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 – May 5/6, 2021
Congratulations to those who played in our recital on Saturday! I’m so proud of you all!
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), Long Long Ago (play through without stopping and with dynamics soft/loud in the third line), and Allegro (with differences between short bows and long bows in the third line).
Olivia
– Reminder: if there’s a song in your book you want to look over together, make sure to take a picture of it or scan it and upload to the dropbox
– Recommended practice time: 30 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: review 2 octave major and minor scales (with focus on our new scale, B Major), Go the Distance (watch out for low ones and high threes, and shifting section), and Mirror duet (play through and prepare for more duet-ing next lesson).
Amaia – I’m so glad you participated in our recital and thank you for getting your violin tuned!
– 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 Song of the Wind (first one and a half lines, with focus on 1-3-3-1-0 pattern and bow retake).
Crosby
– Recommended practice time: 15 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: 0-1-2-3-2-1-0 fingering pattern on each string (warm-up), G, D, and A Major scales (with our usual posture and bow hold check each time before playing, make sure right hand is closer to the frog), Twinkle (theme and variations A, C, and D – make sure D triplets are all even and contrasting with C’s long-short-short), and Lightly Row (watch out for half notes – they are longer and count for 2 beats!).
Hendry – I’m so glad you participated in our recital!
– Recommended practice time: 20 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: G, D, and C Major scales (1 octave), C and E-flat Major scales (2 octaves, with our usual posture and bow hold check each time before playing), Minuet 3 (practice holding down fingers and watch out for fourth finger stretch), and Starting the Case (even rhythms in the transition into the second section).
Grace – I’m so glad you participated in our recital with both of your instruments!
– 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), Allegro (with contrast between short and long bows), Perpetual Motion (practice with fourth finger and other variations), and Allegretto (play through slowly and get familiar with the notes, practice accents on open strings).
Thank you, stay safe, and happy playing!
