Hi Everyone!
We are thrilled to announce our new violin instructor, Grace Choe! Grace has been playing violin for many years, and has a lot of experience in orchestral music settings. Some of her accomplishments in violin include being accepted to CODA (California Orchestra Director's Association)'s Junior High All-State Concert Orchestra, and being the section leader for the second violins in the Pleasanton Youth Orchestra. Read on to learn about Grace's passion for music and her ambitions for teaching moving forward!
Introduce yourself!
Hi, my name is Grace, I’m a rising 8th grader, and I play the violin!
How long have you been playing the violin? What started your journey into music?
I’ve been playing the violin for 3 years. What started my journey of music, specifically the violin, is quite funny. I really liked a pajama set that I had, that had forest animals playing instruments. Of course, I saw the bear playing a cello and thought it was a violin. I chose violin, and when I got my first violin, you could say I was confused.
Are there any musicians or people in the music profession who you look up to?
I look up to many musicians (violinists in particular) to get motivation from. Many of my fellow classmates are very talented. I get inspiration from violinists like Ray Chen, Hilary Hahn, Chloe Chua, Sohyun Ko, Itzhak Perlman, and Pinchas Zukerman. Those are only a few of my favorites. :)
What are your goals as a teacher, and why did you decide to start teaching with Bow Buddies Music?
My goals as a teacher honestly is to share music with people to enjoy, and finding people’s passion for music. I decided to start teaching at bow buddies because it was fun to share my knowledge of the violin to others.
What do you love most about music and violin?
I like how music can express things that no such words can, and how music can bring people together. The violin fits me very well, with the things you can do it as it can produce many styles and a variety of notes. I might be glad I didn’t know that a cello isn’t a violin…
What is your favorite piece of orchestral music?
My favorite piece of music would probably be Salut D’amour by Edward Elgar written in the late 1800’s, because it was the first piece I felt emotion to on the violin. As I imagined a bright sky to a picnic to a sunset, I felt a story line between the notes and a sweet tenderness to the piece. I felt like it was the first time I felt, “Is this what music is?”
What's your favorite ice cream flavor?
My favorite ice cream flavor is Strawberry Sorbet, which is quite funny for a person who dislikes strawberries by itself as a fruit. I love most strawberry-flavored things. I’m lactose-intolerant, so I don’t get a lot of chocolate or vanilla, something classic, but that’s amazing as well.
If anyone is interested in taking violin lessons with Grace, please fill out the form on the "lessons" section of our website and we will get back to you. Thank you!