LHS Launches New Studio Space

With great excitement, Lauren Haley Studios announces a new lesson space within the Sugar Land Art Center and Gallery! This energizing learning environment furthers the LHS vision for dynamic music education and performance.

Our partnership with the Sugar Land Art Center and Gallery, a non-profit 501c3 organization and Fort Bend Star Readers’ Choice Award 2016 Winner, presents fantastic opportunities for group lessons and performances as well as a dedicated space for private lessons. We’re thrilled for the growth this move will foster in our young musicians. 

More information about the Sugar Land Art Center can be found online at http://www.sugarlandartcenter.org. Lessons at our new studio location will commence on August 1st, 2016!

Sugar Land Art Center and Gallery
104 Industrial Blvd. Suite Q, Studio #9
Sugar Land, TX 77478

 

Evelyn Lam Selected as Music Inspire Africa Artist

Congratulations to LHS Collaborative Pianist Evelyn Lam for being selected as one of six 2016 Music Inspire Africa artists! Evelyn will travel to South Africa from May 23rd – June 13th to perform, present, and teach.

In more Evelyn news, enjoy these pictures from her DMA Collaborative Recital earlier this month at Hatch Recital Hall! Watch this page for information about Evelyn’s upcoming coaching and performance dates in Houston with LHS.

 

22 LHS Students Win 27 Grade 1 Awards at Solo & Ensemble

The final award count for Solo & Ensemble is in and it’s wonderful to announce that 22 LHS students won Grade 1 marks, with 5 students competing in both the Solo and  Ensemble categories and securing Grade 1 in both competitions. Every Solo & Ensemble contestant who performed in the 2016 LHS Student Showcase Recital on February 13th received a 1 for their solo grade. Well done, kids!

We’re super excited for Amanda, Ananya, Chris, Deepa, Nikita, Paige, Sharon, and Sophie, all of whom received Grade 1 marks on Class 1 (highest HS level) pieces. Sharon and Amanda are still in middle school (7th grade) !

Congratulations to Danae, Deepa, Sophie, Kayle, and Isaac for auditioning for both solo and ensemble competitions and securing Grade 1 marks in both categories!

Well done to Sneha for earning the current concertmaster spot of the Bowie Symphony, to William for maintaining the concertmaster spot in his orchestra at Elkins, to Amanda for maintaining her principal viola spot at Baines, and to Jacob for maintaining his principal viola chair at Quail Valley. We’re all so excited for Deepa, who will play first desk viola for Travis HS’s upcoming performance in Carnegie Hall over spring break!

MS and HS performers are graded on a scale from 1 (best) to 5, so without further ado, here’s the complete list of the LHS students who were awarded Grade 1:

Amanda

Ananya

Anisha

Ayushi

Chris

Danae

Deepa

Enara

Esosa

Isaac

Kayle

Maggie

Megan

Neha

Nikita

Paige

Sarah

Seline

Sharon

Sneha

Sophie

Taruni

Congratulations to everyone on your wonderful progress!

Congratulations, Evelyn!

1397138_10156318500025705_5937145511814184127_o
Evelyn Lam performs at Carnegie Hall (2015)

Lauren Haley Studios is thrilled to announce that LHS Collaborative Pianist Evelyn Lam has been selected as Teaching Assistant to Professor Natalya Antonova at the Eastman School of Music! Ms. Lam is pursuing her doctoral performance degree after completing both her B.M. and M.M. in Piano Performance at Eastman. Evelyn takes on this new teaching avenue in addition to her current teaching position (undergraduate piano class) at Eastman.

Ms. Lam will be available for a limited number of piano coaching sessions in Sugar Land and The Woodlands from February 8th – 13th. Interested LHS families must have their piano teacher’s permission before requesting a coaching spot. Arrangements for lessons with Ms. Lam can be made through Ms. Haley.

