Bully victim took refuge in music

Mr Muhammad Hady Addams took to music as an escape from bullies during his primary and secondary school days.

Now, the former Institute of Technical Education (ITE) student will have two original compositions featured in the school's musical Letters To ITE.

The musical, which is being presented in conjunction with ITE's 25th anniversary, will be the first with an original script and songs, involving 250 students across all three colleges, eight alumni and four staff members as its cast.

It is about a group of students preparing for a musical, and will run on Friday and Saturday at ITE College Central.

Mr Hady, who is 20 and studying theatre at the Lasalle College of the Arts, discovered his passion for writing songs in secondary school. He told others about it only in ITE College East.

He said: "My friends motivated me, and I started writing more when they told me my songs meant a lot to them."

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He wants to empower others through his songs and is excited for them to be sung by award-winning theatre actress and ITE alumna Siti Khalijah and current ITE student Ashley Gerard Perry.

Mr Perry, who is studying mechanical technology, wishes to pursue singing to honour his mother's dreams.When his mother's record deal fell through when he was a child, she gave up singing.

Mr Perry, who is 18 and started singing at four, said: "My mother taught me to sing and has supported me at every step... I want to continue her legacy."

He was also inspired by his ITE senior and friend, Mr Mohd Shahfiq, who won Suria's reality singing contest, Anugerah, this year. Mr Shahfiq, 20, will be a guest performer in the musical.

Mr Perry said: "This is my first time in a musical and the challenge of acting, dancing and singing is there."

Co-director of the musical Tony Quek, a staff member at ITE, said: "This is our first original script, and it is great to see the students grow as they work and perform alongside prominent members in the industry."

For tickets, go to www.apactix.com

For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/LetterstoITE/