Meghan Hynson

PhD in Ethnomusicology

Teaching Professor of Ethnomusicology,
University of San Diego
EthnomusicologyEthnomusicologist
OboistOboist
YogaYoga Teacher
GamelanGamelan Musician
Sound BathSound Bath Facilitator

Bridging Scholarship, Sound, Movement, and Healing.

I explore the intersections of music, sound, movement, and healing, combining ethnomusicological scholarship with embodied practice.

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About MeghanEthnomusicologyYogaSound Bath

About

I'm an ethnomusicologist, oboist, music educator, yoga teacher, and sound bath facilitator working at the intersection of scholarship and embodied practice. As Teaching Professor of Ethnomusicology at the University of San Diego, I teach courses in global music, research and perform the music of Bali and West Java, direct the gamelan ensemble, and lead USD's study abroad program on Religion and the Performing Arts of Bali (2024, 2026).

My interest in the use of music and sound in ritual to affect physical, emotional, and energetic health, led me to yoga and sound bath facilitation. I'm a certified yoga teacher (yin, hatha, and vinyasa) and trained sound bath facilitator under Shervin Boloorian of Sound Healing Bali. My work is grounded in the belief that sound is more than an artistic expression—it is a powerful medium for connection, transformation, and healing.

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Ethnomusicology

Where scholarship meets sound, movement, and tradition.

As an ethnomusicologist, performer, and educator, my academic journey has centered on the ways people use music and sound to create meaning and transformation. At UCLA, I earned my MA in Ethnomusicology, with a thesis that critically explored Western devotional kirtan practices. I then went on to earn my PhD in Ethnomusicology from UCLA, where my research focused on music, ritual, and authority in Balinese shadow puppet theater, examining how musical traditions evolve within changing cultural, political, and social contexts. For the past 20 years, I have continued to focus on the intersections of religion, gender, and cultural politics in Indonesian performing arts, publishing articles such as “Bamboo Angklung: Incorporating Indonesia into the Music Education Classroom” in Music Educators Journal and “A Balinese ‘Call to Prayer’: Sounding Religious Nationalism and Local Identity in the Puja Tri Sandhya" in Religions, along with several other papers with the Smithsonian Institution. I have presented my work at national and international conferences and symposia.

As a Teaching Professor of Ethnomusicology at the University of San Diego, I instruct courses in global music, music and religion, and music and healing. I direct the university's gamelan ensemble and lead study abroad programs on Religion and the Performing Arts in Bali. This program is one of my favorites, as it brings students directly into the ritual, artistic, and musical world I've spent my career studying.

Beyond the classroom, I work as a teaching artist with the Center for World Music, as pre-concert lecturer for the La Jolla Music Society's Global Roots Series, and I am the vice president of the Southern California and Hawai'i Chapter of the Society for Ethnomusicology. I've developed outreach programs for K-12 schools, collaborated with museums and international music festivals, and performed internationally, including touring with the Indonesian pop band the Dangdut Cowboys under the U.S. State Department's invitation.

I am also a yoga teacher and sound bath facilitator, and my 2026 Religions article “Beyond the Crystal Bowl: Ethnomusicology, Spiritual Transformation, and the Modern Sound Bath,” brings my training as an ethnomusicologist into conversation with spirituality, tradition, wellness, and embodied experience. Together, these two sides of my work reflect my belief that music and sound are powerful ways of understanding ourselves and the world, building connections across cultures, and creating possibilities for transformation, connection, and healing.

See more of my publications below!

Download CVPublicationsBali Study Trips
Meghan Ethno

"A lifelong practice of listening, performing, and building bridges between cultures through sound."

Research Focus & Ethos

Publications

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Services offered

Pre-Concert Talks

Pre-Concert Talks

Informative pre-concert lectures designed to deepen audience appreciation and create a heightened listening experience.

Engaging introductory presentations that illuminate the historical, cultural, and musical contexts of upcoming repertoire. Presentations can feature visual media, musical analysis, and interactive Q&A sessions before mainstage performances.
Inquire
Gamelan Workshops & Performances

Gamelan Workshops & Performances

Interactive hands-on Balinese gamelan and Javanese bamboo angklung workshops and performances.

