatly and enjoy challenging students to think critically about their own cultural dispositions and perspectives through the discussion of historical issues in music. Given that the academic orientation of our institution is very much a performance-centred one, I aim to bridge connections of music history between ‘then’ and ‘now’ to help students to relate to the repertoire that they are playing. Being in an institution that is aspiring to be one of the top performing arts universities in the region, I am privileged to be able to devise programmes and invent modules that can shape and impact the way students learn, while contributing to the arts and music scene here in Malaysia.