Justyna Skop is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Founder of CogniMusica, where she combines her expertise in music teaching, therapy, cognitive science, and research to innovate and elevate the field of music education. By merging her knowledge and experience, she strives to advance current music teaching methods and broaden access to high-quality instrumental training, ensuring that more children benefit from its advantages for brain development.

With nearly 10 years of experience as a music tutor, Justyna has taught students in both school and private settings, including preparing them for graded Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) exams. Proficient in violin, viola, piano, and singing, she received formal training from the First and Second Level Musical School in Tarnow, Poland. Justyna holds a BA (Hons) in Music and English from the University of Liverpool, where she studied viola performance under Tony Shorrocks, former Head of Performance at the Music Department. She also earned an MSc in Language Sciences with a specialisation in Neuroscience, Language, and Communication from University College London (UCL). Currently, Justyna is pursuing a PhD in Cognitive Neuropsychology at the University of Dundee, where she investigates the shared processing mechanisms involved in music and language learning.

Justyna has experience tutoring at primary schools in England (Merseyside), including Melling Primary School, St George’s Catholic Primary School, St Thomas C of E Primary School, Aintree Davenhill Primary School, and St Andrew’s C of E Primary School. She has taught students from various linguistic and cultural backgrounds and specialises in tutoring and supporting children with learning differences, being neurodivergent herself.

As a bilingual individual and certified community interpreter, she tutors in both English and Polish and has experience working with children from minority groups, such as those for whom English is not a first language. Known for her passion for music, teaching, and learning, Justyna presents a cheerful yet demanding approach to her tutoring, which has been met with a great response from both students and parents, demonstrating their satisfaction.To date, she has prepared students for over 50 ABRSM practical exams for the instruments she teaches, as well as music theory exams, across grades, including both lower level (1-5) and higher level (6-8) grades, with 99% of her students passing with flying colours. This success demonstrates her belief that any child can thrive in instrumental learning and official exams when provided with appropriate instruction.

In addition to her tutoring role, Justyna has assisted in music therapy sessions at The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool, supporting neurological patients at the Complex Rehabilitation Unit (CRU). She has also conducted 'Music Mondays' music therapy sessions for clients with diverse neurological conditions at The Brain Charity in Liverpool. In terms of research, at The Walton Centre, she contributed to data entry under Good Clinical Practice (GCP) for the Trajectories Outcomes in Neurological Conditions (TONiC), one of the largest UK-wide studies investigating the quality of life in patients with neurological conditions. She is also a Research Assistant for the project "The Influence of Individual Differences in Brain Rhythms on Speech Perception with and without Age-Related Hearing Loss" at the Auditory Brain Lab, School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, University of Dundee.

Through her research, Justyna aims to contribute to expanding the understanding of shared processing mechanisms in music learning and other domains, ultimately helping to enhance our knowledge of how musical training can improve cognition and brain development in children. With her PhD project, she investigates the shared processing mechanisms involved in the processing of rhythm in both music and speech/language. Through both her research and approach to music learning, Justyna seeks to make a significant impact on her students’ lives by supporting both their musical and cognitive development, fostering holistic growth, and providing transferable life skills.