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 – October 13/14, 2021
I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving weekend!
Jaron
– Recommended practice time: 15 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: G, D, and A Major scales (doing our usual posture and bow hold check each time before playing, and making sure our left hand fingers are not stretched too high), Perpetual Motion (prepare for final play-through, try to play through without stopping and practice middle section), and Allegretto (play through slowly and get familiar with the notes, and play D Major scale before playing).
Olivia – it was so nice to see you in person today!
– 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 E Major shift fo fourth position, and B-flat Major for Danse Macabre), Danse Macabre (third and fourth position section, try to look at the other shifts I wrote down, and we will definitely take a look at them at our next lesson), and go over any duets you want to play together since we can finally do so!
Amaia
– Recommended practice time: 15 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: G, D, and A Major scales (doing our usual posture and bow hold check each time before playing), O Come Little Children (adding in the rhythms with short and long notes), and May Song (first full line, play through slowly and get familiar with the notes, and look ahead if you’d like!).
Preet
– Recommended practice time: 15 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: 0-1-2-3-2-1-0 fingering patterns on each string (warm-up), G, D, and A Major scales (doing our usual posture and bow hold check each time before playing, and play through slowly and get used to string crossing transitions), Twinkle (theme and variations A and C, playing through both variations with consistent rhythms), and Lightly Row (play through slowly and get familiar with the notes).
Grace
– Recommended practice time: 20 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: 2-octave scales (especially with those shifting to third position), Happy Farmer (prepare for final play-through next week, work on saving the bow and adjusting bow position), and Gavotte (go over grace notes bowing down-up-down, and play through second section slowly without slurs to get used to the notes first).
Hendry – congratulations for finishing Long Long Ago variation!
– Recommended practice time: 30 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: C, D, E-flat, F, and G Major scales (2 octaves, doing our usual posture and bow hold check each time before playing, and pay attention to intonation), D minor scale (1 octave), Waltz (play through slowly and get familiar with the notes, first without slurs and bowings), and Catharsis (continue to watch out for high third finger and shift to third position, play through second section slowly before increasing the tempo).
Thank you, stay safe, and happy playing!
