Julia Kantonistova
Music & Voice Specialist
Performance-Based Educator
United Kingdom / Germany
ABOUT
Music and voice specialist with an academic background in music performance, pedagogy, linguistics and intercultural communication:
- MMus Popular Music Performance (Vocals) – ICMP London;
- BA Linguistics and Intercultural Communication – Dobrolyubov University.
Founder and lead educator of an independent educational practice, with long-term experience designing and delivering structured music and voice curricula in international and multilingual contexts.
My work integrates voice, music, language and cognitive methods, combining clear pedagogical structure with performance-based and immersive learning.
I specialise in inclusive, differentiated education, supporting learners across age-diverse and mixed-level environments — in English, German, and Russian.
TEACHING
Voice and music pedagogy
I teach vocal technique and musicality as one interconnected process. I approach the voice as a musical instrument — exploring sound through emotion, sensation, and awareness. My lessons often include not just singing, but learning to hear and understand music: developing musical taste, a sense of structure and style, and deepening one’s connection to sound. Each session is shaped by the goals of the group or individual, in an immersive and music-loving environment.
Inclusive & multilevel instruction
I’ve taught beginners, advanced musicians, teenagers, adults, and mixed-level groups — both individually and in ensembles. My teaching adjusts to each learner’s way of perceiving: through anatomy, sensation, emotion, perception. I pay close attention to how people learn and support that process clearly and respectfully.
Working with complete beginners
Many of my students come with no previous experience or with uncertainty about their voice. We start by listening and slowly connect that to rhythm, harmony, timbre and tone. As clarity grows, so does confidence. Each step builds awareness, and with it, the ability to sing from within, not from external instruction alone.
Developing musicality and structural awareness
Alongside vocal work, I introduce the foundations of musical thinking — scales, intervals, harmony, rhythm, and form. We explore how songs are built, how patterns emerge, and how to hear them. I often use instruments — piano, guitar, drums — voice layering and rhythm exercises — to help students internalise musical relationships and begin thinking like musicians, not just singers.
MATERIALS
Connecting voice, music, and mind
I use a wide range of learning tools and materials to help students connect sound, structure, and sensation.
These include:
– Visual models — anatomy diagrams, resonance maps, vowel charts, formant zones, and tonal logic
– Custom audio tools — training tracks created in Ableton for pitch, intervals, rhythm, and vocal flexibility
– Music theory visuals — interactive explanations of scales, harmony, rhythm, with and without traditional notation
– DAW and piano roll visuals — for phrasing, structure, and arrangement
– Cognitive tools — structured exercises that support memory, attention, and internal mapping
– Self-analysis tables and maps — to track changes
– Original exercises — combining voice and production, tailored to each stage of the learning process
Adaptive and creative teaching
For children, I include game-based formats — such as musical storytelling, gesture-based rhythm games, and sound-matching puzzles — to make the learning process engaging and embodied.
For neurodivergent learners, I use colour-coded systems, spatial anchoring, and sensory-friendly materials to enhance clarity and comfort. I always adapt the format to make learning precise, enjoyable, and individually meaningful.
Music can be deeply engaging — it invites us to express ourselves, connect with beauty, and understand the world more clearly.
That’s why I bring together multiple fields in my teaching: musicality, voice, linguistics, acoustics, physics, production, design, music history, emotion, and psychology.
I work across different input channels — visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, cognitive — to make each step meaningful.
On the surface, it looks intuitive, colourful, and fun — and that’s exactly what draws in people with all kinds of minds.
ARTISTRY
Artistic experience
— a foundation for guiding others
Over the past 20 years, I’ve performed in a wide range of settings — from jazz ensembles and classical orchestras to electronic live acts, vocal duos, pop and rock bands, and cross-genre collaborations. I’ve worked with musicians, producers, and sound engineers — learning to navigate the full spectrum of live performance, from subtle acoustic spaces to high-energy staged shows.
My artistic journey includes jazz, electronic songwriting, experimental vocal production, popular repertoire, traditional forms, and mainstream. Each style brings its own mindset, and I’ve learned to switch between them — or blend them to create something new.
I now pass this flexibility to my students, helping them explore not only vocal technique, but creative identity and artistic vision. Whether we work on a solo performance or a group setting — in a pop track, a jazz standard, or an experimental project — I guide each student to discover their own “island of creativity” and define their role as an artist.
Expressiveness isn’t one-size-fits-all: it grows from within, and I support learners in shaping their individual voice, stage presence, and confidence in a way that feels true and grounded.
Behind the scenes
— understanding the musical ecosystem
Before shifting into teaching, I also worked as an event organiser. I founded and ran my own creative agency, where I designed and delivered shows, concerts, and festival events.
This gave me deep insight into how music functions not only on stage, but behind it — how artistic work becomes real, engaging, and communicative in the eyes of an audience.
That understanding flows into my teaching: I don’t train musicians in isolation, but help them connect music, context, and meaning — building the ability to create, adapt, and perform in real life.
CREATIVITY
Songwriting & lyric writing
For me, the development of text and melody is a unified process — shaped by emotional intention, vocal texture, and the stylistic framework of each piece. It often begins with a sonic impulse or a vocal gesture and unfolds through layers of sound, language, and structure.
In teaching, I draw on linguistic insights, text-based awareness, and musical structure — helping students understand how sound, language, and experience are deeply connected. By exploring how music and text are built, shaped, and felt, learners of all ages gain both freedom and clarity. They begin to see that they’re not limited to performing — they can also create, shape, and express their own musical ideas as authors.