Ms. Lam and Ms. Haley are excited to invite you to their performance at the LHS Winter Recital on Saturday, February 13th at 5:30pm.

About Evelyn:

Born in Hong Kong, Evelyn Wing-Yan Lam started learning the piano at the age of 7. Her principal mentors include Natalya Antonova, Maxim Mogilevsky, and Wai Cheng. She also worked with Sergei Krivonos, Thomas Schumacher, Jean Barr, Elinor Freer, Sylvie Beaudette, and Ksenia Nosikova. In 2007, Evelyn achieved the Licentiate Diploma in piano performance with distinction from the Trinity College of Music, London. In 2009, Evelyn was admitted to the Eastman School of Music in Rochester NY, where she received a Bachelor degree in Piano Performance in 2013 and a Master of Music degree in 2015.

Before coming to the States in 2009, Evelyn won numerous prizes in the Hong Kong Schools Music Festivals, including 2 champions, three 2nd prizes, and other honors in the piano solo and duos division. In 2001, Evelyn participated in the 65th Steinway & Sons International Youth Piano Competition (Hong Kong Region), winning the fifth prize in the category of aged 10 below. She also achieved the Outstanding Award in the Mozart Piano Competition in 2003. In 2010, she received the Honors Chamber Award from the Eastman School of Music. In 2013, she received the Henry Cobos Endowed Piano Prize from the Eastman School of Music, for her exceptional achievement in the study and performance of piano. In the summer of 2014, Evelyn participated in the piano program at the Chautauqua Institution, where she was one of the 6 six finalists in the piano competition. She also received the second prize in the American Protégé International Competition in 2015, making her debut at the Weill Recital Hall at the Carnegie Hall in November 2015.Evelyn has also performed as a soloist with the Hong Kong Children Symphony Orchestra since 2008. She performed Beethoven Piano Concerto No.3, and Piano Concerto No.5 “Emperor”. In August 2010, she toured with the orchestra to China, performing the Yellow River Piano Concerto, conducted by Dr Yip Wai-Hong.

An active soloist and collaborative pianist, Evelyn has performed in many recitals near  Rochester, New York. She often gives outreach recitals in schools, senior homes, churches, and the George Eastman House. In 2015, Evelyn was appointed Collaborative Pianist for Lauren Haley Studios in Houston, Texas, where she performs with and mentors young musicians.

Evelyn is currently pursuing the Doctor of Musical Art in Piano Performance and Literature at the Eastman School of Music, where she studies with Natalya Antonova and serves as the studio assistant. She is also a recipient of the graduate teaching assistantship, teaching the undergraduate piano classes.

Lauren Haley Studios Presents: The Winston Trio in Concert

Lauren Haley Studios Presents: 

The Winston Trio in Concert

Featuring works of Brahms, Franck, and Beethoven

Saturday, August 22nd, 2015

6:30PM

Virtuosi of Houston Studio

Memorial City Mall

303 Memorial City Way #235

Houston, Texas, 77024

Free and Open to the Public

About the Musicians

Thomas Fortner
Thomas Fortner

Thomas Fortner, cello

An active soloist, collaborator, and conductor, Thomas Fortner is the Founder and Director of the Iowa Great Lakes Music Festival. With a Master’s in Cello Performance from McGill University, Thomas has performed in and led concerts internationally.  Thomas plays a cello by American luthier Raymond Joseph Melanson and will begin conducting studies at Peabody Conservatory this fall. http://www.iowagreatlakesmusic.org

David Sedgwick
David Sedgwick

David Sedgwick, piano

With a Master’s Degree in Performance from Rice University and a B.A from UCLA, David performs on both trumpet and piano. His other passions include composition, philosophy, kinesiology/reflexology, and visual art. Hailing from California, he draws inspiration from the natural world and intends to share his art throughout as many countries as possible.

