Music and Culture

In the fall of 2021, One World One Music was started at Studio A--a music school, performance venue and multi-genre rehearsal space. The impetus for creating this series came from the collective experience of the founders as musicians and educators working and living in different parts of the world. As a part of his teaching experiences with the NGO organization called American Voices, Artistic Director Dr. Donald worked with eager students in Lebanon, Kurdistan or other parts of the world many are now referring to as “West Asia” since the term “Middle East” is becoming increasingly scrutinized. Witnessing the impact music has on such a global level, One World, One Music was established to celebrate and amplify these amazing musical traditions from aroun the world. Through thoughtfully crafted programs that are immersive and inclusive, One World One Music combines the universal language of music with cultural stories and their food with the intent of breaking down boundaries and promoting world friendships. The series aims to amplify, educate, inspire and connect various communities, all of which are represented here in ATX. OWOM has curated programs that reach beyond Austin to provide a broader perspective of what classical/cultural music has to offer. At a time when division and divisiveness often feel greater than ever, it is incredibly important to bring people together, even those who may not agree on the surface. We provide a platform for exceptional artists who represent various musical traditions from around the world and compensate them fairly for their amazing artistry. We strive to foster an open dialogue amongst audience members and artists that continues beyond the series into the greater-Austin community.

People and culture

Curating music performances to unite world music involves a careful blend of artistry and cultural understanding. We seek out musicians from diverse cultural backgrounds, each representing distinct musical traditions. We focus on performers who not only excel in their craft but also embrace collaboration across cultures. Our goal is that every season we create a lineup that celebrates unity, allowing each performer's unique sound to contribute to a shared global musical experience.

Dr. Scott Donald

Artistic Director

Dr. Josh Straub

Managing Director

Dr. Carla McElhaney

Ambassador of Human and Material Resources

Dr. Martin Kesuma

Advisory Board

Bios

Dr. Scott Donald is Artistic Director of One World One Music and Founder/Co-Owner of Studio A. Previous positions include Administrative Director of the New School for Music Study in Kingston, NJ, piano faculty at The University of Texas at San Antonio and The College of New Jersey in Ewing, NJ.

A native of South Carolina, he earned his BM in Piano Performance at Furman University in Greenville, SC. He completed his MM in Applied Piano and DMA in Music Education/Piano Pedagogy from UT-Austin. In 2010, Dr. Donald made his Carnegie Hall debut at the Weill Recital Hall in New York City.

Dr. Donald is the current President of the Texas Music Teachers Association. He also serves on the Editorial board for the American Music Teacher magazine and is the Managing Editor of the Texas Music Teacher magazine. In 2025 he was appointed to the LGBTQ+ Alumni Council for Furman University in Greenville, SC. Dr. Donald is a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music and was presented with the 2025 Gary L. Ingle State Leadership Service Award from Music Teachers National Association. He has published articles in the Music Teachers National Association’s e-journal, American Music Teacher, Piano Pedagogy Forum, Keyboard Companion, Clavier Companion, and Texas Music Education Research. Dr. Donald’s research in piano pedagogy has been featured at international and national conferences. He has been invited to speak at conferences about cultural diplomacy in the music studio and multicultural programming in classical music.

In 2016, he joined the faculty of American Voices and has traveled to Beirut, Lebanon to teach piano and coach chamber music in their Youth Excellence on Stage (YES) Academy. YES Academy is a model for multicultural artistic collaboration with countries in Asia and the Middle East.

Dr. Joshua Straub, Managing Director of One World One Music and Co-Owner of Studio A, is currently a resident of Austin, TX where he enjoys a multifaceted musical career as an educator, performer, composer, entrepreneur and arts advocate. Josh is a passionate educator and, as co-owner of Studio A, he teaches piano, composition, theory, music production and arranging to over thirty students of all ages and ability levels. His students have been top winners of multiple competitions at the local and state level, both in composition and piano. His goal as an educator is to produce lifelong music makers and he works hard to cultivate a love for music through sound fundamentals, encouragement while pushing each student to realize their potential–each student has a unique voice and path in music which takes time to nurture and evolve and hard work to achieve. He also serves as a Lecturer for the College of Fine Arts in MAMA program at The University of Texas at Austin.

A graduate with a DMA in Piano Performance from the Butler School of Music, he has presented at numerous local, state, national and international conferences including appearances at the MTNA National Conferences in San Antonio, TX and Orlando, FL, the College Music Society's International Conference in Sweden and Finland, the ISME Regional Conference in Hong Kong, and the Australasian Piano Pedagogy Conference in Australia. As an extension of his interest in the potential impact of music education, he co-wrote a paper with cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Kirsten Smayda and music educator/pianist Dr. Ruby Chou detailing many of the benefits of learning piano in a group setting. This paper is the result of a ten-week group piano class for older adults aiming to scientifically test the ability for music to impact the brain.

As a composer and producer, his collaborations with adventure photographer Ryan Deboodt have been featured by National Geographic, the Smithsonian and his score for Saving Son Tra Now was selected for the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival in New York City. Joshua also frequently performs works by living composers and recently started a collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Ryan Delahoussaye, who is most well known as a co-founding member of the band Blue October, with whom he is working on a substantial arranging project. Their duo has performed in Austin, Chicago and Houston with many performances on the horizon.

He is the Managing Director One World One Music, a concert series featuring cultural music from around the world and is passionate about presenting and producing events at the “listening room” at Studio A. If you are active in the Austin arts community, you are likely to see him around as he frequents all things arts related in Austin and has attended over 50 arts in the past year alone.

Dr. Carla McElhaney, Ambassador of Human and Material Resources, is an artist-innovator, pianist, coach, and educator. Her mission is to foster an unshakeable sense of wholeness, connection, and aliveness—both within individuals and among communities—through the soul-affirming power of the arts. An award-winning pianist, her playing has been recognized by the Austin Critics’ Table, praised by the Austin-American Statesman as exhibiting “infectious enthusiasm”, commended by the Austin Chronicle as delivering “an exciting mix of focus and passion,” and described in the Chronicle’s 2019 “A Guide to Classical Music” as “absorbing and exhilarating.” She can be heard on several recordings, including Conspirare’s Grammy-nominated album, The Hope of Loving.

As the co-founder and artistic director of the Austin-based collective Revel, she has presented over a hundred themed “revels” since their 2009 debut, performing for enthusiastic audiences at diverse venues such as Fuel Coffee House in Llano, Blue Rock Artist Ranch and Recording Studio in Wimberley, the Armstrong/Connelly Studio at Ballet Austin, New Mexico Tech in Socorro, the Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica in San Jose, the Krotona School in Ojai, 4th Tap Brewing Co-Op, Albuquerque’s Chatter, the Blanco Performing Arts Series, the Mid-Texas Symphony, and more, inviting listeners everywhere to dispense with the standard protocol of the day, rebel against the straight-laced austerity of the modern concert hall, and “come as you are, clap when you feel like it, and revel in the music like no one is watching.”

Dr. McElhaney earned degrees from Eastman School of Music (B.M.) and The University of Texas at Austin (M.M, D.M.A). A faculty member at Texas Lutheran University since 2009, she has also served on the piano faculties of The University of Texas at Austin and the Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Music in Berea, Ohio.