Spotlight on Josh Chung

Josh Chung

Congratulations to Patel Conservatory violin student Josh Chung who recently celebrated his book one graduation in the Suzuki program.

The Suzuki violin program is a parent-child approach to learning the instrument based on the Japanese violin teacher Shinichi Suzuki's beliefs that every child has talent.

“There are 10 Suzuki Violin School books,” explained Patel Conservatory Suzuki instructor Catherine Michelsen. 

“Dr. Suzuki incorporated a graduation system in which students, upon achieving certain playing levels, would record several polished pieces of music...This was a celebration of accomplishment.”

Josh has been a Suzuki student at the Conservatory for two years, and he is the first Conservatory student to complete the first violin book.

“He and his family have been amazing to work with. Disciplined, dedicated, and supportive, Josh and his family really exemplify the Suzuki philosophy,” said Michelsen.

Josh developed a passion for music at an early age.

“He’s the one who asked to take violin lessons,” said Josh’s mom, Sue Chung. “We really love the whole program and the facility. I just love the environment [at the Patel Conservatory], it’s not only violin, but it’s Rock School and dance, and you just feel that when you enter the building...I walk in, and I just feel calm.”

To celebrate his recent accomplishment, Josh performed selections from the first Suzuki violin book in a recital for family and friends last week in the TECO Theater.

“I feel pretty good and proud,” said Josh.

Learning how to figure out the notes in practice was a challenge as he progressed through more difficult pieces. He’s learning how to play by ear and work through it on his own.

“It was kind of hard, but I persevered and I did it,” he said.

Josh will continue his Suzuki journey and start on the next book this year. The skills he gains from Suzuki - discipline, patience and teamwork - will serve him throughout all areas of his life.

“I’m so extremely proud of him...He’ll always have this love and passion for music,” said Sue.

For more information about Suzuki violin lessons or other instrumental private lessons at the Conservatory, click here.

Suzuki students earn prizes for practice

Nitya Katwala opens her prize.

Congratulations to Patel Conservatory Suzuki violin students who recently received prizes for their hard work and dedication!

Students in Hollis Hammond’s and Catherine Michelsen’s Suzuki violin classes recently were rewarded for months of practice.

“We started keeping track of the student’s progress with a marble incentive in January,” said Michelsen.

Parents were asked to keep notes and keep track of how often the students practiced at home.

“For every day they practiced, they got a marble in their jar,” said Michelsen. “The idea is that they are competing with themselves, not each other.”

After months of watching their marble jars fill up, the students were rewarded with an in-class prize party.

Antonio Velazquez, left, and Josh Chung

Kids who practiced an average of 5 days a week received a prize, and kids who practiced 6 to 7 days a week received two tickets to the Florida Orchestra!

“We’re always trying new things to motivate the students. For some students, it was a wonderful motivator. The visual helped them.”

An added bonus of the marble incentive is that it helped instructors keep track of how the kids were progressing.

“I want to know what’s happening at home,” said Michelsen.

“The parents have enjoyed it and I’ve enjoyed it. I’m really proud of all of our students.”

Soraya Baldwin, left, and Sudenaz Koksal

Great gifts ideas from the Straz Center and Patel Conservatory

As you embark on your holiday shopping, don’t forget a gift for your favorite performer!

Here’s some great gift ideas from the Straz Center and Patel Conservatory.

Tickets to The Nutcracker, the Great Imperial Ballet - A perfect gift for the entire family. Enjoy this classic holiday tradition together.

Tickets to Ballet’s Greatest Hits - Whether you have a dancer in your family or not, this one time only event is sure to excite! It’s a night of incredible performances from the world’s top dancers from such companies as American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and many more!

Dance Class Card - A great option for the dance lover in your family! A 5-class or 10-class card lets dancers try a variety of our dance classes. Class cards are good for the entire spring session, so dancers can come when they can!

Private lessons - When they open that shiny new instrument on Christmas, make sure they get some lessons to go with it! The Patel Conservatory offers private lessons in guitar, piano, violin, voice and more!

Rock School - Make their dreams a reality! With our Rock School program, students of any age can find their inner rock star. All participants get to perform on stage in our Rock School Blowout concert.

Reel Deal Card - Lights, camera, action! Our Reel Deal cards are good for our Saturday afternoon on-camera acting classes.