Music production (Ableton Live, Logic Pro)
I produce and arrange music using professional DAWs — building full tracks from voice, harmony, rhythm, and sonic layering. My production process includes the whole process from the beginning till the final product, it includes sound choice, arrangement, vocal editing, mixing. This hands-on experience allows me to help students understand the technical and creative sides of singing within a recorded or digital environment.
I create musical videos, record live sessions, and document the recording process — both visually and sonically. I also edit these materials, which allows me to shape them with artistic intent. This experience is often valuable for students who want to understand how voice, sound, and visual presentation come together use it in their music career.
Some of my work
Below are a few selected examples that reflect different aspects of my work — all fully created, recorded, and edited by me — originals and rearranged covers.
MEDIALAB
Video & audio training courses
Created structured, multi-level courses designed to train pitch, resonance, articulation, rhythm and musicality through both active and passive modes of learning.
Each course is built as a clear progression, integrating listening, vocal engagement, and embodied practice.
These tools allow my students to practise independently while following a clear structure for daily training. They help develop a range of essential vocal and musical skills in a focused and sustainable way.
The courses are designed to support learners who may not have regular access to individual lessons. I teach not only singing and musicianship, but also how to practise effectively — guiding students in building their own self-learning process.
Interactive exercises & listening materials
Designed targeted listening tools and active engagement formats to develop awareness of pitch, intervals, phrasing, and stylistic nuance.
This includes guided perception, stem-based work with mixes, and exercises for tuning the ear through voice and instrumental reference.
These materials are currently available in Russian as part of a large-scale course system built over many years. I'm now developing English-language versions focusing on pitch perception, ear training, and vocal control.
Educational YouTube channel
I produce educational video content that combine teaching, live demonstration, and conceptual insights.
I use it as a platform to connect with learners, support them, and create a consistent presence across digital learning spaces.
RESEARCH
Inside – performance-based research project
Inside is a solo performance project and an auto-ethnographic practice based research developed as part of my Master’s degree at ICMP London. It combines original electronic music, live voice and piano, poetic structure and visuals. The project explores how identity, emotion and perception emerge through sound.
I designed and performed six interconnected pieces that reflect different internal states and ways of experiencing the self. Each track is based on a specific idea — from emotional vulnerability to intuitive action — and follows a clear musical and conceptual structure.
Artistic and research focus
The aim of Inside was to explore the connection between the human voice, electronic sound design, and evolving self-awareness of both a human being and an artificial mind. I treated each song as a research object and a tool for listening to inner processes.
The project includes elements of songwriting, improvisation, performance, vocal layering, and spatial sound. I also used text, gesture, and silence as part of the narrative.
Interdisciplinary links
Inside reflects my background in linguistics, music pedagogy, study of LLM and cognitive science. I combined my vocal work with ideas from language, AI-technologies, perception and embodiment. This helped me shape a performance that is both artistic and reflective.
The project also became a way to research how artistic work can generate new knowledge and meta-cognition through practice and live experience.
Presentation and future plans
Inside was presented as a final MMus performance at ICMP, including original compositions and a short verbal introduction. The performance was documented and accompanied by a written reflection.
In the future, I plan to develop this project further — as both an artistic piece and a platform for research into voice, identity and sound-based thinking.
COMMUNITY
Group facilitation & creative leadership
I lead group spaces balancing musical clarity with emotional presence. Whether it’s a vocal circle, an ensemble rehearsal, or a creative lab, my role is to hold the process while allowing each person’s voice and energy to be part of the whole.
Collaborative songwriting & arranging
I facilitate collective writing processes where ideas move between people — through melody, harmony, rhythm, and lyrics. We co-create material by listening, responding, and refining, so that authorship is shared and the final piece carries multiple voices — musically and personally.
Group improvisation & voice workshops
Improvisation is a central part of my group work. I guide participants through vocal exploration, sonic textures, call-and-response, layering, and risk-taking — always in a supportive frame. These practices develop musical intuition, trust, and a direct relationship with sound.
Educational & cultural event production
I’ve organised and hosted events that bring learning and performance together — from family-based environments to festivals, community showcases and interdisciplinary workshops. These spaces combine music, teaching, interaction, and shared experience.
Building musical community
At the core of my work is the idea that singing together creates connection — not only musically, but socially and emotionally. I build environments where people feel safe to sound, where learning happens through doing, and where the group becomes a supportive space.
London and creative immersion
Living and studying in London (ICMP UK) immersed me in a vibrant creative environment — from workshops and masterclasses to diverse choral settings and interdisciplinary projects.
This experience expanded both my artistic perspective and my toolkit as an educator. I integrated new approaches into my teaching practice, deepening the ways I work.
WHY I TEACH?
I believe that music is more than entertainment or knowledge. It helps us understand beauty, express ourselves, and communicate in ways beyond words — but it also builds something even more essential: human connection.
Our society depends on empathy, mutual care, and the ability to listen, support, and learn from one another. Through teaching, I hope to bring more of that into the world.
This is not just my profession — it’s something meaningful I can offer. A way to make life just a little warmer, clearer, and kinder.
If you'd like to know more about my work,
discuss a collaboration, or ask any questions —
I’ll be happy to hear from you.
CONTACT
Phone / WhatsApp: +44 7852 718 591
Email: julia.kantonistova@gmail.com
London / Berlin
