Publications — Megan Lanz DMA

Music and the Human Experience: A Guide for Informed Listening

This project addresses what I have observed to be a gap in our musical education system. For over half a century, universities in the United States have taught Music Appreciation from a Western-centric approach. This idea is now very outdated, and we deserve a new textbook that addresses music not in a primarily historical sense, as has been the case in almost every single text I’ve encountered. This book will prioritize the concept of music as a product of the culture in which it is created and how it reflects the human experience in general. It will not prioritize one culture over another but will instead draw examples from around the globe and show how music can be used to create a sense of identity, to express, to mourn, to fight for social change, and to bring communities together. This is the type of text that should make every student feel seen, important, and included.

If you are interested in adopting this text for instruction at your institution, please click here.

View Cognella’s catalog at www.titles.cognella.com

Anxiety, Stress, & Nerves: Strategies for before, during, and after a performance

I assembled this book for my private flute studio, and would like to share it for anyone who can benefit. This information within comes from my decades not only as a performer, but also from my time as a caring pedagogue who wishes to see students thriving in all areas of performance - not only in execution of the material. Inspiration for some of this material, such as the BRFWA cycle and comparing fear with excitement, come from my Whole Musician colleagues. You may download this booklet here, and use the information as you see fit. Should you choose to use any visuals from this book, please cite me as your source.

Silence: An Exploration of Salvatore Sciarrino’s Style in L’opera per flauto

My doctoral document provides flutists with a technical guide to the seven pieces in Sciarrino’s L'opera per flauto collection. Aside from helping flutists, it can inform composers and performers about these techniques and Sciarrino's philosophy behind them, should they wish to incorporate them in their compositions. The performer's guide (final chapter) is intended to assist flutists as they learn and execute the various techniques found throughout his pieces, making them more accessible. It is my hope that this document empowers flutists to learn these fascinating techniques.