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 – September 29/30, 2021
Just a reminder that some of you will be returning to in-person lessons next week! Make sure to check your emails for more information on who is allowed to do that!
Jaron – great work with maintaining your bow hold during scales today!
– Recommended practice time: 15 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: window washer bow hold exercises, G, D, and A Major scales (doing our usual posture and bow hold check each time before playing, and try not to stretch your fingers too much), Perpetual Motion (continue practicing playing through without stopping, and make sure your third finger isn’t stretched too high), and Allegretto (first two lines, play through slowly and get familiar with the notes, and try playing D Major before playing the song).
Olivia – good luck on your performance next week!
– Reminder: upload your information for the in-person requirements
– 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 with shifting to fourth position), Mirror duet (play through upside-down part with consistent tempo, and watch out for 4-3-4-4 pattern), Go the Distance (full piece, even though we haven’t looked at this in a while), and see if there’s anything you want to add to our Zero to Hero arrangement.
Amaia – congratulations on finishing Go Tell Aunt Rhody!
– 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 try to put more weight on your bow on G string to make the sound come out better), and O Come Little Children (full song now, with focus on last 2 sections).
Preet – congratulations on finishing the Violin Starter Packet!
– Reminder: purchase Suzuki Violin Book 1, and try to find your shoulder rest
– Recommended practice time: 15 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: window washer bow hold exercises, open strings warm-up, 0-1-2-3-3-2-1-0 fingering patterns on each string plucking and then bowing, and G, D, and A Major scales.
Grace – great work on learning how to shift today!
– Recommended practice time: 20 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: 2-octave scales (with focus on new scale D Major with shifting, and G Major with shifting), and Happy Farmer (try to save bow in up bow upbeats so you don’t run out of bow in the next phrase).
Hendry – congratulations on finishing Hunter’s Chorus!
– Recommended practice time: 30 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: C, D, E-flat, and F Major scales (2 octaves, doing our usual posture and bow hold check each time before playing), Long Long Ago variation (play through slowly and get familiar with the notes, try just down-up bowing first and once you get comfortable, add in down-up-up), and Catharsis (practice going in between D Major and E-flat Major sections, and keep an eye on your high third fingers and first fingers).
Thank you, stay safe, and happy playing!
