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 – April 6/7, 2022
Jaron
– Recommended practice time: 15 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: G, D, and A Major scales (1 octave, doing our usual posture and bow hold check each time before playing), G Major scale (2 octaves, make sure to check which strings has a 2-3 or 1-2 fingering position), and Etude (first two lines now, play through slowly and all together, and make sure to not only read the fingering numbers at the top, but the actual notes themselves too).
Olivia – good luck with your test!
– Recommended practice time: 30 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: Review 2-octave Major and minor scales (try to memorise fingering patterns for each scale, and focus on B and B-flat Major – make sure to stretch fourth finger for B Major), Go the Distance (practice full run-throughs), and Spring (first page shifts and bowings, and play through second page slowly and get familiar with the notes).
Amaia – congratulations on finishing Long Long Ago!
– Recommended practice time: 15 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: G, D, and A Major scales (1 octave, doing our usual posture and bow hold check each time before playing), and Allegro (play through whole piece slowly and get familiar with the notes).
Isabella
– Recommended practice time: 15 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: Practice holding violin under chin with hands and no hands, and also with hand in plucking position (make sure thumb is on the corner of the fingerboard while plucking), practice Les Toreador on first page of Violin Starter Packet and Three Point Shot and Mix ‘Em Up on the next page (which includes G string), and review bow hold and have fun experimenting with bowing open strings, now adding bowing each string separately!
Thea – congratulations on finishing your last lesson at ABC! Keep in touch and best wishes on your future endeavours!
Grace – missed you today! Keep on practicing your scales and Hunter’s Chorus!
Hendry
– Reminder: Brainstorm other anime music you may want to play
– Recommended practice time: 30 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: C, D, E-flat, E, F, and G Major scales (2 octaves, doing our usual posture and bow hold check each time before playing, and focus on new scale E Major – make sure to stretch fourth finger higher), D minor scale (2 octaves – natural, melodic, harmonic, focus on natural scale and making sure it sounds different than major), Gavotte (make sure pizz. at the end is a little faster and make sure to pluck over fingerboard, and watch out for bowings and accidentals), and Catharsis (whole first page – watch out for key changes between D and E-fat Major, and look ahead at second page if you’d like).
Thank you, stay safe, and happy playing!
