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 – November 11/12, 2020
I hope everyone is enjoying this stint of warm weather!
Jaron – great job with sightreading Aunt Rhody today!
– 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 before playing, and practicing going down the scale without hesitating), Twinkle (play one theme or variation each time you practice), Song of the Wind (run-throughs and count how many D’s and C#’s you’re playing in the last line), and Go Tell Aunt Rhody (play through whole song, getting comfortable with the notes).
Olivia – great work with Plink Plank Plunk today! Good luck with your strings test!
– Recommended practice time: 30 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: review 2 octave scales and G Major thirds, Plink Plank Plunk (keep consistent tempo and watch out for the sharps), Tango (m. 19 short-long-short-long rhythm and count the number of notes), and Carpathia (practice run-through). I know we’re focusing on school music for now but try to squeeze in practice for Mirror duet and Avatar State if you can!
Amaia – fantastic work with adding fingerings to your playing today!
– Recommended practice time: 15 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: Violin Starter Pack open string plucking and bowing, 1-2-3 fingering pattern on E string, and first part of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Keep on experimenting with sounds on your violin as well!
Hendry
– Reminder: Put away phone and any distractions before the lesson!
– Recommended practice time: 20 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: C Major scale (2 octaves, doing a posture and bow hold check before playing), Andantino (short-short-long patterns, long smooth bows in the third line, and rit. phrases), Disillusion (m. 9 rhythms and keep playing through, getting familiar and comfortable with all notes and rhythms), and Question (first page and intro rhythms – don’t forget that the first two notes are faster than you think! Also, listen to the song while following with the music).
Thank you and happy playing!
