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
Is Zoe Your Teacher?
Sign up now to get your weekly assignments delivered, and never lose your homework sheet again!
Weekly Homework Post – November 4/5, 2020
Jaron – Great work on Song of the Wind today!
– Reminder: Since the Wi-Fi connection has been lagging, see if you can set up at a spot closer to your router next lesson.
– Recommended practice time: 15 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: G, D, and A Major scales (with posture and bow hold check before playing), Twinkle theme and variations (one variation each time you practice, and remember that you can look at the notes if you forget the rhythms!), Song of the Wind (run-throughs to get more comfortable with the piece), and Go Tell Aunt Rhody (first phrase, look ahead if you’d like!)
Olivia – I loved hearing your arrangement today, thanks for sharing it with me!
– Recommended practice time: 30 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: 2 octave scales review and G Major thirds, Tango (m. 19 rhythms and pizz. chords at the beginning), Carpathia (last few lines, and add accents!), and Plink Plank Plunk (watch out for rhythms and accidentals). I know we are focusing on school music for now but if you have time, try to practice Mirror Duet and Avatar State!
Amaia – You made some great progress today!
– Recommended practice time: 15 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: open strings pizzicato and bowing, p. 5 and 6 of Violin Starter packet, review violin and bow parts, and keep on practicing that curved bow hold! And feel free to experiment with your violin and see what sounds you can make!
Hendry – Your accents sounded fantastic today!
– Reminder: Put away distractions like your phone before your lesson!
– Recommended practice time: 20 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: C Major scale (2 octaves, with posture and bow hold check before playing), Allegretto (prepare for final run-through next week, with focus on short-short-long patterns, accents, and the bow retake at the end of the second line), Andantino (short-short-long patterns and nice long bow strokes at the third line), Disillusion (up bows at the end section and m. 9 rhythms), and Question (beginning phrase section, but look ahead if you’d like!).
Thank you and happy playing!
