Violin with Akiko K.

Akiko taught me to play the viola when I was just getting started! She's so considerate with helping you get the fundamentals of not only technique, but also posture and how to stretch so that I wouldn't get sore. It's something that's stuck with me for years. I've never met another teacher who has helped me develop my musicality or talked with me about music theory as much as Akiko, and it's so important to know these things to play honestly and understand the music! Honestly you couldn't ask for a better teacher!! I'm so grateful to have learned my instrument with her. Thank you so much :)

I’ve been taking lessons with Akiko for the past two and a half years as an adult beginner. I’ve played other instruments all my life and have had many teachers, so I can say with great confidence that she is a uniquely talented teacher. Akiko is equally adept at diagnosing and addressing technique problems as she is at teaching musicality. She also knows when to redirect your attention from one to the other—and it is amazing to discover how looking at the big picture and being reminded to play the music can address a seemingly intractable technique problem. Akiko does not just teach you to play the violin. She teaches you to play music, which is probably the reason that you are playing the violin in the first place. I cannot emphasize the value of this enough. You don’t have to be a technical virtuoso before you begin to express yourself artistically. Akiko has so much to offer for advanced violinists as well. The way she brings music theory to life in whatever piece you’re working on will transform your interpretation of anything else you play. She gives you the tools to create your own organic interpretation in a way that also fits with the piece and its historical context. I find every lesson to be reinvigorating. When at times I have become stuck or frustrated, Akiko has always helped me to take a different tack and find freedom again. I feel grateful for the opportunity to work with her. She both an incredible teacher and a talented artist!

I took lessons from Akiko for over a year as a beginner-intermediate violin player. Under Akiko’s tutelage, I was able to play as lead violin in my school orchestra concerts and pass my violin exams. Akiko’s kind and encouraging personality strengthened my confidence in playing the violin. I’ve had experience with other teachers but Akiko helped me to really further my relationship with music. Her enthusiasm for music has definitely rubbed off on me and I couldn’t be more grateful for having Akiko as my teacher! I wholeheartedly recommend Akiko to anyone looking to pick up the violin, intermediate players, and those who are more advanced.