BIOGRAPHY
Mia Traverse is a passionate music educator and saxophonist based in Indiana. Originally from Wisconsin, she was inspired by her middle school band director to pursue a career in teaching and has since devoted herself to sharing the joy and transformative power of music with her students and community. She currently serves as the Assistant Director of Bands at William Henry Harrison High School in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Traverse completed her student teaching in Spring 2025 at Noblesville West Middle School under Stacey White and Leslie Wales, and at Hamilton Southeastern High School with Audrey Torres, Charlie Kunz, and Tyler Davis. She also taught private lessons at Bach to Rock in 2024 and worked extensively with youth programs at Butler University, including the Summer Jazz Camp and Youth Jazz Program, where she served as a large ensemble director, combo coach, and arranger. Additionally, she was a staff member for the Sussex-Hamilton High School Marching Band, where she instructed students in marching technique, music fundamentals, and front ensemble performance.
"Your only limit is your SOUL."
~ Walt Disney
Traverse is an active member of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), the Indiana Music Education Association (IMEA), and the Servant Leadership Association for Music (SLAM).
In addition to her work as an educator, Traverse is an accomplished classical and jazz saxophonist, an instrument she has studied since 2013. At Butler University, she performed with the Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, and Jazz Combo. She is currently the soprano saxophonist and leader of the Blue Box Saxophone Quartet, which performed as concerto soloists with the Butler University Wind Ensemble in 2024. She has studied under Dr. Phil Pierick, Dr. Matthew Pivec, Dr. Heidi Radtke, Jon Waite, and Dave Petty.
As a soloist, Traverse earned honorable mention in the 2024 Patricia Tretick Young Artist Competition and was a finalist in the Butler University Concerto Competition in both 2022 and 2023. In 2021, she performed as a featured soloist with the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra Wind Ensemble and the same year, received both the John Philip Sousa Award and the Woody Herman Jazz Award for her contributions to her high school music program.
Traverse is also an emerging composer and arranger, with works ranging from solo piano to chamber and large ensemble literature. Her compositions, such as Side by Side (2024) and Legacy (2022), have been premiered by local professionals and student ensembles. Through the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra’s John Downey Creation Project, she had the opportunity to collaborate with esteemed musicians and composers, including Dan Maske, Dr. Nikki Roman, and Chris Mell.
In her free time, Traverse enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Some of her favorite activities (aside from making music, of course) are tackling difficult jigsaw puzzles, reading, hiking, and drawing.