Congratulations to LHS young musicians on last week’s stunning Solo & Ensemble performances! It’s thrilling to see everyone reach new levels of confidence and skill.
Special congratulations to players who performed Grade 1 pieces by memory. We look forward to their upcoming performances at State! We’re extra proud of everyone who competed in the ensemble category and earned an additional 1 there as well.
We’re excited to announce that Fishburn Violin Shop will carry Kids Aren’t Lazy: Developing Motivation & Talent. Fishburn has shops in both The Woodlands and Tomball. We’re so happy to partner with them to make KAL available locally to more Texas families!
Congratulations to Ananya B. (Clements HS), who has won a concertmaster solo for her Clements HS orchestra performance at Carnegie Hall on Monday, March 11th! We’re thrilled for Ananya and wish her the best for a fabulous performance.
Congratulations to Lauren H. for winning the J.S. Bach Musical Leadership Scholarship (a merit-based award) at Patrick Henry College in Washington, DC! Join us in celebrating Lauren at her upcoming senior recital on Saturday, April 13th.
We’ll see everyone soon at the LHS Winter Showcase Concert at Virtuosi of Houston on Sunday, February 24th at 6:00 pm! We’re thrilled to welcome back pianist Evelyn Lam to collaborate with LHS young musicians. Performances will feature works by Bruch, Walton, Lalo, Schumann, Kabalevsky, and others, and will be followed by a special performance by Ms. Lam. All are invited to join us for a reception following the recital.
It was amazing to meet everyone this past Saturday at the River Oaks Bookstore! We’re looking forward to hearing how everyone gets on reading Kids Aren’t Lazy: Developing Motivation & Talent Through Music! Mobile users, click through to view the photos from Saturday’s book signing. Stay tuned to hear about our upcoming spring events! Photos & Design: Albertine Wang
Our latest article for @SugarLandMoms is full of tips for attending orchestra concerts with the whole family. Click through to find must-see local performances, too!
We’re excited to let everyone know that Kids Aren’t Lazy: Developing Motivation & Talent Through Music will be available from all four Lisle Violin Shop locations! Lisle has stores in Houston, Pasadena, the Northwest, and Katy. Mobile users, please click through to view the details.
We’re delighted to announce that Kids Aren’t Lazy: Developing Motivation & Talent Through Music is now available from Gold Violin Shop in Houston, Texas. It’s an honor to partner with Philip Gold, a highly respected luthier whose string instrument shop has been a Houston staple for decades. Read more about Mr. Gold and his shop in the Houston Chronicle, HERE.
Kids Aren’t Lazy is also available from Barnes & Noble, Amazon (Kindle and Paperback), Amati Violin Shop, Cardiff Violins, Johnson String Instrument, Carriage House Violins, The River Oaks Bookstore, and the Sugar Land Art Center and Gallery. To read the recent review of Kids Aren’t Lazy in the European String Teachers Association (ESTA UK) Magazine, Arco, click HERE.
This week we’re speaking with Molly H. on what it took for her to make the top HS Region Orchestra (Symphony) just one year (!) after starting viola. Molly began playing the violin at age 6 and often leads The Sugar Strings in their performances around Sugar Land. In addition to playing violin and viola, Molly runs her own piano studio for young musicians.
You study three instruments in addition to your academic subjects! What’s your best piece of advice for other young musicians who want to pursue multiple areas of expertise?
Enjoy it! Don’t let your music just become a grade or a requirement. I feel the most accomplished when I can share my skills and bring joy to others!
How do you balance nerves and confidence in auditions and performances?
Before the region audition, I put positive affirmation statements on notecards, to tell myself I was prepared and would do well! At the audition, tried to block out all the other players and focus on being mentally prepared. At performances, I try to enjoy the music as much as I can and trust my muscle memory and all the hard work I put in!
Leading up to your audition, what was your practice schedule like?
When the music first came out, I made goals to have much of the music memorized fairly quickly. About a month from the audition, I increased my practicing to at least two hours a day. It was definitely challenging, but I found a drive within me. I had worked so hard, I couldn’t just give up! I knew that every minute I worked could be the difference of getting in or not.
Does your viola have a special story behind it? Tell us your favorite things about your instrument and why you chose it.
I really like my viola’s rich tone and, since it is only 14 inches I can switch between violin and viola. It’s an antique made in 1893 and I enjoy thinking of all the people who have heard it played!
What new pieces are you looking forward to adding to your repertoire this year?
I am looking forward to adding both viola and violin peices this year! I am currently preparing Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata on my viola.
“This book is absolutely brilliant…a must read for every teacher and music parent in the land…I shall be recommending it to all I know – go buy, now!!!”
-Vivienne Blumfield for Arco magazine (European String Teachers Association, UK), Fall 2018
We’re over the moon to share the European String Teachers Association review of Kids Aren’t Lazy: Developing Motivation & Talent Through Music from the Fall 2018 issue of Arco, which hits mailboxes today. For mobile readers, click through to your web browser to view the full review.
We’re thrilled to announce that Kids Aren’t Lazy: Developing Motivation & Talent Through Music is now available from Johnson String Instrument! It’s a huge honor to partner with Johnson String Instrument, one of the nation’s most respected sources for string instruments, sheet music, instrument repairs, and accessories. We’re excited to hear how JSI families pursue strategies from Kids Aren’t Lazy in their quests for musical excellence!
Happy Fall, Y’all!
HS Region Auditions will be this Saturday, October 13th, and MS Region Auditions will be next Saturday, October 20th. To celebrate these exciting auditions and help everyone prepare, I’ve teamed up with the Sugar Land Moms Network for an article sharing my audition prep tips! https://thesugarlandmoms.com/4-easy-ways-to-boost-audition-performance-for-orchestra-kids/
Sugar Land Moms is a new go-to site for families and is a chapter of The Local Moms Network, https://thelocalmomsnetwork.com. It’s a great resource for everything from local event calendars, arts and activity resources, and parent interviews to deals from nearby businesses.
In LHS news this week, we’re extra proud of Anika, who as principal viola in her Dulles orchestra will perform a solo in tomorrow’s orchestra concert. We’re also absolutely thrilled for Jordan, who (in the top group at Travis) has started coaching viola sectionals for a lower ensemble and has her own principal viola solo coming up!
