Austin Young is a musician and scholar in the field of ethnomusicology. His research interests focus on music from the Pacific and East Asia. As a performer, he has experience playing classical bassoon, having played for over 10 years in various musical settings. Throughout his education, he has learned to play different musical instruments such as the 'ukulele, trombone, Arabic nay, and shakuhachi. Austin has also taught in all types of environments, from private lessons to lecturing in classrooms at the collegiate level. 

He attended SUNY Fredonia for his undergraduate education, studying music performance. There, he gained experience playing as a soloist, along with performing major symphonic pieces for wind ensembles and orchestras. After graduating from SUNY Fredonia, he attended Bowling Green State University for a master’s in ethnomusicology. During his time at BGSU, he also worked at the Music Library and Bill Schurk Sound Archives, where he had the opportunity to work with archival materials. For his master’s thesis project, he examined the musical role of the ‘ukulele between Hawaii and the mainland U.S. He is currently attending the University of Kentucky, where he is pursuing a Ph.D. in hopes of continuing his research with the 'ukulele.