Lauren Alexandra Haley
Lauren Alexandra Haley

Lauren Haley, violin

Lauren Alexandra Haley earned a degree in Violin Performance from the Eastman School of Music, where she studied with Oleh Krysa.  Accepted into both the violin and viola performance programs at Eastman, Lauren also studied violin with the late Zvi Zeitlin and viola with Phillip Ying (of the Ying Quartet). Lauren performs on a 1750’s Thomas Smith violin and 1930’s François Lotte bow. Her studio enrolls over 50 dedicated musicians on violin and viola.

Juilliard Symposium – Kurt Sassmannshaus

Hello, all!

As summer winds down, I’ve been reflecting on my favorite topics from Juilliard’s Starling-Delay Symposium on Violin Studies. Kurt Sassmannshaus presented two dynamite pedagogy classes on technique, but his advice on practicing is what I’d like to discuss today.

The most frequent question I’m asked by parents is how they can help their children grow to be independent thinkers who practice effectively on their own. Parents worry that if they guide their children’s practice, their children will become dependent. However, the largest advantage Suzuki offers his followers is the positive and constant relationship between the student, parent, and violin.

Thinking of the families in my studio, I asked pedagogy expert Kurt Sassmannshaus (Dorothy Richard Starling Chair for Classical Violin at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music) how long he prefers parents to continue practicing with their children. “Until age 25!” he joked.

Kurt Sassmannshaus and Lauren Haley at Juilliard's 2015 Starling-Delay Symposium on Violin Studies
Kurt Sassmannshaus and Lauren Haley at Juilliard’s 2015 Starling-Delay Symposium on Violin Studies

The involvement of the parent is synonymous with talent.” Sassmannshaus confirmed. He mandates that parents be present and engaged for 100% of all practicing and lessons, insisting that one parent or caregiver must work with the student for 30 minutes each day or there will be no admittance to his studio. Affirming this incredible dedication of parents to their children, he reminded everyone that “there’s never a question of unconditional love.

Kurt Sassmannshaus’s website, violinmasterclass.com, is an excellent resource for those seeking advice on technique, videos, lessons, musicality, and pedagogy.

All opinions are by Lauren Haley and all original content is copyright 2015 Lauren Haley Studios.

Congratulations, Paige!

Happy (almost!) summer, everyone!

As this semester draws to a close, I’d like to recognize Paige, who recently received the Outstanding Member Award for the Dulles Middle School Philharmonic.

Paige is concertmaster of her school orchestra, has recently acquired a beautiful new violin, and has successfully auditioned to enter the Dulles High School orchestras in Fall 2015. Congratulations, Paige!

Paige_M_Dulles_Award
Paige receives her award on stage

May Recital 2015

Spring is here and we’re all ready to perform!

While the older LHS musicians complete their orchestra placement auditions, our littlest violinists have put together quite the show for you and the residents of the Sugar Land Atria Senior Living!

Please join us for performances and awards this Saturday, May 16th at 6pm at Atria. Bring a smile and your applause!

Studio Challenge – Sign Up Now!

Welcome to the 2015 LHS 100 Days of Practice Challenge!

Registration is now open and will close when the Challenge begins on Friday, March 20th. Dust away the dreary winter and infuse your practice sessions with excitement, motivation, and progress!

Celebrate the milestones along the way, and join us for a party honoring your accomplishments at the conclusion of the Challenge in June. Signing up for the Challenge will give your family step-by-step support and motivation. We’re in this together!

Check out www.musicinpractice.com to learn more about setting students up for positive and effective practicing. Sue Hunt, its creator, provides endlessly helpful tips! My favorite article about the 100 Day Challenge is targeted at teachers, but the diagrams help everyone understand how consistent practicing is the key to musical success:

http://www.musicinpractice.com/2013/100-day-practice-challenge/

Next up, grab your own copy of the 100 Day Practice Journal and we’ll get started!

http://www.musicinpractice.com/100days/

All opinions are by Lauren Haley and all original content is copyright 2015 Lauren Haley Studios.