(Kapanlagi.com)

Chit-chatting with singer-actress Sheryl '€œShae'€ Gething is like enjoying fireworks on a fine evening.

As the 20-year-old uses expressive gestures while speaking, many will get the sense that the young beauty is a natural performer. She'€™s fun, entertaining, articulate and '€” most importantly '€” loaded with artistic talent.

Shae, who started her career in the entertainment business at 15, is considered a new darling of the Indonesian industry. She'€™s released an album, The First (2012); a feature film, 3600 Detik (3,600 Seconds, 2014); as well as several made-for-TV films, so far.

Nevertheless, her promising singing and acting skills have also reached neighboring countries such as Malaysia and Singapore.

'€œKok Telpon-Telpon Sih'€ (Why Are You Calling Me?) was Shae'€™s first single from the album. Her second single, '€œSayang'€ (Darling), that displays her powerful vocals and recognizable timbre has left a mark in Asia as it peaked at No. 1 on iTunes and has been played on radio across Malaysia.

The Australian-Indonesian'€™s talent has even touched a wider Asian audience as she earned the opportunity to be a special guest star in Japan'€™s Find The Wasabi reality TV show.

'€œI have a huge interest in the arts '€” I mean, everything arts, [from music, movies to] modeling and photography. I don'€™t have any plan to ever quit this field,'€ says Shae.

She says that she has always seen herself as a singer, hence singing and making music, and even mastering the field, is her priority.

'€œI won'€™t say no to acting offers if by chance I receive suitable and challenging scripts in the future. But one thing is for sure, I will not set aside my music career at the moment,'€ adds the woman who took singing classes at Farabi vocal school for three years before starting private lessons with vocal teacher Doddy Katamsi.

Shae admits that she made a few compromises on her first album regarding music production as she realizes that business means business.

'€œIt'€™s pop music. Yet, because I like and am able to sing a lot of different types of music, my album has Malay pop, ballads and a bit of R&B,'€ says Shae, whose musical works are inspired by Alicia Keys, Alanis Morissette and The Ting Tings.

Shae says that she feels happy with her work on the first album, more or less.

'€œBut I don'€™t feel 100 percent satisfied '€” I still see a lot of flaws. I think it is better for you to not feel satisfied too easily in this particular industry because feeling so means that you don'€™t really want to grow better.'€

Looking forward, Shae says that she will focus on promoting the album. She plans to make more music in the future, yet she has no idea when she will release a second album.

On her movie career, Shae admits that acting isn'€™t a new field for her as she grew up doing theater performances.

'€œ3600 Detik is indeed my first film in Indonesia in which I was a leading actress. But beforehand, I'€™ve been involved in several TV-based films in Indonesia as well as in Malaysia ['€¦] I'€™m also fond of plays,'€ says Shae.

Playing the teenage Sandra in the teen flick, which was released nationally in April, Shae says that she didn'€™t have much trouble during filming.

'€œI did good preparations for the project, from studying the script to reading the [source] novel.
I understood the storyline, plus all the actors and the crew were very supportive and respectful to each other during production '€” we really had great chemistry,'€ says the fashion lover.

Shae says that she found it a bit of a challenge getting into Sandra'€™s character as a quick-tempered, introverted and antisocial girl.

'€œI'€™m the kind of person who doesn'€™t really like to sit still and continuously be mad at everyone. I love to laugh, while Sandra doesn'€™t. I also hate to cry, while the character I played was a kind of drama queen when it comes to crying.'€

What Shae remembers best about the filming is that she was star-struck when meeting actress Wulan Guritno, who plays Sandra'€™s mother. '€œShe'€™s a really beautiful woman, I mean, she'€™s Wulan Guritno, you know.'€

Showing her passion and dedication to the career she has chosen, Shea plans to postpone going to university.

'€œI have to keep focused on this field, and, since I like to do things 100 percent and am an overachiever at school, I don'€™t want to put blame on my studies if I mess up with my career or vice versa.

'€œI will go to university whenever my heart tells me that I'€™m ready to do both things '€” work and study '€” at once,'€ she says.

'€œWhat'€™s important for me is reaching my kind of soul satisfaction,'€ Shae says. '€œAs a person, I want to be a mature being, a smarter one. I want to be a real woman.'€

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