Dr Tang Tee Tong

Dr. Tang Tee Tong, Artistic Director of The Music Circle, is a devoted violin pedagogue with over fifteen years of teaching experience. Tee graduated with a Doctoral of Music Arts degree in Violin Performance and was named the Outstanding Graduate of Herberger Institute of Design and the Arts at Arizona State University.

Tee co-founded The Music Circle (TMC) in 2015 while completing her Doctorate. She envisions a music school unlike any other in Singapore, focusing on holistic musical learning and building a community of music lovers where fellow educators, students and their families work and grow together.  TMC also advocates for Singaporean artists, frequently collaborating with them in concerts, masterclasses and workshops. She also co-founded String Teacher’s Collective to foster a culture of mutual learning, discussions and sharing among string teachers and provide a support system for these educators.

Tee’s violin pedagogy and teaching philosophy has been influenced by her esteemed teachers and mentors, Dr. Jonathan Swartz, Prof Andres Cardenes, Dr. Margaret Schmidt, Dr. Lina Bahn, Foo Say Ming, Leslie Tan and Lim Soon Lee. She has also learnt from music educators such as Mimi Zweig, Brenda Brenner, Sherry Sinift and Rebecca Henry from the Violin Teacher’s Retreat at Indiana University and Paul Rolland String Pedagogy Conference. Tee has also received Suzuki teacher training with Mr William Starr, former President of Suzuki Association of Americas.

Tee’s teaching approach has been shaped by her experiences and in-depth exploration of other pedagogy and music education methods. Recognising that every student blossoms in a unique way and possesses distinct learning styles, interests and strengths, Tee organised her pedagogy in a doctoral research paper “Violin Curriculum Incorporating Visual, Aural and Kinesthetic Perceptual Learning Modalities” which she has adapted for her teaching. She also believes in learning music through movement and singing and the importance of healthy playing habits, incorporating teachings from Kodaly, Dalcroze, Edwin Gordon and Alexander Technique in her pedagogy.

Tee was heavily involved in chamber ensembles and orchestras in her youth and was concertmaster of the Singapore National Youth Orchestra (SNYO) and Hwa Chong String Ensemble. Since returning from USA, Tee has been a tutor at  SNYO as well as school string ensembles. While not teaching and managing TMC, Tee has also been actively pursuing her passion in chamber music and performing with chamber orchestra Re:Sound Collective, Metropolitan Festival Orchestra and The Philharmonic Orchestra.