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 – March 24/25, 2021
I hope everyone is enjoying the warmer weather this week! I was so happy to see everyone again after a week break.
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 you play a scale), May Song (prepare for final play-through next time and practice dynamics), and Long Long Ago (play through slowly and get familiar with notes, with special focus on the third line with the E’s on the D string).
Olivia
– Reminder: print out A Thousand Years Intro that we worked on together and put it together with the sheet music you already have
– 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), A Thousand Years (with the intro added on and trying to feel each beat in one rather than three), and Mirror Duet (we didn’t have time for this today but please make sure to continue practicing this).
Amaia
– Reminder: your A and E strings are still out of tune, so if you can and feel comfortable, see if you can get them tuned at a music store like Long & McQuade. I recommend calling ahead and seeing if they can do curbside drop-off. If you have any questions or concerns about this, please let me know!
– Recommended practice time: 15 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: window washer bow exercises (making sure your thumb is curved), G, D, and A Major scales (making sure your bow is in the middle of the fingerboard and bridge, and doing a posture and bow hold check each time you play a scale), Twinkle (put some extra practice into variation B “bacon and”, we’re so close to wrapping up this song!), and Lightly Row (first two lines, play through slowly and get familiar with the notes.)
Crosby – thank you so much for going into a music store to get your violin tuned! I understand it is more difficult and inconvenient during these pandemic times, so I really do appreciate the effort put into tuning your strings.
– Recommended practice time: 15 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: 0-1-2-3-2-1-0 fingering patterns on all strings (making sure your bow is staying in the middle of the bridge and fingerboard), A Major scale (remember the pattern is up on A, up on E, down on E, down on A), Twinkle (play through and try to read the notation while playing even though you have it memorised, just to get used to reading notation), and look ahead at Lightly Row if you wish!
Hendry
– 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-octave, and make sure to continue doing your posture and bow hold checks), Minuet 2 (watch out for long-short-short rhythms and keep distance from fourth finger and low second finger big), Question (we’re taking a short break from this piece but try to play it once in a while), and Starting the Case (look out for accidentals in general, with low ones, high threes, and low fours).
Grace – congratulations on finishing Song of the Wind!
– Reminder: if you can, please purchase Suzuki Violin Book 1
– Recommended practice time: 15 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: G, D, and A Major scales (doing a posture and bow hold check each time before playing), Go Tell Aunt Rhody (try to add in dynamics in second line and long, fluid bowing), and look ahead at O Come Little Children if you wish!
Thank you, stay safe, and happy playing!
