If you’ve attended a WAYJO concert, workshop or Pathways program over the past two years, chances are our Operations Coordinator Nadya Shahrin helped make it happen.

After joining WAYJO as an events intern, she quickly became a valued member of the team and has played a key role supporting staff, band members and the artistic team.

Nadya will be finishing up with us this month as she prepares to return home to Singapore, we sat down to reflect on her time at WAYJO and what’s next.

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Five Questions with Nadya Shahrin

You first joined WAYJO as an intern before becoming Operations Coordinator. What first attracted you to the role at a youth jazz orchestra?

Nadya: Events and music! I’ve always looked for volunteering opportunities for different events and it’s always exciting and music has been embedded in me since young so it’s a dream combination!

Before joining WAYJO, you worked as a teacher supporting children with autism in Singapore and have been studying Psychology at UWA. How have those experiences shaped the way you approach music education and supporting young people at WAYJO?

Nadya: My experiences with psychology and teaching have taught me to lead with compassion and identifying people’s strengths can be powerful for the team, despite coming from different backgrounds.

A big part of your role has been delivering WAYJO’s Pathways programs and workshops, including the Northern Corridor Training Band and Progressions. What do you hope participants take away from those experiences?

Nadya: The friendships, comraderies and memories of being in a big band. It’s not the easiest to have 18 people bond and create good sound, so doing that at a younger age is incredibly impressive and I hope it serves as a confidence booster and a huge stepping stone for whatever they choose to pursue in the future.

Do you have a favourite memory or highlight from your time at WAYJO?

Nadya: Season launch and our End of Year at the Quarry Amphitheatre has always been great fun to see how the members and band have evolved throughout the year. This year’s highlight was definitely the Regional tour with Dynamic Jazz Orchestra to Albany and Margaret River! Massive kudos to the members for surviving long travels and still pulling off killer performances!

As you prepare to head back to Singapore, what’s next for you, and what are you most looking forward to?

Nadya: I have absolutely loved my time in Perth and, of course, with WAYJO. It has been such a wonderful experience meeting so many incredibly talented people. That said, being away from home wasn’t always easy, so I am incredibly excited to finally reunite with my family and friends and to have a good, home-cooked meal from my mom! As for what’s next, this upcoming chapter for me will still involve serving the community, and I look forward to taking everything I’ve learned here into my next step.

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Fittingly, Nadya’s final day with WAYJO will be 9 July, the same day as Jazz for Juniors – a concert all about inspiring the next generation of music lovers. While she’ll be greatly missed, we wish her every success as she begins her next chapter in Singapore. We’re also delighted to welcome our new Operations Coordinator, Laurenne Candra, and look forward to introducing her to our community in the coming months.