Gift Card - Give the gift of the performing arts and let them choose what they want. Straz Center gift cards are good for shows at the Straz, or classes or lessons at the Patel Conservatory. To purchase gift cards, call the Straz Center Box Office at 813-229-7827.

With more than 100 classes in dance, theater and music for all ages and skill levels, you're sure to find that perfect something for anyone who loves the arts. For more information on classes and lessons, please call 813-222-1002, or visit patelconservatory.org.

Music and magic draw this artist from her shell

There’s a feeling that lives within our walls. It’s intangible, but very real for the performers and artists - the singers, actors, dancers, musicians - who spend time here at the Patel Conservatory.

Melissa Stewart-Hoffman describes it as magic.

“In life, I’m shy, but when I walk through the music note doors, and up to the third floor studio, I feel like myself,” said Melissa, a voice student at the Conservatory. “I guess singing, it just does something, it’s a certain magic."

A 16-year-old from Mulberry, Fla., Melissa first felt that magic when she was 12 years old and saw La Bohème at The Metropolitan Opera in New York City.

“It was like a lightbulb going off in my head. I’ve always loved singing, but that’s when I knew I wanted to be an opera singer,” said Melissa.

After a few years of taking local voice lessons, she decided to try the Patel Conservatory in the summer of 2011 with our Vocal Arts Academy.

“When I started at the Conservatory, I think that’s when I felt at home...It was an amazing discovery,” said Melissa.

That fall, she began private voice lessons with instructor and Patel Conservatory music chair, Gregory Ruffer. She auditioned for Opera Tampa Chorus and had the opportunity to perform with them throughout the season.

The experience of performing with the opera company affirmed her love of the art and desire to pursue a classical singing career.

“The last performance I did (with Opera Tampa) was Aida, and I think that was my favorite...it felt easier and reassured me even more,” she said.

This past summer, in addition to attending our Classical Voice Intensive, she earned the honor of attending the prestigious summer program at Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio.

She attributes her success to the training she received at the Conservatory.

“(Ruffer) is the best teacher. His experience and his honesty with me in how I need to improve, and just the environment,” helped her grow as an artist, she said.

She loves performing opera because she enjoys singing in different languages and learning about the various operas and their histories. Becoming a different character draws her out of her shell, she said.

“The music transports me to a different era,” said Melissa. "I sing not only to express myself and to be happy, but so other people will enjoy it."

A junior at Polk State Collegiate High School in Lakeland where she’s earning college credit for classes, she takes private voice lessons weekly with Ruffer in preparation for college auditions and hopes to attend Oberlin.

“I’m really thankful for the Conservatory,” said Melissa. “I feel truly like it is my second home.”

How to get your kids to practice

Practice makes perfect, or so the saying goes. When it comes to learning an instrument, perfection may not be the goal, but practice is certainly a sure path to success. 

But even kids who love music don’t always love to practice, as Sue Chung can attest.

Sue’s son Josh is an 8-year-old Suzuki violin student at the Patel Conservatory in Tampa.

When Josh was in kindergarten, he got the opportunity to try violin in school, which prompted him to ask him mom for violin lessons. He started private lessons at the Conservatory last summer and enjoyed it so much that they continued through the school year.

“I’m just thrilled because I want him to love and appreciate music and art,” said Sue. And she knows that his violin lessons have academic and social benefits. The Suzuki program incorporates both a private lesson and a group lesson once a week. “It’s a fun time for them...They make friends and it’s a great motivator.”

But even Josh, who genuinely enjoys violin lessons, doesn’t always stay on track when it comes to practice. Here are some things Sue does to keep him focused.

Get involved

A large part of the Suzuki teaching method is parental involvement. Sue actually took a couple of violin lessons herself so she could help Josh with his technique and practice at home.

“That was really nice, just learning how to hold the violin. It’s helpful to learn the basics so we can prevent them from creating bad habits,” she said.

Practice is bonding time for Sue and her kids, including her two-year-old daughter Hana who enjoys humming along to the music.

"The little ones really benefit from listening in."

Set specific goals

Josh’s Suzuki instructor Catherine Michelsen created a chart which outlines goals for the week, said Sue.

The instructor notes things she wants him to do, and Sue take notes during lessons to keep track of what new things he went over and what he should practice. She keeps the chart on Josh's bedroom door so he can check it himself and stay on track.

Make it fun

Josh practices while younger sister Hana
pretends to play along.

“I don’t want to burn him out from practice early, so we try to keep it fun,” said Sue, who plays lots of games to encourage practice.

