Viability Study (SHR6E032F~001): Music for Yoga by Leo Hoad (HOA23083714)

by

Hoad,Leo (STUDENT)

Sinéad Yoga (instagram – @sinead_yoga)

Leo Hoad (instagram – @leo.toad)

INTRODUCTION

For my final project, I will be collaborating with my yoga instructor Sinéad to create an ambient piece of music that can accompany various yoga practices. In total, this project will include a cello-based track which I will record and produce myself, a 10-12 minute promotional video in which the use of the music is demonstrated with help from Sinéad and fellow yoga peers, and a written description that delves into the deeper meaning behind our creative decisions. In this study, I will be evaluating this project’s viability through the following:

  • Inspiration and Methodology
  • Market Analysis 
  • Budgeting and Costs
  • Contingency and Risk Assessment
  • Potential for Future Development

INSPIRATION AND METHODOLOGY

It was my mum, who has been enthusiastic about yoga for many years now, who introduced me to its benefits:

  • Improved flexibility, balance and strength
  • Relief of stress and negative thoughts
  • Cardiovascular benefits (heart health + loss of excess weight)
  • Sense of community / combatting loneliness

It wasn’t until around March of 2025, however, when I attended my first yoga practice, that I began to discover these benefits for myself. Since then, I have been practicing yoga regularly thanks to the free sessions run by Sinéad at Belgrave Music Hall and Project House in Leeds. I have felt drastic improvements to my mental and physical health and I continue to do so at what feels like a constant upward trajectory. Because of this, my passion for yoga has grown to a similar level of my passion for music, so it made perfect sense for me to incorporate yoga in this collaborative project. 

Music can be a very useful tool in yoga. According to Nick Truch (pen name “Aroshanti”), an English Lake District-based and well established composer and producer of meditation music, it is “more than background noise – it’s a way to guide energy, mark transitions, and create an immersive, safe container for practice. Skilled yoga teachers use sound intentionally to help students drop in, move with breath, and find moments of deep stillness.” I have experienced this for myself in Sinéad’s classes; she uses her music playlists to enhance Vinyasa flow, a style of yoga that involves engaged breathing which complements movement through a series of changeable poses, unlike Ashtanga or Bikram yoga which are a set series of poses. Vinyasa flow makes up the body of her sessions, but equally important are the moments of complete stillness, most significantly at the beginning and end of the class.

Brian Eno – ‘Ambient 1: Music for Airports’

headtriiip – ‘the songbird who loves me’

I believe ambient music would be very well suited to the moments of stillness in particular. Brian Eno, a famous pioneer of the genre, described ambient music as intended to “induce calm and a space to think”. This perfectly correlates with the intention of moments of stillness in yoga, in which Sinéad encourages us to focus on breathing, forget our “to do lists” and be present in the moment. Field recordings can be an effective way to immerse listeners in the music. For example, ‘the songbird who loves me’, a largely unheard of album by headtriiip I discovered on Reddit whilst searching for more ambient music, uses “old family VHS audio from (their) childhood, from birth to age 7”. I find myself especially drawn in by this personal touch from the artist for all its uniqueness and authenticity. I asked myself what sounds personal to me I could potentially use to enhance the relaxing atmosphere of my piece. 

(Common Starling)

My interest in wildlife, and especially birds, has existed for as long as I can remember. Since moving to Leeds in 2023, I have noticed the presence of Common Starlings in and out of the city during the autumn and winter months. They are small, intelligent birds with intricate voice boxes, and for me they represent an escape from the hustle and bustle of my urban life, similar to how yoga is also a nice escape for me. Among the constant city noise of places like Kirkgate Market and Briggate, their beautiful birdsong cuts through with sonic clarity. I have therefore decided to name my composition ‘Starlings’, and it will include field recordings of starlings accompanied by city and wildlife soundscapes that will immerse the listener in the experience. The starlings represent escape and peace, as they cut through and sore above the stresses of everyday modern life. 

