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 2/3, 2021
Apologies for last week’s homework post being very delayed! I accidentally didn’t click on the right group to send it to and I’ll make sure to pay closer attention to that from now on!
Jaron – congratulations on finishing Allegro!
– Recommended practice time: 15 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: G, D, and A Major scales (with our usual posture and bow hold check, and make sure your bow is in the middle of the bridge and fingerboard), Perpetual Motion (practice 0-1-2-3-4-3-2-1-0 fingerings on each string to exercise pinky finger, and focus on second section pinky finger parts), and Allegretto (look at the beginning of the song and play through slowly).
Olivia – I hope you continue to feel better!
– Reminder: take breaks when practicing if you need to!
– Recommended practice time: 30 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: review 2-octave major and minor scales (with focus on B-flat Major, and continue to try to memorise fingering patterns for all scales), Mirror duet (try not to slow down in the second section), and Go the Distance (focus on latter sections with shifting).
Amaia
– Recommended practice time: 15 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: G, D, and A Major scales (with our usual posture and bow hold check, and make sure your bow is in the middle of the bridge and fingerboard), Song of the Wind (play through whole song a little faster), and Go Tell Aunt Rhody (first two lines, with focus on the new second line, and try to play through without stopping).
Crosby – congratulations on finishing all theme and variations of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star!
– Reminder: please have a parent call the office to officially cancel your lesson next week!
– Recommended practice time: 15 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: 0-1-2-3-2-1-0 fingering patterns on all strings (warm-up), G, D, and A Major scales (with our usual posture and bow hold check, and make sure your bow is in the middle of the bridge and fingerboard), and Song of the Wind (first line, with focus on second half 1-3-3-1-0 pattern, or, E1-A3-E3-E1-E).
Hendry
– Recommended practice time: 20 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: C, E-flat, D, and F Major scales (2 octaves, with our usual posture and bow hold check, and make sure to check intonation of F Major especially), Gavotte (watch out for when there are high and low second fingers, and play through second part to get more familiar with the notes), and Kishi Ou no Hokori (watch out for low ones for E-flat and B-flat).
Grace
– Recommended practice time: 20 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: G, D, and A Major scales (1 octave, with our usual posture and bow hold, and G and A Major 2 octaves), Etude (try to play through with a faster tempo), and Minuet 1 (use pinky finger in sections we talked about and practice down-up-up bowing, making sure you save enough bow).
Thank you, stay safe, and happy playing!
