Category: Music

Calling young violinists (ages 7-14) who want to go on an adventure! One of a musician’s greatest adventures is performance. What are the essential skills of a great performer? How do we get more comfortable in front of an audience? And how can music from adventure movies inspire us? Join us for eight exciting Friday night sessions, culminating in a thrilling recital performance in June!

SEE SAMPLE VIDEO FROM ACADEMY TEACHING ARTISTS CLAIRE ALLEN AND HANNAH PRICE

This compact 8-week session starts Friday, April 22nd and runs through June 3rd, with an exciting recital performance on Saturday, June 4th. Get in on the action now!

Take a look at some final performance snippets from our recent “Storytelling & Movie Magic” Violin Class held earlier this semester:

 

 

GET FULL VIOLIN CLASS DETAILS HERE

 

Four aspiring string players received merit scholarships for their stellar accomplishment in the Summer Arts at Mason 2021 strings programs. Reflecting on their experience, the scholarship recipients shared their excitement of performing together in person and their most memorable experience in the summer.

The merit scholarship is sponsored by the Associated Chamber Music Players (ACMP) in support of our summer music programs, Mason Strings Camp and Mason Chamber Music Intensive.

 

 

Isaiah Garrett, Halyn (Chloe) Kim, Avery Lee, and Abby Poppe received this year’s ACMP scholarships after a comprehensive review of their applications, essays, program participation, and feedback from the program director and string faculty.

Garrett, a first-time program participant assigned as the First Violinist, said that attending the Mason Chamber Music Intensive program “was like a breath of fresh air,” and the diverse group of instrumentalists reminded him of the joy of creating music and learning from one another along the way.

“I learned how to lead an ensemble without a conductor and how to communicate with the pianist,” said Garrett. “Additionally, I enjoyed playing with the second violin soloist and learned both of our parts well to understand how they fit together.”

 

 

Poppe said that working with other committed musicians motivated her to be a better violist and taught her valuable lessons of being a collaborative artist. “When we finished playing, I was proud of what our hard work could accomplish,” said Poppe. “The challenge of this camp expanded my range of abilities and showed my potential. I was proud when I learned a more difficult song.”

 

“There is no better way to emerge from the isolation of the pandemic than by playing chamber music!” said Professor June Huang, assistant professor of violin and director of strings at George Mason University, who directed both of our strings and chamber ensemble as summer programs. “This past summer, the participants at the Mason Strings Camp and Mason Chamber Music Intensive came together determined to create music. Their positivity, resilience, and musicianship made the world a celebratory place to be and reminded us all that every note counts.”

Mason Strings Camp and Mason Chamber Music Intensive are summer music programs designed for serious young musicians who wish to gain ensemble experience in their music learning. Directed and coached by Mason Dewberry School of Music string and piano faculty, programs include small ensemble and chamber music performance opportunities, and students work directly with esteemed musicians and orchestra directors in all aspects of music enrichment.

In addition to challenging repertoires and talented faculty, Lee, who was selected as a Concertmaster, shared that the close-knit community made playing music enjoyable. “It has been a pleasure to make new friends in both my orchestra and quartet who enjoy playing an instrument as much as I do.”

Although the programs have ended in the summer, our young musicians found new opportunities to apply their recently developed skills and continued collaborating with other young musicians.

 

 

“I really enjoy how the viola sounds with other instruments,” said Poppe, who decided to try out another orchestra program and auditioned for The Capitol Symphonic Youth Orchestras.

“Through the Mason Strings Camp, I learned the importance of being able to cue to start performing at the right time,” said Lee. Shortly after the program, Lee auditioned for the American Youth Debut Orchestra, the beginner-level orchestra of the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestra (AYPO). She was selected as the concertmaster and started her very first full-year orchestra experience.

Congratulations on our ACMP scholarship recipients and program participants. We wish all the best to our young musicians as they embark on the next chapter of their musical journey.

 

We are excited to welcome our new Violin Teaching Artist, Hannah Price, joining us to provide private lessons and groups class instructions to our Academy families. Ms. Price is an active soloist and collaborative artist who has performed nationally and internationally. In addition, she has numerous years of teaching experience as a private teacher, lecturer, and guest artist, offering private lessons, group classes, and masterclasses for students of all levels. This fall, Ms. Price will teach the Violin Beginnings, an introductory class for beginners ages 4-6, and Violin Adventures, an elementary level technique class open for all private lesson students ages 5-13. Please join us to welcome Ms. Price for a quick Q&A and learn more about her music story.

What excites you the most about joining the Mason Community Arts Academy?
I’m most excited to get to know the community and the chance to work with so many fabulous people. The faculty is full of energetic, dedicated musicians and teachers, and I’m thrilled that I get to join them!

How did you first fall in love with music?
My journey with the violin was a slow but lasting burn. It was full of hundreds of small moments that added to my passion for it, the first of which happened when I was a little tot driving in the car with my parents. They had a CD in the car that always began with the Tchaikowsky piano concerto No. 1, and we listened to it almost every day. One day, I noticed the little soda bubbles of excitement that would build in my chest in anticipation of every big musical moment. Since then, my goal has been to experience those bubbles with my playing and teaching.

 

 

Tell us about a teaching experience you have had that was especially memorable.
I had an older adult student once tell me that the thing he valued most from our lessons was that he learned not to give up on himself and that once he learned how to acknowledge his achievements, he was able to do even more than he thought he could. It was, and is, such an honor to be a part of such valuable personal growth and to know that it can happen at any stage of life, regardless of circumstance. I experienced two human beings being inspired by one another that day, and it is one of the moments that ignited my journey as a teacher.

 

 

What are some unique things you do when you teach?
Music is all about storytelling, so I look for every opportunity to incorporate that into my teaching. I explore form and structure using animals and colors that my students get to pick before learning a new song, which helps with memory. Honest self-assessment is also significant for me, so I have some tactics in each lesson that help my students (even the little ones) apply objective self-assessment and set goals for the next time.

Do you have any pets?
None right now, but I love dogs and hope that I’ll be settled enough to get one soon!

 

 

What else would you like us to know about you?
As a musician, I have performed in eight different countries across two continents and feel so lucky that music has taken me to cool places with such contrasting cultures. I have a quickly-growing bucket list of places to visit and love to exchange travel stories with people!

 

CLICK HERE TO SCHEDULE A PRIVATE LESSON WITH MS. HANNAH PRICE.