UNAIR NEWS – What comes to mind when you hear ‘professor’? For many, it’s often associated with an academic title linked to research, teaching, and service. Yet, who would have imagined that a professor could also be skilled in creating music? D’Professor, a band comprised of 41 professors from Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR), is here to provide that unexpected answer.

Born out of friendship
The leader of the D’Professor band, Prof Dr dr Widodo Ario Kentjono Sp THTBKL Subsp Onk, shared that the band was born from his friend’s idea, Prof Dr drg M Rubianto., MS, Subsp RPID(K).

During a meet-up, they discussed creating something to channel their shared interest in music. “At that time, I attended the inauguration of one of our friends, and then I met Prof Rubianto, a friend from college days,” he said.

Since their university days, he and Prof Rubianto have been actively playing music. That’s why both of them decided to continue their passion by inviting their colleagues, including Prof dr Hendy Hendarto SpOG, Prof dr Jusak Nugraha MS SpPK, Prof dr Sjamsu Budiono SpM, Prof drg Istiati SpPMM, Prof drg Theresia Indah SpPMM, and retired Navy Admiral (pur) dr Imam Soewono SpPD FINASIM.

Since its establishment on October 24, 2021, the band has continuously added members, all of whom are UNAIR alumni. “From the meeting with Prof Rubi, I gathered nine people, four from the Faculty of Dental Medicine (FKG), five from the Faculty of Medicine (FK), and that’s how D’Professor was formed. After that, the number of members continued to increase, we welcomed anyone interested in joining,” he explained.

Passion for music
The idea to form the band is related to the professor’s love for music. Since his youth, Prof Rubianto has been fond of playing music and creating his songs. He aims to introduce the creations of ‘Arek Suroboyo’ to a wider audience. “I hope my compositions can become the signature songs of Surabaya. If Batak has its famous Batak songs, why should Surabaya only have ‘Rek Ayo Rek’?” he said.

One of Prof Rubianto’s popular songs is titled ‘Pamer Putu’, which was inspired by Didi Kempot’s ‘Pamer Bojo’. He has also created a song for his beloved alma mater titled ‘Airlangga Universitasku’.

Breaking record
Thanks to the diligence of the band’s founders, D’Professor has finally achieved a MURI record. The band secured the record for having the highest number of professor members in Indonesia. “Prof Ario had the idea to participate in MURI. We gathered to discuss what we could highlight for MURI,” Prof Rubianto said.

D’Professor has long hoped to achieve this record. Various efforts were made to realize this accomplishment. “We decided to highlight three aspects: the number of professors, the most singers, and the most self-composed songs,” he continued.

The awarding of the MURI record will take place on Friday, March 1, 2024.

Expectations
Over the past three years, D’Professor has produced numerous works. Looking ahead, there are still many targets, including the broader development of the band. This was conveyed by the mentor of D’Professor, Prof Dr med dr Puruhito, SpBTKV(K). “Hopefully, we can continue to grow, regenerate, and have more professors onboard,” he said.

The former UNAIR rector also hopes that D’Professor will continue to serve as a platform for collaboration, making music, and presenting UNAIR to a larger audience. “We certainly intend to continue creating camaraderie through this band, channeling our passion, and enlivening major university events,” he stated.

Author: Yulia Rohmawati

Editor: Feri Fenoria

Source : unair.ac.id/en/dprofessor-breaks-muri-record-for-most-professors-in-a-band