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 – April 28/29, 2021
If you want to and haven’t already, make sure to register for our online recital this Saturday by calling the office! If you’ve decided not to perform, you can still check out the performances on the ABC Facebook page :)
Jaron
– Recommended practice time: 15 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: G, D, and A Major scales (doing our usual posture and bow hold check each time before playing), Long Long Ago (hold out half notes and practice playing through without stopping), and Allegro (practice having different short and long bows).
Olivia
– Reminder: if there’s a song you want to work on together from your music books, make sure to scan it and put it in the dropbox folder so we can take a look during our lesson!
– Recommended practice time: 30 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: review 2-octave major and minor scales (focusing on B-flat Major this week and watch out for low first fingers), Mirror duet (listen to recording and practice second section even rhythms), and Go the Distance (shifting sections).
Amaia – I’m so excited to hear you play on Saturday!
– Reminder: when it’s your turn during the recital, you can start with an intro before playing and say, “My name is Amaia and I will be playing Lightly Row today.”
– Recommended practice time: 15 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: G, D, and A Major scales (doing our usual posture and bow hold check each time before playing, and make sure your bow is staying in the middle of the bridge and fingerboard), Lightly Row (full run-throughs to prepare for Saturday along with saying intro), and Song of the Wind (first line and watch out for 1-3-3-1-0 pattern!).
Crosby
– Recommended practice time: 15 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: 0-1-2-3-2-1-0 fingering pattern (warm-up), G, D, and A Major scales (watch out for bow hold and move hand closer to frog), Twinkle (theme and variations A and C, with focus on C and having two “green pepper” or “long-short-short” per note), and Lightly Row (full song now, with more practice with the new last two lines).
Hendry
– Reminder: when it’s your turn during the recital, you can start with an intro before playing and say, “My name is Hendry and I will be playing Disillusion by Sachi Tainaka today.”
– Recommended practice time: 20 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: C, G, and D Major scales (1 octave), C and E-flat Major scales (2 octaves, doing our usual posture and bow hold check each time before playing), Minuet 3 (make sure to stretch pinky finger and watch out for whether it is F# or F-natural), Disillusion (full run-through and practice saying intro), and Starting the Case (practice new bowing and retakes at the end of the piece).
Grace
– Reminder: when it’s your turn during the recital, you can start with an intro before playing and say, “My name is Grace and I will be playing Long Long Ago today.”
– Recommended practice time: 15 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: G, D, and A Major scales (doing usual posture and bow hold check each time before playing), Long Long Ago (full run-through and practice saying intro for Saturday), Allegro (practice contrasting short and long bows), and Perpetual Motion (play through slowly and get familiar with the notes, along with practicing fourth finger for E).
Thank you, stay safe, and happy playing!
