performance – Page 2 – LAUREN HALEY STUDIOS

Lauren Haley Studios Presents: The Winston Trio in Concert

August 13, 2015August 18, 2015by Lauren Haley Studios

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, 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, 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 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.

Starling-Delay Symposium on Violin Studies, part 1

June 4, 2015by Lauren Haley Studios

Hello, all!

I’m so happy to be back in town after an absolutely brilliant week at Juilliard’s Starling-Delay Symposium on Violin Studies. It’ll certainly take more than one post to pass along the wisdom shared by so many great violinists and colleagues, so let’s start off with one of my favorite events — Sarah Chang’s master class.

To begin the week, world-renowned soloist Sarah Chang offered not just her expert violinistic advice on major repertoire, but a prime example of positive teaching at the highest possible level. She frequently used questions to help students identify their individual musical intentions for each phrase, thereby giving students the confidence to present their own artistic interpretations with conviction. Meanwhile, her upbeat encouragement, quick humor, intelligent teaching process, and warm smile made her master class both a tutorial on technique and musicality as well as one on how to inspire your audience!

In talking about her own legendary teacher, the incomparable Dorothy Delay, Sarah Chang mentioned the importance of making disciplined learning fun. As one of the most skilled child prodigies in musical history, Sarah Chang still confessed to having watched an hour of TV after school every day — “Saved By the Bell!”

Sarah_Chang_Juilliard_Lauren_Haley — With Sarah Chang!

Congratulations, Paige!

June 3, 2015June 3, 2015by Lauren Haley Studios

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

Studio Challenge – Sign Up Now!

March 10, 2015March 11, 2015by Lauren Haley Studios

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/

Meet Your Musical Family!

March 6, 2015March 11, 2015by Lauren Haley Studios

“I want my children to love music, but I’m no expert. How can my spouse and I give our kids the very best music has to offer when we’re so new to violin?”

Here are my favorite ways to help your kids learn!

Attend Every Lesson

Ask questions, videotape, take notes, and try playing a few songs yourself. The more involved you are, the easier everything will come to you and your young musician(s)! Teachers don’t expect you to be an expert — they hope you’ll be their teammate at home, supporting your child each step of the way. Not only does this effort help you keep up with your little violinist, but it also demonstrates to your child how much you love them and value their hard work. Remember that kids will mirror your attitude — if you’re positive and dedicated, they will be as well.

Talk to Other Parents

If there’s an obstacle standing in your way, you can bet someone else in the studio recently faced and conquered it. Friendships with other studio parents can be a huge resource. Ask your teacher to set you up with another family.

Attend Concerts

Youth Concerts — Recitals, local youth orchestras, and high school musical productions inspire us all. “Look how much fun those kids are having together! Are you excited to play with them someday soon?”

Professional Performances — Symphonies often have special concert series targeted at families. These family events often take place on Saturday mornings, making it easy for you to bring even the youngest ones along. Make it a special occasion and celebrate how grown-up the kids are at their first concert!

Houston Families: Check out the Houston Symphony (especially the Family Season!), Virtuosi of Houston, the Houston Youth Symphony, and the American Festival for the Arts.

Dance

Put on a favorite CD and let the kids spin around the room. Encourage them to move to the music — slow when the music slows, speed up and twirl when the music does the same. Encourage brave musical expression from your children by getting up and dancing with them!

Sing

Show children the fun of expressing how they feel through their voice. Sing in the car, on long walks, whilst doing the dishes, and, most importantly, whenever the kids are happy. It doesn’t matter what you sing or how everyone sounds: you’re building self-esteem, a love for music, and perceptive ears!

Rent Your Own Instrument

It may feel intimidating, but renting your own instrument and playing along with your child for the first few months is one of the most effective ways to jump-start progress at home. Who knows, you too might catch the Fiddle Bug!

Set Your Home to Music

Let listening to music and singing along work its way into every aspect of family life. Have a new favorite song each week, listen to your new Suzuki CD until yours neighbors could play Allegro, and show the kids how fun listening to Beethoven over breakfast can be.

"Okay, everyone, let's play!" The Haley Family in the early 90's. — The Haley Family

Fasten Your Seatbelts for Musical Adventures!

March 4, 2015March 9, 2015by Lauren Haley Studios

As we approach spring break, finding ways to include musical development in well-deserved vacation time is essential. Here are some tips on how to keep kids learning!

1.) Seek out musical destinations for each trip. Homes of the great composers, legendary conservatories, museums with instrument collections, grand concert halls –there’s fun to be had everywhere! Bonus points for taking pictures and creating a scrapbook of your musical adventures. Ask your teacher for recommendations specific to your travel plans.

You're never too young to start learning about the great composers! Pictured: The home where Antonín Dvořák spent the summer of 1893. — You’re never too young to start learning about the great composers! Pictured: The home where Antonín Dvořák spent the summer of 1893.

2.) Set your trip to music. Put a new CD in the car and enjoy. Encourage everyone to sing along to favorite songs and feel the power of symphonies. Return home humming Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty!

3.) Find new inspiration. Whether it’s the New York Philharmonic, a touring production of Wicked, a pianist playing jazz standards in a beautiful restaurant, or a cousin demonstrating their own musical skills, students can take inspiration from any musical event!

4.) Let theory help you get through those long flights! Bring along a Theory Time book and make a pact to surprise your teacher with how much you’ve learned! Parents, if you’re worried about getting stuck mid-flight, bring along the Theory Time Teacher’s Edition and work as a team.

5.) Practice those bow holds when you can’t bring along your violin! Make a Bow Bunny on a pen and have the bunny share in your adventures.

6.) Let a musical story transport you on long car rides. My absolute favorite is the Classical Kids series. Tchaikovsky Discovers America, Beethoven Lives Upstairs, and Mr. Bach Comes to Call…all on the way to your destination! You can find these CDs on Amazon.com and through your local library.

7.) Invite your violin or viola along for the ride! Check airline-specific guidelines on bringing instruments on flights. Be sure to bring a printed copy of the airline policy with you to show the agent working at the gate desk. Board as soon as possible to make room for your instrument in the overhead compartment, and be especially kind to flight attendants who can help your violin have a safe flight.

8.) Remember, grandparents make the best audience anyone can ask for, so encourage your child to prepare a special performance for family and friends on visits!

The music of Antonín Dvořák grew to mean so much to our family that we visited his former home (in Iowa) on two separate occasions!

2015 Winter Recital

February 5, 2015February 9, 2015by Lauren Haley Studios

All are invited to join us in celebrating the accomplishments of LHS students and families! Performances start at 6pm on Saturday, February 7th and will feature works of Bach, Bartók, Fauré, Massenet, and Dvořák. A special performance by Ms. Haley will conclude the recital. Reception and studio pictures to follow!

Location:

Virtuosi of Houston Studio

Memorial City Mall

303 Memorial City Way #235

Houston, Texas, 77024