Laurel Grinnell-Wilson
Originally from Northern California, Laurel has been an avid musician since childhood. After exploring the piano, flute, and violin, she started on the drum set when she was 15 and was soon playing in her first band.
Laurel graduated from Sonoma State University, earning her BA cum laude in jazz performance studies. She went on to earn her M.A. in ethnomusicology with honors at San Diego State University.
Laurel has studied Balinese, Sundanese, and Javanese gamelan, performing in Indonesia and throughout Southern California. Since 2007, she has been training intensively under the guidance of renowned gamelan composer, performer, and teacher Djoko Walujo Wimboprasetyo. Currently, Laurel is a lecturer and director of the Javanese gamelan ensemble at San Diego State University.
Laurel has also studied West African drumming, Senegalese kora, as well as Zimbabwean mbira and marimba.
In addition to her musical experience, Laurel also has extensive proficiency in retail management, retail buying, visual merchandising, outreach, event coordination, and marketing. This makes her a great all-around asset to the administrative team at the Center for World Music.