Two-Second Break – Jonas (Ottolien) – EP Live Session
Jonas
"First and foremost, my classroom is a safe space. My students can express themselves freely about anything that matters to them."
In 2008, Jonas applied (Vocal coach and singing teacher) and his brother Leonard, who were just 10 and 12 years old at the time, applied to the "Berlin Young Music Scene Gathering" and were actually invited. They were by far the youngest participants and were able to learn a lot at this "boot camp" for aspiring musicians and make some great connections.
"Of course, there are also lots of jam sessions there. The best part was meeting other musicians from a wide variety of genres and exchanging ideas with them. Especially for a ten-year-old, it's cool to make music there with musicians who are much older and more experienced."
The "early bird" thing was practically in his blood. Jonas couldn't even talk yet when he enthusiastically turned the upside-down buckets in the sandbox into a drum set. He was captivated by rhythm, and his parents were ready to encourage exactly that.
He was born and raised "in the middle of nowhere"—namely, somewhere in the center of Germany—in a very supportive family, as he points out.
Even before starting school, Jonas dabbles in "songwriting" and learns to play the guitar. Sounds a little early, yes—but that’s exactly how it was. Together with his brother Leonard, he receives particularly creative guitar lessons from his guitar teacher Florian, a self-proclaimed "metalhead" with long hair, a Metallica shirt, and a willingness to think outside the box during lessons.
"Our teacher didn't want to just stubbornly drill us on random songs, so he picked up some dice, rolled them, and we used the five chords we knew to compose, play, and sing our own songs—all by chance."
He continued taking guitar lessons—which included singing—until he was 14, but Jonas found himself struggling with how he compared to his brother. So he took a step back and decided to go "back to his roots" :). His parents heeded this call and gave him his first drum set for his eighth birthday.
Anyone who assumes he received excellent instruction here, too, is mistaken. In fact, he taught himself to play the drums entirely on his own, with only very little guidance from his guitar teacher.
Singing has always been a part of it—"the eternal companion," as he puts it. It was a tradition to round up the family whenever he had something new of his own to share—then they would play, sing, and, above all, rock out as hard as they could.
He recalls: "When I played drums for songs—for example, by Die Toten Hosen—I always sang the backing vocals, too."
He's also a reliable backup singer in the school bands.
Changing schools brought new musical influences. What could be a better fit for his affinity for rhythm than hip-hop? Everything he’s learned so far—songwriting, drums, guitar, and background vocals—comes together here to form the foundation for a completely new musical direction: German rap.
Sido, as well as the Hamburg School—led by Sammy Deluxe—have the strongest influence on him. This already shows that gangster rap isn’t quite his thing; he wants his lyrics to make sense and keep an open mind. Homophobia and sexist remarks have no place in his lyrics.
Like so many young musicians, he thought he might need a solid Plan B—something practical—but he dropped out of his training program to become a media designer specializing in image and sound after the probationary period, because there simply wasn’t enough room left for music.
He puts together a mixtape that gets him into the Popkurs, a short-term, intensive program in Hamburg focused on music production and the music business. It’s all a bit like the "Treffen junge Musikszene Berlin," except he’s now over 20.
Since 2018, Jonas has been studying popular music with a major in vocal performance at the University of Music, Drama, and Media in Hanover. He also produces music for others and works on a joint project with his brother Leonard—the band OTTOLIEN. Their sound blends indie pop with hip-hop. Two EPs have already been released, and their first album, "WIR TUN UNS SO GUT WEH," is set to come out in 2023. If you’d like to give them a listen, you can find them on all major platforms and streaming services.
In his singing lessons, he teaches all the essential techniques that enable his students to sing songs correctly and in a way that is good for their voices. In addition, he places great emphasis on expression and style—in short, everything that makes songs touch the heart.
"For a song to really resonate when you sing it, it takes more than just technique. Hitting the right notes isn't everything. The emotion has to come through in your expression, and that's what I work on with my students."
He teaches with a focus on pop, rock, and hip-hop.
Did his story captivate you? Would you like to learn from his vocal and musical versatility and discover how to make a song truly touch people’s hearts when you sing it? Then book your free trial lesson with Jonas now and experience the sound of your voice—sensitive, expressive, and simply compelling.
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