Offerings include instruction in the basics of gamelan and angklung performance tailored for academic institutions, schools, cultural festivals, and community groups. Performances of Balinese gamelan angklung, gender wayang, and rindik also available.
Inquire
Oboe Performances

Oboe Performances

Solo, chamber, and orchestral oboe performances featuring classical chamber music and cross-cultural collaborations.

Available for solo recitals, orchestral guest appearances, ensemble engagements, and woodwind masterclasses. Programs bridge traditional Western classical woodwind technique with versatile contemporary and world-music collaborations.
Inquire
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My perspective on yoga

Building strength, alignment, and nervous system repair.

For over 20 years, I've had the privilege of teaching yoga at the world-renowned Bali Spirit Yoga Barn. For me, yoga has always been both a physical practice and a spiritual one — a way to build strength and alignment in the body while also creating space for stillness, reflection, and nervous system repair. I teach across three styles, each serving a different purpose: vinyasa to build strength and flow, and yin and restorative to slow down and rewire how the nervous system holds stress. My approach is rooted in the belief that yoga isn't separate from daily life — it's a practice that supports how we move, think, and feel every single day, on and off the mat.

Credentials
  • Certified yoga teacher, YTT 200hr
  • School of Healing Arts Elemental Yin Yoga
  • Inner Power Yoga
  • Agama Yoga Month-long Intensive Level 1
  • Yoga Three Art of Alignment and Assistant Training Program
Meghan - Yoga - 1
Strength & Mindful Alignment

Teaching Styles

Vinyasa

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Vinyasa is where I work on strength, alignment, and breath-led movement. It's a dynamic, flowing practice — building heat and stamina while staying rooted in precise, mindful alignment. I see it as training for the body and the mind together: the more present you are in your alignment, the more the practice becomes meditative rather than just physical.

Yin

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Yin is slow, still, and deeply restorative for the nervous system. Poses are held for several minutes at a time, working into the body's connective tissue while giving the mind space to settle. I often think of Yin as an antidote to how most of us live — constantly moving, rarely still.

Restorative

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Restorative yoga uses props to fully support the body, creating the physical safety the nervous system needs to shift out of stress and into rest. It's often the gentlest, most accessible practice I teach.

I often blend Yin and Restorative into a single class, and sometimes bring in sound baths elements — gongs and singing bowls — for an even deeper nervous system reset.

"Her guidance in both Vinyasa and Restorative classes completely transformed my understanding of alignment and nervous system balance. Highly recommended."

— Private Client & Regular Student

Private and group classes

I teach group classes at CorePower Yoga and Bonita Pilates and Yoga, and I offer private sessions for those looking for a more personalized practice — whether that's building strength and alignment through Vinyasa, or working one-on-one through Yin and Restorative for deeper nervous system support.

See my classes at CorePower Yoga →See my classes at Bonita Pilates & Yoga →Book a private class →
Yoga retreats in Bali — coming soon.Contact me to learn more →
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My perspective on sound baths

Ritual, attention, and nervous system regulation.

My approach to sound baths is shaped by both my academic background in ethnomusicology and my training as a facilitator. I don't see sound as something that heals on its own — what makes a sound bath meaningful is the combination of sound, ritual, intention, and the space we create together.

"I draw on the ancient Greek concept of harmonia, or 'fitting together' — the idea that transformation comes not from an instrument alone, but from how sound, context, and presence come together in a shared experience."

My sessions are designed to offer real rest, reflection, and nervous system regulation, grounded in ritual and attention rather than unproven claims.

Meghan - Sound Bath - 1
Harmonia & Acoustic Resonance

Credentials

Sound bath facilitator training, Module 1 and Module 2, with Shervin Boloorian of Sound Healing Bali.

Member of the San Diego Voice & Sound Collective, collaborating on group sound baths around San Diego.

Testimonials

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"The combination of sound, intentional silence, and deep presence created a space where my nervous system could completely unwind."

— Sound Bath Participant
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"Grounded, authentic, and profoundly restorative. A truly meaningful experience rooted in genuine care."

— Group Session Attendee

Experience a sound bath session

Whether joining a collaborative group session in San Diego or booking a private sound bath tailored to your individual needs, each experience is designed for deep rest and reflection.

Book a private session →See upcoming events with San Diego Voice & Sound Collective →
Events

View my upcoming events, lectures, and performances.

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Upcoming yoga
View schedule on Linktree
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Upcoming sound bath
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Connect

Let’s build & collaborate together

Reach out via the form below or email directly at [email protected].

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