Master of Music (Boston University)
Bachelor of Arts (Brandeis University)
Zoe Fong is a M.M. graduate of Boston University School of Music and B.A. graduate of Brandeis University, where she studied music education and music composition respectively. She is a viola, violin, and ukulele player and has performed (primarily as a violist) in Canada, the United States, Austria, Germany, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and the Philippines. As a composition student at Brandeis, she focused on film scoring and minored in film studies, and additionally went abroad to Vienna, Austria for one semester to focus on viola performance. She loves musical theatre as well and has experience as a music director, conductor, performer, pit orchestra musician, and producer in various community and university productions.
While Zoe has found joy in many musical areas, she has found her true calling in music education. She has taught a range of ages and musical subjects including preschool music, elementary chorus, band, strings, and general music, middle school jazz band and strings, high school strings, chorus, and music theory, and private viola, violin, and composition lessons. There is nothing she loves more than sharing her passion for music and helping her students find their own passion and artistic voice.
Get to know Zoe…Beyond the Bio!
Hobbies: Teaching myself new instruments, dancing, reading
Musical influences: Kim Kashkashian, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Danny Elfman
Favourite food: Dumplings
Least favourite food: Broccoli
Favorite music: A little of everything!
Favourite song: Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
Favourite movie: Ladybird
Favourite movie music: Edward Scissorhands – Danny Elfman
Favourite musical theatre/opera: Les Miserables, Hadestown, and Hamilton
Best quote from your teacher: “Don’t leave your baggage at the door. Bring it in and let’s make music with it.”
Favourite quote: “This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before.” – Leonard Bernstein
Favourite book: The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon…and also Harry Potter by JK Rowling
Latest Homework from Zoe
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Weekly Homework Post – May 28th, 2020
I hope everyone is staying well and safe!
Jaron – congratulations on finishing your first lesson!
– Reminder: please purchase Suzuki Violin Book 1, and your lesson next week will be at 2:30
– Recommended practice time: 15 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: Mary Had a Little Lamb and other pieces you learned in school. Try it on different strings if you can. And, don’t be afraid to play and experiment! What combination of sounds and notes do you like and not like?
Hendry – I hope you have an amazing summer and I will see you in September!
– Reminder: Try to practice consistently even though you won’t have weekly lessons for a while!
– Recommended practice time: 15-20 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: C, G, and D scales, all Suzuki songs so far, Question, and Disillusion. Remember that even though we “finished” with a Suzuki song, that doesn’t mean we will never play it again! Try to practice some once in a while so you don’t forget them. For Question and Disillusion, since they are very challenging pieces, make sure to slowly go through them one note at a time. Don’t be afraid to take your time and listen to the music to learn the rhythms.
Olivia – I’m sorry about the broken string! I know it was frustrating but I appreciate you still playing and continuing the lesson and being a trooper.
– Reminder: follow the email plan we made to figure out a solution for the string. Don’t stress too much about it, we will figure it out! Email your music teacher first, and if your school and ABC do not have extra strings, look into Long and McQuade and other music shops near you to see if you can do delivery or curbside pick up for strings.
– Recommended practice time: 30 min/day, 5 days/week, or small, achievable goals
– Practice: 2 octave scales on the scale sheet, Judas Maccabeas (with a focus on slurs and bowing), and continue learning Mamma Mia. If you can’t find an E string soon, try to play the pieces even without the E string notes!
Thank you, everyone! Happy playing!
