Since the 2013-14 academic year, Akira Sato has held a rather unique position as a full time AP Music Theory teacher at Plano West Senior High School in Plano, Texas, where he teaches up to six sections of AP Music Theory classes. Prior to this appointment, he was a faculty member at the University of North Texas, where he taught courses in Jazz Arranging and Composition. Concurrently, he was the director of the Meadows Jazz Orchestra and taught courses in Jazz Improvisation and Jazz Pedagogy at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.
In addition to his duties at Plano West, Akira works extensively for the College Board. As a Workshop Consultant, he leads AP Summer Institutes and One Day Workshops across the country. Since 2019, he has been a member of the AP Music Theory Test Development Committee writing and revising questions for the AP Exam. In August 2021, he created a series of 25 AP Daily Video lessons for the AP Classroom website. In addition, he has served as a reader for the AP Music Theory exam since 2015 and has gained experience grading every Free Response Question.
Akira earned a Master of Music Degree in Jazz Arranging from the University of North Texas, where he was a member of the One O’Clock Lab Band and had numerous compositions and arrangements recorded by the ensemble. He also holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Business Administration Degree from the University of British Columbia and worked in the financial sector for several years. Currently, he lives in Plano, Texas with his wife, son, and two cats.
Akira Sato is teaching one workshop at Augsburg this summer. See our registration site with the button below.