How Christina Zoina Has Embraced New Technology to Explore and Expand Her Creativity

Christina Zoina is a UK-based composer, arranger and producer. She studied for four years as a composer at the Royal Academy of Music, gaining a Bachelor of Music with first class honours.

After graduating from the Academy, she worked for many years as music assistant to film composer, Anne Dudley, on a variety of musical projects including feature films, studio recordings and live music events.

She is currently working as a freelance composer. Her music covers a wide variety of genres, from orchestral film music and songs, to contemporary pop, light jazz and Latin styles.

As well as music composition, her experience includes producing orchestral demos, mixing and recording both orchestral and pop music, including recording, editing and tuning vocals. She also has copied music for full orchestral recording sessions and concerts.

Christina sat down with LBB to discuss her creative process, as well as her latest release ‘Club Symphonica: Strings and Harp’

LBB> When you’re working on a new brief or project, what’s your typical starting point? How do you break it down and how do you like to generate your ideas or response?

Christina> I like to make sure I’m fully immersed in the soundscape for the new project. So that includes familiarising myself with any musical materials given to me and listening to existing music within the genre I want to write.

I like to do this away from the studio, so that I don’t start writing until I’ve got some solid ideas in mind. I often feel inspired when I’m outside in nature, so I’ll put my earbuds in and go for a walk while I listen. Once I’ve got the musical language clearly in my head, I’ll get in the studio and put together some musical sounds/instruments I want to use in the project.

And then, it’s time to start writing…

LBB> Music and sound are in some ways the most collaborative and interactive forms of creativity – what are your thoughts on this? Do you prefer to work solo or with a gang – and what are some of your most memorable professional collaborations?

Christina> Being a composer can be quite a solitary life sometimes, so I always enjoy working with others when the opportunity arises. On the album, ‘Club Symphonica: Strings and Harp’, I had the pleasure of collaborating with Skaila Kanga. I came up with the initial ideas, wrote out the harp parts and sent them over to Skaila. When we got into the studio, she was able to breathe life into these ideas by trying some different playing techniques. To be able to have this open dialogue and ability to experiment with musical ideas together was invaluable to the soloistic nature of the album.

Having a musician of Skaila’s calibre record these pieces was a real highlight for me, and a reminder of how powerful collaboration can be in transforming written ideas into something truly special.

LBB> What’s the most satisfying part of your job and why?

Christina> After all the blood, sweat and tears that go into composing and producing a piece of music, there’s nothing better than discovering that it’s moved someone emotionally. That moment makes all the hard work feel worthwhile. The same goes for working with musicians – when the people performing the music genuinely enjoy playing it, that’s incredibly rewarding. Those reactions give me a real sense of achievement and remind me why I do what I do.

LBB> Can you talk a little bit about the technological developments in sound design right now?

Christina> One of the things that seems to be on everyone’s mind is AI. I’ve been using AI on vocals recently. The first time I tried it was to replace a male vocal on a song, as it was quite high and sounded a little strained. Changing the key of the song wasn’t an option, so I thought I’d experiment with some new AI vocal software.

In simple terms, you feed the existing vocal into the software and then choose a different voice from a library. The AI keeps the performance, timing and expression, but reshapes the voice itself. The results totally blew me away! I couldn’t believe how realistic and musical the vocals sounded.

For me, this kind of technology opens up huge creative possibilities. It means I can sing on my own demos and then audition different types of voices, or create full backing vocals using different-sounding singers – all without losing the emotional feel of the performance. Used thoughtfully, it’s a powerful tool that removes limitations and lets ideas move much more quickly from concept to finished track.

LBB> Who are your musical or audio heroes and why?

Christina> One of my musical heroes is James Taylor. His guitar playing, vocals and songwriting are all on another level, and I never get tired of listening to his music. There’s a warmth and honesty in what he does that feels timeless.

When it comes to film music, no one comes close to John Williams. His ability to write scores that serve the picture perfectly while still being deeply musical is extraordinary. The emotion, the storytelling, and the sheer identity of his themes mean you can often name the film within a few notes. He really is the master.

LBB> And when it comes to your particular field, are there any particular ideas or pioneers that you go back to frequently or who really influence your thinking about the work you do?

Christina> I have to mention Anne Dudley. I worked with her for several years when I had just left music college. She has an incredible ability to create interesting sound palates, blending synth-based textures with real instruments. She’s also extremely versatile – working on pop strings, orchestral film scores and folk songs – she does it all. I learned a lot from her and I still draw on that experience when I am working now.

LBB> When you’re working on something that isn’t directly sound design or music (let’s say going through client briefs or answering emails) – are you the sort of person who needs music and noise in the background or is that completely distracting to you? What are your thoughts on ‘background’ sound and music as you work?

Christina> As I’m working with music through so much of my day, I like to have moments of complete silence to give my ears a rest! So, listening to music when answering emails is definitely a ‘no’ from me.

LBB> The quality of the listening experience and the context that audiences listen to music/sound in has changed over the years. There’s the switch from analogue to digital and now we seem to be divided between bad-ass surround-sound immersive experiences and on-the-go, low-quality sound (often the audio is competing with a million other distractions) – how does that factor into how you approach your work?

Christina> When I’m composing, I try not to think about it too much, as it can easily get in the way of the creative process. At that stage I’m focused on the musical idea itself rather than how or where it might be heard.

That said, it definitely comes into play at the mixing stage. I use monitoring software that lets me audition the mix in different listening environments, so I can make sure it translates well everywhere – from high-end immersive systems to much more everyday setups, like laptop speakers, TVs or earbuds. The goal is for the music to still connect, whether it’s being heard in a cinematic surround-sound space or on a pair of AirPods while someone’s on the move.

LBB> On a typical day, what does your ‘listening diet’ look like?

Christina> It really depends on my mood and whatever projects I’m working on. I listen across a lot of genres – so much so that Spotify struggles to categorise me in its annual Wrapped. One thing that’s constant is keeping up with current soundtrack playlists, which helps me stay in touch with what’s happening in sound right now.

LBB> Do you have a collection of music/sounds and what shape does it take (are you a vinyl nerd, do you have hard drives full of random bird sounds, are you a hyper-organised spotify-er…)?

Christina> Definitely a Spotify-er, but not hyper organised!

LBB> Let’s talk travel! It’s often cited as one of the most creatively inspiring things you can do – I’d love to know what are the most exciting or inspiring experiences you’ve had when it comes to sound and music on your travels?

Christina> I went to Cuba when I was 17, and that trip completely opened my ears to Latin music. I’d already been a fan of artists like Gloria Estefan and loved the way her music blended pop and Latin influences, but hearing traditional Latin music in Cuba was something else entirely. It was everywhere – in restaurants, bars and out on the streets. I came back to London and immediately started incorporating that Latin sound into my music. I love the idea of mixing musical genres.

LBB> As we age, our ears change physically and our tastes evolve too, and life changes mean we don’t get to engage in our passions in the same intensity as in our youth – how has your relationship with sound and music changed over the years?

Christina> Over the years, my love for music has stayed constant, and I've embraced new technology as a way to explore and expand my creativity.