One game she plays with Josh is a point system. If he loses his concentration, mom gets a point. Then she takes a turn on the violin and gives Josh a chance to win a point.

“Another thing we do is a coloring chart,” she said. She created a pyramid, and for every practice, he colors in a piece of the pyramid. “When he fills in all the pieces of the pyramid, he gets a treat.”

She and other Suzuki parents are constantly exchanging ideas.

"You just have to see what works best for your child," she said.

Be patient

While getting your kids to practice may be frustrating, staying patient and consistent helps kids achieve the long-term success and benefits of music education.

Sue says Josh’s teacher truly exemplifies that.

“Catherine’s so good with the kids. She really represents Suzuki teaching, that’s just who she is,” said Sue. “It’s all about teaching them through a nurturing environment. It’s all about kindness.”

Spotlight on Matt Weihmuller

Patel Conservatory music instructor Matt Weihmuller has had his share of challenges.

Although he’s been blind since birth, Weihmuller has never let his disability hold him back or keep him from pursuing a career in music.

“You get out of life what you put into it,” said Weihmuller, who teaches private saxophone lessons at the Conservatory.

Weihmuller is one of many new private lesson instructors as our music program has been growing exponentially in the past several months. The Patel Conservatory now has nearly 100 instrumental and voice private lesson students!

Weihmuller didn’t start out with the goal of becoming a musician. “I thought I’d go to college for business, but decided I couldn’t stop playing music.”

He grew up in Carrollwood and started taking piano lessons when he was about 10 years old. He played clarinet in middle school until his band teacher recommended he take up the saxophone.

While his classmates relied on sight reading to learn new pieces of music, Weihmuller had to rely on his ears.

Matt with his guide dog, Daisy, who goes with him almost
everywhere, except his private music lessons. "I would
literally be playing right in her ear." But Daisy does come
to most of Matt's performances.

“It was a daily struggle. Braille music is almost impossible to get,” said Weihmuller. His mother learned how to read music in braille and would sometimes transcribe his music for him.

In addition to the challenge of reading music, school work presented its obstacles. After school, he’d have to meet with a vision teacher who helped translate his assignments. That meant a lot of pre-planning on his part.

“You turn your disadvantage into an advantage. Because I had to plan, I was a much better student,” he said.

As a jazz sax player at Blake High School, Weihmuller was inspired when he saw Marcus Roberts perform in concert. Roberts is a renowned blind pianist who has toured with Winton Marsalis.

“Roberts was teaching at Florida State, so I decided I wanted to go there. I wanted to study jazz improv,” said Weihmuller, who went on to complete his bachelor’s and master’s in music performance at Florida State University.

In college, things got more difficult. He no longer had a vision teacher to help him through the process. He couldn’t access email or go on the internet, on which instructors relied heavily.

He had to teach himself how to use new computer programs for the blind. “I went from not doing anything on the computer to now, I do most of my stuff on the computer.”

Now he can surf the net, read email and, there’s even a new program that will allow him to scan pieces of music into the computer and it translates it to braille.

But even with new technology, teaching music can sometimes present new issues that Weihmuller has had to overcome.

“I can show (the student) everything I’m doing on the instrument, but I can’t look at someone’s position... or tell if he’s holding his fingers correctly,” said Weihmuller.

Without his sight to assess a student’s posture and breathing, he has to be creative in his approach. He may place his hands on the student’s to make sure his fingers are aligned properly, but mostly Weihmuller relies on the sound of the music.

“I think my ear is a little more developed, so I have that advantage.”

Perhaps the most important lesson he imparts to his students is what his parents and teachers have taught him, that nothing worth doing comes easy.

“I’ve been pretty fortunate. I got to study with some great teachers. And I grew up with a strong family background, that’s helped out a lot,” said Weihmuller. “I’ve had to work twice as hard. But I was able to impress upon my teachers that I was a really hard worker.

“If you really want to do it, you’ll find a way.”

Weihmuller currently plays in a band called UNRB. They play a mix of funk, blues and rock and even had one of their songs played on Tampa's 97X radio.

In addition to private lessons, Weihmuller will soon be coaching a new jazz quartet at the Conservatory.

In addition to private lessons in a variety of instruments including saxophone, piano, guitar, violin and more, the Patel Conservatory has an array of music programs from voice lessons and choir to Rock School. For more information, please call 813-222-1002.