The Courage to Lead: Juliana Cantarelli Vita

After only three years working at The Bush School, Lower School Music Faculty Juliana Cantarelli Vita has blazed trails on campus and across the country, earning several accolades for her musical expertise along the way. By day, she is a charismatic teacher and performing arts director who inspires her students to find creativity and harmony in everything they do. By night, she is an award-winning songwriter and musician, with over fifteen years of experience playing several instruments, including the violin, guitar, drums, piano, and trumpet.
  

“One huge act of courage for me was to leave my home country and follow my heart to come to the U.S. for my master’s degree and Ph.D.,” Juliana shared. “I’m from Brazil, and there, we didn’t have formal music education that was offered in schools until 2008, which is when I started my music education degree.”

As a Brazilian immigrant born to music-loving teachers, Juliana is no stranger to the diversity of both orchestral and modern musical forms. She became involved in the Pernambucano Conservatory of Music in the coastal city of Recife, Pernambuco state, in her youth, familiarizing herself with an array of instruments and performance styles. After spending years as a professor in higher education in the United States, she decided to return to vibrant K-12 classrooms to witness an authentic, hands-on teaching experience.

“I was drawn to Bush because of the opportunity to engage in progressive music education,” Juliana shared. “Mainly, I wanted to explore the way we approach music and culture in a collegiate setting and see if it could be applied in a kid-friendly setting. One of the things I’ve grown to love is that we get to work in a K-12 environment across different divisions. For example, during the Lower and Middle School choir concerts, I get to work with Middle School Music Faculty Matt Swanson. That’s one of my favorite moments of the year, because we get to collaborate.”

Juliana and the other faculty in the Performing Arts Department often brainstorm unique ways to showcase the talents of Lower, Middle, and Upper School students at Bush. This year featured incredible cross-divisional moments, including the Lower and Middle School choir concert and the Middle and Upper School spring production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” However, these one-of-a-kind, synergetic performances aren’t restricted to the Bush campus. Last February, Middle and Upper School students had the opportunity to perform at the Seattle Convention Center Summit as part of the National Association of Independent Schools Thrive conference. They performed beloved songs such as “Buddy Holly” and “Edge of Seventeen,” as well as a couple of original songs, giving the audience a glimpse of the robust musical talents of Bush students. 

Juliana oversaw the Lower School production and wrote the original script for “The Weaver of Wit,” which portrayed Anansi the spider—a legendary trickster figure from Ghana. The story taught students lessons about life, morality, and survival, and showcased how this character became a vital symbol of resistance and cultural identity for the African diaspora. The play allowed Lower School students to fully immerse themselves in drama and West African drumming, dance, and culture.

“What makes me proud about our students is their work ethic, their pride in the work they are building, and to see they bring their true selves in the process,” Juliana said. “We are very focused once we are practicing and rehearsing, but we are also able to have fun moments as we are building something together. And to notice their happiness and proud faces once the work is done when they perform, and they get to see the audience cheering for them and for their hard work—it’s truly priceless!”

In the classroom, Juliana’s roots and passion for social justice saturate her teaching style. She applies what she’s learned from Brazilian educator Paulo Freire and his transformative text Pedagogy of the Oppressed, which critiques traditional teaching styles and the “banking” model, in which educators “deposit” information into students, who are seen as blank slates. This idea that K-12 education should connect to the real world emphasizes Bush’s philosophy of “learn by doing.”

“Education is an exchange in connecting knowledge to power,” Juliana said. “The teachers are students, and the students are teachers. Education should be used for justice and liberation, instead of simply for knowledge.”

At Bush, faculty and staff are encouraged to pursue their passions while growing and learning as mentors. By developing her musical expertise both inside and outside the classroom, Juliana demonstrates bravery in her teaching style while encouraging her students to do the same.
 

“I think it’s important to still pursue my artistic career, because it would be hypocrisy if I taught students how to be artistic without putting effort into my own craft as an artist and as a scholar,” Juliana said. “I try to keep up with my music making as much as I try to keep up with my scholarly work: publishing articles, contributing to chapter books, and presenting at conferences. I am appreciative of the support I have received from Bush over the years—it is a gift to be able to remain curious and grow as an educator and artist while I help our students grow. As students ‘learn by doing,’ we lead by example.”

Juliana’s talents were recognized when she was nominated as a semifinalist for the 2026 Grammy Music Educator Award and made history as the first Brazilian ever nominated for the award. This incredible accolade recognizes teachers who have made a lasting impact on music education and who demonstrate a passionate commitment to keeping it alive in schools. Juliana was first selected from more than 2,000 applicants to the 200 quarterfinalists and then qualified as one of the twenty-five selected to advance to the semifinals. Her dedication continues to propel her toward greater heights, further highlighting the courage it takes to spread harmony to every budding Bush musician.
 

“I wouldn’t be here without my students or without my community,” Juliana said. “If I was able to get this far, it was because of every student I have taught throughout my years in education, both in the United States and Brazil. And, of course, because of our Bush students, who inspire me every single day to be the best educator, musician, and human I can be. This specific process has taught me that, more than ever, when your community has your back, you can reach places you never imagined you could. In a time when I am feeling like I need to lessen my identity, my Latinidad, myself, and to call the least amount of attention possible to my existence, being in such a spotlight feels equally antagonistic and validating.”