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 – October 28/29, 2020
I hope everyone is enjoying this fall weather so far!
Jaron
– Reminder: purchase Suzuki Violin Book 1 if you can, the Amazon link was in previous homework post emails
– Recommended practice time: 15 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: G, D, and A Major scales (making sure to check posture and bow hold before each time you play), Twinkle (Theme and variations, choose one to play each time you practice), Song of the Wind (practice full run-throughs with repeat and go over 1-3-3-1-0 pattern with bow retake), and Aunt Rhody (first phrase, look ahead if you’d like!)
Olivia
– Recommended practice time: 30 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: Review all 2 octave major scales and G major thirds, Tango (m. 19 section and rhythms), Plink Plank Plunk (rhythms and practice playing on 2 and 4 vs. 1 and 3), and Carpathia (full run-throughs to get familiar with the notes and watch out for up-up bowing patterns). I know we’re focusing on school music right now but practice Avatar State and Mirror Duet once in a while so you don’t forget how to play them!
Amaia – Great job bowing your strings and reading music today!
– Recommended practice time: 15 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: Rockin’ on D and A, Two String Salsa, and Les Toreadors in Violin Starter Packet plucking and if you feel comfortable, you can try bowing them! Also feel free to experiment with plucking and bowing all open strings and seeing what sounds you can make!
Hendry
– Recommended practice time: 20 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: G Major scale (2 octaves, remember 1-2 finger pattern and remember to do a posture and bow hold check before playing!), Allegretto (rhythms and short-short-long patterns, and add accents – don’t be afraid to dig in with your bow into the strings!), Andantino (rhythms and short-short-long patterns, include rit. slow down at the end of lines 3 and 4), and Disillusion (up bows for the ending phrases and rhythm pattern at m.9)
Thank you and happy playing!
