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Megan started violin lessons at age 9 and earned a B.Mus. in music history at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. She has performed in numerous ensembles specializing in Western classical, bluegrass, Arab, and Albanian musical styles. Her interest in Kazakh music began three years ago, and she carried out music research in Kazakhstan in 2005-06 on a Fulbright IIE grant. During this time she began learning the kyl-kobyz from a student of the Kazakh National Conservatory. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate in ethnomusicology at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she is also a member of the UCLA Balkan choir. Her research interests include the music of Central Asia and the Balkans, music and politics, and national identity.