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 14th/15th, 2020
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend!
Jaron
– Reminder: see if you can find Suzuki Violin Book 1 in your library, or order the book on Amazon
– Recommended practice time: 15 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: A, D, and G Major scales (while doing posture and bow hand checks before each scale), Twinkle (themes and variations A-E, one variation per practice time, practice even 1-2-3 notes for D), and Song of the Wind (retake in the last line and 1-3-3-1-0 pattern).
Olivia
– Recommended practice time: 20-30 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: Review all scales on scale sheet with the finger patterns, Mirror Duet (with focus on bowing and slurs), Avatar State (first violin part until tempo change, but look ahead if you’d like), and school orchestra music (tango – watch out for rhythms!)
Amaia – welcome to ABC! Great job on your first lesson!
– Reminder: see if you can purchase a shoulder rest
– Recommended practice time: 15 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: plucking G, D, A, and E strings 4 times each, and review violin and bow parts
Hendry
– Recommended practice time: 20 min/day, 5 days/week
– Practice: C Major scale (2 octaves, keep watching out for the 1-2 pattern on D and A strings, and remember to check your posture and bow hand before you play each time), Allegretto (stretch pinky finger higher and remember to retake before second part), Andantino (play through a few times and get comfortable with the notes), and Disillusion (with focus on rhythms and starting with up bow when there is an upbeat).
Thank you and happy playing!
