September 2026 Fall Studio News

SCROLL DOWN for:

1.   September Invoices and Summer Tuition Statements

2.   School-Year Lessons Begin!

3.   Performance Masterclass #1

4.   Performance Attendance

5.   Kudos to Stellar Students!

6.   Upcoming Performances – Students

7.   Upcoming Performances – Mrs. Fall

8.   Interesting Links

1. SEPTEMBER INVOICES and SUMMER TUITION STATEMENTS

September tuition invoices were sent by email today. For some students, there may be additional charges for music and/or supplies already received, or to be received at the first school-year lesson. During the school year, payments are due on or before the first lesson of each month.

NO Summer Tuition Statements were sent, as all summer tuition accounts are fully paid. Thank you!

Tuition payments can be made by check or using the PayPal or Venmo payment services. If using PayPal or Venmo, please send as a payment to a friend. If you choose to send payment for goods or services, the additional 3.5% fee will be passed on to you.

Please contact Mrs. Fall if you have any questions about tuition or billing.

2. SCHOOL-YEAR LESSONS BEGIN!

Welcome back to the studio! I hope you are as excited to collaborate on your violin/viola journey as I am! We are sure to have a great musical year with 9 returning students. We welcome 1 new student: 9th grade violist, Sol!

Emails were sent on August 7th with studio documents attached that include all you need to know about School-Year 2026-2027 lessons and masterclasses.

With the exception of the swap list, all of these documents are posted on the studio website on the Parent Resources page. The swap list is posted on the password-protected Members-Only page. 

If you have not already sent it in, please bring your completed 2026-2027 Studio Registration form to your next lesson, or scan and send by PDF. Jaden gets a gold star for being the FIRST to bring his registration form in! ️ Way to go!! 

Studio Calendars, which include NVMTA recitals and competitions for which students may be registered, will be given to each student in mid-September.

The first day of school-year lessons will be Monday, August 31st.

3. PERFOMANCE MASTERCLASS #1

At this masterclass we will discuss a favorite subject of the Fall Studio: PRACTICE! 

• Every student must come with at least one good idea for practice!

• Emily, Jaden, Jason, Jinger, Nathan, Donnovon and Sol who are preparing for the September 29th SRO or JRO auditions will perform mock auditions.

• Selected students will perform solo repertoire studied over the summer, including unaccompanied solos and solos with piano with Dr. Lin accompanying.

Performance selections and order will be emailed and posted on the studio website about a week ahead.

Sunday, September 13

Group A (violas)

5:00-6:30pm

Sol

Nathan

Jinger

Jason

Donnovon

Group B (violins)

7:00-830pm

Rebecca

Eilin

Noah

Jaden

Emily

4. PERFORMANCE ATTENDANCE

Eilin has already completed the Performance Attendance requirement for 2026-2027! Way to go!!

Don’t stop now – keep attending concerts!!

For Performance Attendance credit, bring a program or ticket stub to your lesson. If there is no program or ticket stub available, bring or send a selfie photo of you at the concert.

Remember: In order to maintain a place in the studio, all students are required to attend a minimum of 3 concerts/performances performed by professional musicians of their instrument during the school year. Students are, however, encouraged to attend as many concerts as possible!

5. KUDOS TO STELLAR STUDENTS

Nathan was accepted to the American Youth Philharmonic Sinfonietta Orchestra and awarded Co-Principal Viola!

Jason participated in The Conducting Institute in Fort Worth, TX for two weeks, then he attended the Aspen Conducting Academy in Aspen, CO.

Upon returning home, Jason organized and conducted an All-Beethoven concert, with an accomplished group of students, including our own studio member, Jinger! The Lamoral Youth Chamber Orchestra, a 501(c)(3) organization, was founded by Jason who is also the Music Director.

Stay tuned for news about the next concert coming soon!

Click here to see the concert with Maestro Jason on the podium.

Soon to be famous, you might want to get Jason’s autograph, now!

BRAVI!!

6. UPCOMING PERFORMANCES – STUDENTS

VBODA Junior and Senior Regional Auditions

Tuesday, September 29

Northeast Region: Lake Braddock Secondary School

Jaden, Emily, Nathan, Jinger, Jaden, and Jason will audition for this elite orchestra!

North Central Region: South County High School

Sol will audition for the Junior Regional, and Donnovon will audition for the Senior Regional elite orchestras!

Break a leg!!

7. UPCOMING PERFORMANCES – MRS. FALL

Alexandria Symphony: Carmen and The Firebird

Saturday, September 26, 7:30pm | Rachel Schlesinger Concert Hall

Sunday, September 27, 3pm | George Washington Masonic Memorial

Louis Lohraseb, conductor

Chee-Yun, violin

PROGRAM

RICHARD WAGNER            Tannhauser Overture

FELIX MENDELSSOHN       Violin Concerto in E Minor

GEORGE BIZET                Carmen – Entr’acte to Act III

IGOR STRAVINSKY            The Firebird (1919 Suite)

The Alexandria Symphony Orchestra is in a search year for a new conductor. With the exception of the December Holiday Pops, every concert will feature a finalist in the competition for the position.

8. INTERESTING LINKS The most interesting and helpful links that have come across my radar this month:

Minimum Goal [VIDEO]

When beginning to practice is a struggle, make a minimum goal. VCU Violin Professor Suzanna Klein gives a quick description of how to do this in this one-minute Facebook Reel.

The Science and Art of Practicing: with Molly Gebrian and Shelly Tramposh

Great article that puts many of the ideas in Dr. Gebrian’s book, Learn Faster, Perform Better into a nutshell.

Accountability & Structure in Practiceland

This short article by VCU Violin Professor and Practizma blog author, Suzanna Klein, gives some great advice for setting up and organizing one’s practice plan.

Fearless Audition

In this relatively short blog post, the author discusses how to get motivated to practice for a performance, audition, or other “it.” The author discusses the idea of putting post-it notes around the house with 6 words: “how much do you want it?” Makes sense, and motivating!

Larsen String Expertise. Optimising and looking after your strings

Larsen Strings has a great page on their website with short informational videos dedicated to choosing strings for tone color, changing strings, cleaning strings, string tension, and wolf tones.

Just for fun….

Musical Notation as Described by Cats

Haha! Enjoy!

Keep Practicing!! Remember Fall’s Law!!

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