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 25, 2021
Today is our last lesson before the school year starts – I hope everyone enjoys the rest of their summer holiday and I’ll see you in September!
Grace
– Reminder: purchase Suzuki Violin Book 2 sometime soon
– Recommended practice time: 20 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: G, A, B-flat, and C Major scales (2 octaves, watch out for starting notes on second and third finger for B-flat and C), Minuet 3 (prepare for final play-through and think about expression – short bows or long bows, and dynamics), and Happy Farmer (repeat syncopated patterns over and over until you feel more comfortable, and then add to larger phrase).
Olivia – I hope your arm feels better soon!
– 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), Mirror duet (get familiar with first section of upside-down part, and try playing right-side-up part with YouTube video), Go the Distance (ending section rhythms and bowings), see if there’s anything you want to add to our Zero to Hero arrangement, and if you want, review some music theory basics on musictheory.net!
Hendry – enjoy the rest of your travels!
– 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, and check for intonation and make sure the scale sounds like do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do), Hunter’s Chorus (watch out for up-up bowings and stretch the pinky finger), and Catharsis (stretch third finger for C# and first finger for A# and D#).
Thank you, stay safe, and happy playing!
