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 – August 10, 2022
Olivia – good luck with your summer school work!
– 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 see if your muscle memory kicks in, and focus on E and F Major shifts – remember for both it is 1-2-3 and then shift on A string, not 1-2-3-4 shift), Spring (make sure to have m. 20-38 mastered by next week’s lesson, remember the chromatic phrase fingerings don’t matter as much, just make sure the half steps are prominent), and see if there’s anything you’d like to add to our Zero to Hero arrangement, especially with tapping the violin!
Hendry – hope you’re having fun on your travels!
– 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), D minor scale (2 octaves – natural, melodic, harmonic), A Major scale (1 octave, open positions with high 3 on G and D strings), Gavotte (prepare for final play-through next lesson with higher fourth finger) and Hibari (remember the small differences between the first and second verses).
Thank you, stay safe, and happy playing!
Weekly Homework Post – March 22nd, 2020
I hope everyone is staying safe and social distancing! It’s a tough time but we will get through it together.
Olivia – thank you for joining us online!
– Recommended practice time: 30-45 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: G and D Major scales (two octaves), A minor natural and harmonic scale (one octave). Since G Major is an easy one for you, use the scale to focus on your bow hand and posture. For D Major, practice your shifting and intonation in third position. For A minor, go over the definitions for natural and harmonic scales and remember to play an F natural instead of an F#. Also practice your school orchestra pieces and focus on the passages with dotted rhythms. Try saying the rhythms out loud first before playing them.
Thank you and happy playing!