Mia Barham is an emerging improvising musician currently studying at the Victorian College of the Arts. She performs regularly around Melbourne, performing with musicians such as Tony Gould, Dick Oatts and Kristin Berardi. She began music when she was 8 years old, picking up flute as she had loved how it sounded when someone had played it in the school assembly. After picking up saxophone later on in high school, she fell in love with music’s unique ability to create connections and share stories amongst new and old friends. As an improvising musician she has performed in online recording projects with Dave Douglas and Ingrid Jenson and performs regularly with The Paris Cat Big Band, The Minnie Big Band, the Jazzlab Orchestra and the Daryl McKenzie Jazz Orchestra. She was offered a place in the highly competitive Creative Music Intensive run by the Australian Art Orchestra and has regularly performed as part of Rob Bourke’s Jazz Gathering at the Southside Jazz Club. She was awarded the Jazz Music Scholarship on entry to university and has been fortunate enough to be mentored by some of Australia’s leading jazz musicians such as Paul Williamson, Angela Davis and Nat Bartsch. Mia’s music is humble and open, taking inspiration from musicians such as Ian Clarke, Bon Iver and Andrea Keller. She is an emerging artist who has an infectious passion for music, wearing her heart on her sleeve in every performance.