Dr. Megan Lavengood
Director of Music Theory
Assistant Professor
- Music Theory
Education
- Ph.D. (Music Theory), City University of New York (2017)
- MM (Music Theory), The Florida State University (2012)
- BM (Music Theory), Ohio University (2010)
Dr. Megan Lavengood is a music theorist specializing in popular music, timbre, synthesizers, and recording techniques. Her article on the iconic Yamaha DX7 electric piano sound appears in the Journal of Popular Music Studies. Her methodology for timbre analysis is described in an article in Music Theory Online. Her current research project focuses on topic theory and video game music. As a pedagogue, she focuses on incorporating popular music as a step toward inclusivity of music students from non-traditional backgrounds. She redesigned GMU’s core theory curriculum to be modular instead of sequential (described in an article in Engaging Students: Essays in Music Pedagogy) and substantially expanded the open educational resource Open Music Theory.
Dr. Lavengood is originally from Cincinnati, OH, and holds a BM from Ohio University, an MM from Florida State University, and a PhD from the Graduate Center, City University of New York. Her primary instrument is piano, but is also a professional choral soprano, most recently in a Renaissance quartet at St. John the Beloved in McLean, VA.
Contact Dr. Lavengood: mlavengo@gmu.edu
Personal website: www.meganlavengood.com