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 – July 13, 2022
Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer break so far!
Olivia –
– 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 F Major shift to fifth position – remember you go 1-2-3 and then shift, not 1-2-3-4 shift), Spring (practice end of second page and beginning of second page – play through slowly and get familiar with the notes), and see if there’s anything you’d like to add to our Zero to Hero arrangement!
Hendry – enjoy the end of summer school!
– Recommended practice time: 30 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: C, D, E-flat, E, F, and G Major scales (2 octaves, doing our usual posture and bow hold check each time before playing, and stretching fourth finger in E Major on C and G strings only going up and going down the scale), D minor scale (2 octaves – natural, melodic, harmonic – focus on natural fingerings), A Major scale (1 octave, open positions with high 3 on G and D strings), Gavotte (stretch pinky finger to keep fourth finger A from being too flat and remember to have shorter bows when there’s a staccato dot) and Hibari (focus on first three lines and sections where you have to move first and second finger back and forth, and look ahead at next few lines if you have time).
Thank you, stay safe, and happy playing!
Weekly Homework Post – February 16th, 2020
I hope everyone has a great long weekend and Family Day!
Ramiro – happy early birthday! I hope you have a great one.
– Reminder: Remember to bring your Suzuki book next time!
– Recommended practice time: 15-20 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: A Major and D Major scales ( both 1-2-3-4 1-2 and long bow patterns), Twinkle theme and variations, and Lightly Row. During more comfortable pieces, such as the scales and Twinkle variations, pay closer attention to your curved bow hand, straight left hand, and your bow right between the bridge and fingerboard. Play these pieces more than once so you get more comfortable and familiar, until you can play straight through smoothly and without stopping. For Lightly Row, just slowly go over the notes for now and look up the song on YouTube.
Thank you and happy playing!