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 – June 16/17, 2021
Wednesday folks, just a reminder that next week is your last lesson of the school year, BUT if you have missed a lesson, you may be having a make-up lesson the week after, so make sure to check your emails and phone messages to confirm your schedule! Thursday folks, this week was your last lesson of the school year, BUT if you missed a lesson, you may be having a make-up lesson next week, so make sure to check your emails and phone messages to confirm as well!
Jaron
– Recommended practice time: 15 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: G, D, and A Major scales (with our usual posture and bow hold check each time before playing), Perpetual Motion (watch out for third finger and make sure it’s not stretched too high), and Allegretto (slowly play through first two lines and get familiar with the notes).
Olivia
– Reminder: if you don’t want a lesson on your birthday this summer, make sure to call and cancel!
– 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 new scales B and B-flat Major), Mirror duet (practice full run-through for our full run-through duet), and Go the Distance (we’ll try to spend more time on this next week, just keep practicing the shifts in the latter half).
Amaia – I hope your neck feels better soon! If your neck muscles keep bothering you, you can practice by holding your violin like a guitar and plucking.
– Recommended practice time: 15 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: G, D, and A Major scales (with our usual posture and bow hold check each time before playing, and make sure your second finger is stretching high enough), Song of the Wind (prepare for final play-through and try not to slow down during the piece), and Go Tell Aunt Rhody (focus on second line).
Crosby – missed you again this week, but I’ll see you for your make-up lesson next week!
– 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 (with our usual posture and bow hold check each time before playing), and Song of the Wind (play through beginning slowly, and we will go over notes and fingerings next time).
Hendry – congratulations for finishing your review of Suzuki Book 1!
– Recommended practice time: 20 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: C, D, E-flat, and F Major scales (2 octaves, with our usual posture and bow hold check each time before playing), Gavotte (practice contrasting short and long bows), and Kishi ou No Hokori (make sure to count out all the beats for the long notes and rests, and aim for smoother grace notes).
Grace – great work sight-reading Minuet 2 today!
– Recommended practice time: 20 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: G, A, and C Major scales (2 octaves, with our usual posture and bow hold check each time before playing, and practice E string shift for C Major), Minuet 1 (focus on section with low second finger and then fourth finger, make sure it’s not too sharp), and Minuet 2 (play through slowly and get familiar with the notes).
Thank you, stay safe, and happy playing! And, if this is the last time I’m seeing you for a few weeks, I hope you have a fantastic summer!