I enjoy the variety and changeability within Vinyasa flow and want to reflect this in my music. Ellie Scourse (of ‘Yoga with Ellie”), an Isle of Scilly-based yoga instructor, put well the importance of syncing music to the flow of yoga practice. She said that in her classes they “often practise to gentle music, which really adds to the ‘flowing’ sensation – when you’re in the zone – breathing and moving in unison to music – it really does feel like dancing.” To emulate this “flowing”, my music will need a variety of sections that will make up the whole structure. Currently, I am working on composing these sections; there are ambience-heavy and more free tempo sections for moments of stillness, and then a series of pulsing and more harmonically fleshed out chord progressions for more active moments. These are intended for progressing through different flows within the Vinyasa. Ideally, I would like to find a way of triggering these different sections to play at the will of the instructor, with smooth transitions that won’t interrupt the flow. This way, my composition can be used in a wide variety of routines, long and short, rather than being suited to just one or two routines. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qZuVcr-3pabkkACNLpJVFQbV0puS4SVE/view?usp=drivesdk

(‘Starlings’ demo – main motif on Garageband)

MARKET ANALYSIS

Mindfulness and meditation practices like yoga have grown significantly in popularity in recent years. According to a National Health Institute survey, the percentage of adults who practice meditation has more than doubled from 2002 to 2022, moving from 7.5% to 17.3% in 20 years. More specifically, in the UK, over 380,000 people practice yoga weekly and the UK yoga industry is set to exceed £1 billion by 2026, according to an OM Yoga Magazine Article. 

Therefore, logically, there will be even more demand for this kind of music as the popularity of mindfulness and meditation practices continue to increase. Sinéad herself has over 1,300 followers on instagram, so this project should get some good initial exposure. With over 60 yoga spaces located in and around Leeds, there are plenty of potentially interested people I can reach out to in succession. 

Budgeting and Costs

As I’m a third year student who is currently unemployed, my budget for this project is extremely limited. Luckily, in my current circumstances, I won’t need to spend much money at all. Thanks to the resources provided by Leeds Conservatoire, recording costs will be close to zero. I can record with professional equipment and DAW software at the university, and can book out field recording equipment offsite for capturing the ambient soundscapes and starling birdsong I require. For now, I have been recording demos using a much more basic setup; my SM58 plugged into Garageband on my laptop for cello recording, and my iPhone voice notes for field recording. This simplified setup allows me to quickly put together my ideas in this creative stage, but I plan to take full advantage of the university’s resources once I have finalised the composition and want to make it sound professional. 

Since the only cost for me will be travelling to on site recordings locations (for audio and eventually video), I will not be charging any money for this track. The aim of this collaboration is to experiment with the concept and assess its potential for future development. It is also nice to be working in an environment which is not at all dictated by money. The majority of Sinéad’s classes have been free, and so I want to return that favour. This way we can focus purely on the creative choices and be unswayed by financial incentives. 

Contingency and Risk Assessment

My timeline is currently as follows:

  • October-December 2025 – composing the music and finalising the structure in demo form
  • January 2026 – re-record tracks professionally and mix
  • February-March 2026 – on location video shoot with Sinéad + edit
  • April 2026 – final touches (e.g. artwork)

I am in a large number of different musical projects and my schedule tends to fill up on short notice. Sinéad also has a busy schedule, being a yoga instructor and a mother, so this broad timeline should allow us to allocate enough time for this project over the coming months. We see each other at least once per week, so any changes to our schedule can be discussed with ease. 

Potential for Future Development

(photo from Ethno Sweden 2025)

Looking to the future, I see strong potential in producing this kind of music as a serious career path. As I’ve said, there’s already a well established and continually growing market for meditation and mindfulness practices, and the importance of music in many of these settings is great, so demand for this music is in abundance. I can also use my existing contacts for development. For example, I am in contact with many international folk musicians who I met in summer this year in Sweden and Brittany. Folk music, much like yoga and mediation, has deep roots and traditions, so it would make sense to include folk instrumentation in future collaborative compositions. I will be returning to Sweden in February 2026 for a 3 week tour (‘Ethno on the road’), and I plan to have a full demo of the track to show people who may be interested. Opportunities like this will be perfect for generating interest in my projects, from both artists and customers. Once my final project is complete, I will send it out to anyone I think could be interested in the hope that I can secure funding for a second ambient track. Hopefully, if all goes well, this could be the start of a real career for me in the music industry.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

  • Monroe Institute (2025). Why Meditation Is Becoming So Popular. Available online:

https://www.monroeinstitute.org/blogs/blog/why-meditation-is-becoming-so-popular#:~:text=I’ve%20loved%20seeing%20meditation,to%2017.3%25%20in%2020%20years. [accessed 30/11/2025].