I started singing and performing when I was 6. I was trained as a Pop and a Folk singer, and I have a lot of performing experience. I was born with cerebral palsy and partially blind, and I was educated at the Grot Boarding School for the visually impaired (St. Petersburg). In 2014 I went to the USA as an exchange student with the FLEX program. I received a full scholarship and attended Colorado school for Deaf and Blind. Back in Russia I joined the Competitive College Club, led by the EducationUSA to help me apply to an American university. In 2018 I got a full scholarship to New York University Abu Dhabi and I majored in Music. After I graduated I started teaching voice as a private tutor.

I believe that my teaching was formed by my first teacher. When I was little, no one wanted to take a girl who didn’t walk well and was almost blind - so now I always make an effort to understand the individual needs of each student and I’m not afraid of “difficult cases”. Even though I had cerebral palsy, I was always encouraged to stand during our lessons (with a chair nearby) -that experience taught me a good balance between pushing the boundaries a little and still supporting the student. I can be strict, but at the same time I am trying my best to create a secure environment for everyone. I teach by sharing the skills along with my personal story, and this creates a valuable connection.

All of my students have different backgrounds: some of them are more experienced musicians, and some of them are beginners. My youngest student is 5 and my oldest is 60. I have a background in Pop and Folk singing, but I do not work with specific style or a type of the voice. I work with breathing, self-feeling, controlling the voice, and emotions. My explanations are based on every-day things. We all do breathing, speaking, and different types of voice activities that can be applicable to singing even if we do not realize it. I can always find an easy way for a student to understand singing. My main goal is finding and showing the safe ways for students to learn new singing techniques.