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
Is Zoe Your Teacher?
Sign up now to get your weekly assignments delivered, and never lose your homework sheet again!
Weekly Homework Post – May 14th, 2020
I hope everyone has a great long weekend ahead!
Hendry – the Disillusion theme is coming along nicely!
– Reminder: I know your space is a bit tricky, but try to set up your iPad so that I can see your head, shoulders, and viola.
– Recommended practice time: 15-20 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: D Major scale (2-3 and 1-2 finger patterns), Long Long Ago (with 4th finger exercises and focus on even short-short and long rhythms), Allegro (nicely played today, now try to have more contrast between short bouncy bows and long smooth bows), and Disillusion (listen on Spotify and try to follow along with music, with focus on the rhythms).
Olivia – playing Mamma Mia was super fun today, and nice job finishing the entirety of Judas Maccabeas!
– Reminder: if it helps to print out your music and write in fingerings/reminders, please do so.
– Recommended practice time: usually 30-45 min/day 5 days/week, but for now, try to set small achievable goals for yourself each day.
– Practice: All A scales (major, harmonic, melodic 2 octaves), musictheory.net notation exercises, Judas Maccabeas (with more focus on 4th finger, sharps, and slurs), and Mamma Mia (first 2 lines, slowly go through the notes and familiarise yourself with the piece and listen to the music).
Thank you and happy playing! I hope everyone is staying well and healthy!
