An expansion of teaching materials created for students at the Mannes College in New York, this book draws on the author's years of experience as teacher, composer, writer, lecturer and listener.

"Dancing with the Muses" deals with the phenomenon of of living linear motion in music. It teaches: melody and melodic coherence; the elements and basis of melody in interval, scale and time; the art of combining lines in a musical fabric; and the basic nature of harmony.

The book teaches concepts by means of the stories from history which gave rise to them. The historical approach makes the material more vividly meaningful and memorable. It answers the questions: Where do these concepts come from? How did they come to be? Why are they what they are? Why are they worth knowing?

Designed for efficiency, the book is a concise, essentialized presentation, an overview of the fundamentals of the field rather than an encyclopedia of detail.

In contrast with more academic, technical books, "Dancing with the Muses" considers music as an expressive human art form. The book continually addresses not only the definition of the musical elements, but also their emotional effect.

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Composer M. Zachary Johnson's music has been described as “the first serious Romantic music to be produced by a composer who is part, not of the 19th-century past, but of the 21st-century future.” About.com music guide Aaron Green wrote: "If this is the direction classical music is heading, well, I'd say the future will be full of wonderful music."

Johnson is the founder and director of the MZJ Ensemble, a hybrid wind ensemble and chamber orchestra funded by its listeners through the New York Foundation for the Arts. The Ensemble's concerts are lecture-performances in which the composer discusses the music, ensemble members play examples, and the group premieres the new works in entirety--enabling the audience to better understand the composer's novel, intricately rich music.

Johnson's saxophone compositions--including Serenade, Scherzo, Adagio, Grand Sonata--are rapidly becoming part of the instrument's standard repertoire. They are played regularly in recitals throughout the world.

Johnson's music is available on four recordings: the album of his debut concert, "Saxophone Music of M. Zachary Johnson: Live at Steinway Hall;" a studio recording of his saxophone works released by Sound Artist Records, "Serenade: Music for Saxophone & Piano;" and a pair of recordings featuring the MZJ Ensemble, "She Walks in Beauty" and "Tribute"--these two albums include the compositions "Portrait of a Woman," "Tribute to Schuyler Chapin," Two Military Pieces, Two Wedding Pieces and Four Songs for tenor voice on Romantic poems. The Ensemble's albums are available free to supporters who donate through NYFA.

Learn more about the author at:

www.MZacharyJohnson.com

Composer M. Zachary Johnson is the founder of the MZJ Ensemble, a hybrid chamber orchestra and wind ensemble based in New York which performs his compositions. The Ensemble's free concerts and recordings are supported by listeners and fans though the New York Foundation for the Arts.

Johnson teaches at Mannes College the New School for Music, in the preparatory division, which is where he developed much of the material for his book!