Mia Aust, Early Schools Program Student, Returns as Teaching Artist

Mia Aust’s musical journey began in the 3rd grade at San Diego’s Museum School. There, she joined a Balinese gamelan class offered through the CWM’s World Music in the Schools program, which had been going strong at her school since 1999. Fast forward through a decade and a half of study, practice, and growth, and Mia is now a CWM teaching artist herself, specializing in Balinese gamelan angklung ensemble music. A full circle!

Her early experience in the Museum School gamelan, under the instruction of CWM teaching artists Alex Khalil and Andrea Hernandez, shaped the foundation of her musical understanding, emphasizing learning by ear and repetition over traditional Western notation. She also studied Balinese dance during this time, deepening her appreciation for Indonesian performing arts.

Mia played with the Museum School ensemble until 2013. But that wasn’t the end of her involvement. In 2016, while in high school, she discovered the University of San Diego (USD) gamelan ensemble. Led at that time by David Harnish and Tyler Yamin, the USD group was open to non-USD students. Mia joined and helped recruit fellow Museum School alumni. With few other opportunities to play gamelan available in San Diego, USD’s Gamelan Gunung Mas became a vital hub for community musicians. Mia continues to perform with this ensemble today, allowing her to study under Hirotaka Inuzuka and current director Meghan Hynson.

Mia earned her Bachelor of Science in Plant Biology from UC Riverside in 2024. While at UCR, she briefly joined the university’s Javanese gamelan ensemble, directed by Pak Joko Sutrisno. Her dual passion for science and music has shaped her unique perspective, with gamelan providing a creative outlet that enhances her ability to recognize patterns, learn new skills, and teach others.

As a teaching artist for the CWM’s World Music in the Schools program, Mia brings a thoughtful and adaptive teaching style, rooted in her early experiences teaching swim lessons to children and adults. She excels at breaking down complex concepts for beginners, fostering an inclusive and supportive learning environment for students of all backgrounds.