Lesson Sneak-Peak
About the lessons
'Sound to Symbol' is a teaching philosophy which believes music instruction is to be approached much like how children learn a language, where they first experience and recreate sounds, and only then learn to associate a symbol with that sound. By doing this, music notation is not introduced as abstract symbols, but as visual representation of sounds they are already familiar with. This is very much aligned with how I personally learnt music.
The end goal of the lessons is to enable students to use music as a language and to create music. All the music is approached from a composer's perspective. How does a composition work? What makes it so enjoyable for me? How do certain choices affect a composition? These are some of the questions the lessons aim to explore. Students are encouraged to be curious and to learn by creating music.
Other philosophies that have shaped the lessons
"Not just brainwork, or fingerwork, but ear, mind and body working together"
- Emile Jaques-Dalcroze
“Enjoyment appears at the boundary between boredom and anxiety, when the challenges are just balanced with the person’s capacity to act."
- Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
"Singing connected with movements and action is a much more ancient, and, at the same time, more complex phenomenon than is a simple song."
- Zoltan Kodaly
About the instructor
Akash Vincent is a singer-songwriter, guitar player and music instructor. He has in the past released three albums of original music - Postcards (2015), Polaris (2017) and Ember (2023). He has toured around the country with his music and has collaborated with various instrumentalists in setups ranging from duos to sextets. As a music instructor, he has over 10 years of experience and has been associated with Yamaha Music as a recorder instructor since 2019. His teaching approach is influenced by Dalcroze and Kodály among other methods."Akash has all the best qualities of a teacher — a good amount of patience, the ability to be gentle but firm and the knowledge of both practice and theory. I have been learning the guitar from him for a few months and could not have asked for a better teacher to help me overcome my fear of learning an instrument as an adult. His classes are very well structured, moving at a gradual pace that is not too intimidating to discourage you and challenging enough to keep you excited from week to week. As a singer-songwriter himself, he encourages his students to think on their own and develop their musical ear, rather than rote learning tunes or concepts. "
- Tanvi
"I've had the pleasure of learning guitar under the guidance of Akash for the past four months, and it has been an incredibly rewarding experience. Not only does he possess a profound understanding of music and its theory, but his patience and teaching style are truly commendable. Akash knows how to make complex concepts accessible and engaging, ensuring that every lesson is not just educational but also enjoyable. His passion for music is contagious, inspiring me to practice and improve continuously. I highly recommend Akash to anyone looking to embark on their musical journey or take their skills to the next level. His expertise and dedication is great and his classes are fun!"
- Nishanth