CARL LAM
Staff Writer
Many who are not familiar with Mason Hall could attest that all that can be seen are doors. Gray doors, green doors, wooden doors — any type of door, really. And then there are the red doors, often filled with reminders, lesson schedules, concert information and a nameplate of a professor with many years of music training.
Inside an office with thank you cards hung on the board and a humidity level that’s just right for string instruments is Maureen Yuen, an adjunct professor of violin. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in violin performance in five years from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and graduated at the age of 21.
“I started university when I was 16. My family traveled a lot when I was young and we moved around a lot,” Yuen said. “So every time we started somewhere new, I would start slightly ahead of where I left off in the previous city.”
Yuen has studied with Nancy Di Novo, Nancy Luttrell, Jean Ter-Merguerian and worked extensively with her primary teacher, Gerald Stanick, who was also a teacher for one of Yuen’s colleagues, David Rose, assistant professor of viola.
She maintains an active performance schedule across the United States with ensembles and solo recitals. While Yuen does travel all over the country, she can be found performing around the Western New York area.
“I play with a new music ensemble at the University of Buffalo. It’s a 21st century center for music, so it’s really new music — really Avant Garde stuff,” Yuen said. “This year, I’m playing with WNYCO [the Western New York Chamber Orchestra], which is fun. It’s the first time I’ve played with them in a long time, and it’s great to be involved in something like that on campus.”
In 2004, Yuen got a call from one of her friends who was the violin professor here at the time.
“When Janet Sung started here, she had a different adjunct here at the time who had to go on bedrest because she was pregnant. She just called me and said, ‘hey, can you come teach for the rest of the semester?’ and then I went through the interview process,” Yuen said.
With her performance degrees, Yuen didn’t have any expectations of becoming a professor.
“I didn’t ever expect to be teaching at all. I sort of fell into it, and I think I have something to offer,” Yuen said. “I’m grateful to be teaching at this level, but I would be just as happy teaching at an intermediate level as well.”
Yuen’s teaching philosophy is more than just getting the student to play at a high level; she’s teaching students to value the education they’re getting.
“The main goal I have is for the students to really love and appreciate music. I think an education in music is something that is undervalued in today’s society. So I want to provide that to my students and have them develop a love for music and also a respect for the kind of work that goes into succeeding in music,” Yuen said. “Also, to have them develop a sense of respect for themselves in having a really high standard of achievement. Maybe what was good enough before they came here, they begin to understand and value what they do in terms of the work they put in.“
In addition to teaching at Fredonia, Yuen is a member of the College of Examiners for the Royal Conservatory of Music in Canada. She kept up with her music exams when she was growing up and in 2007, was able to join the team of examiners.
“The Royal Conservatory is in the business of encouraging good teacher practice. So when they send me out to do assessments, evaluations or exams, I’m able to provide feedback to students that they might not be getting from their teachers,” she said.
The sheer amount of teaching and performing can be tough to balance; however, Yuen has a discovered routine that works for her.
“At this point, it’s difficult to prepare for a performance because we give so much in the lessons. So much of the mental focus is given to the students that it’s sometimes hard at the end of the day to find the energy and focus to practice,” Yuen said. “I focus the bulk of my practice on the days that I don’t teach and the days that I do it’s just technical work to keep my hands in shape.”
Practicing as a music student is the key to improvement but Yuen recalls that it was a challenge for her as well. She said her couple of hours worth of practice per day wasn’t enough.
“I confess that I didn’t practice enough, so I try to be understanding when my students don’t practice. For me, my practice issue was that I had to commute to school and that we had only 20 rooms in the School of Music for 300 to 400 students. There was a lack of time and space. I probably should have done more but wasn’t able to always,” Yuen said.
Looking back on her college education, Yuen realizes that there are things she would change.
“I would have practiced more and I would have listened to my teachers more. Now that I’m teaching, I realize the value of a lot of things they were trying to explain to me that I wasn’t ready for at the time,” Yuen said.
The hard work in practice has paid off but another obstacle Yuen faced is one that students face all the time in today’s tough economy.
“Coming from a family of a modest background was difficult. What I’ve noticed a lot in this country is the elitism of academia and I think that’s an unfair disadvantage,” she said. “For me, that was the most difficult obstacle, being isolated geographically and not necessarily having the money to go away to music festivals, or to afford a really nice instrument, or to even afford private lessons in the summer. So the upside is that it’s still possible to succeed.”
Yuen finds so many positives to being at Fredonia and enjoys the atmosphere that’s around the School of Music.
“I love my students; I love seeing them thrive and grow. I like seeing everybody’s students thrive and grow and I love seeing all the teachers really channeling their energy into helping their students,” Yuen said. “I love that my colleagues and the best part is just sitting down and being able to play together and discuss the ideas that we have. The camaraderie that goes into being in a group where you’re playing with people that you really like and you respect, who are also very good, is great.”
Senior music education major Giovanna Ruggiero studied with Yuen and was introduced to many new technical concepts towards the end of high school and didn’t have time to improve upon them. With Yuen’s help, Ruggiero will be applying those fundamental techniques to her graduation recital this weekend.
“Ms. Yuen’s emphasis on building a solid technique in her students has truly transformed my playing. I had switched private teachers at the end of high school and was quickly introduced to many new concepts I didn’t have time to perfect before getting college. I entered Ms. Yuen’s studio with little knowledge on proper shifting, positions, scales, and double stops” Ruggiero said. “Throughout my lessons with Ms. Yuen I have developed an understanding and confidence in all of those aspects of playing. The skills she has helped me build upon tremendously helped to create a solid foundation in my playing. I am very grateful for everything she has taught me.”
Dr. David Colwell, assistant professor of violin, is a member of the faculty string quartet and works with Yuen regularly in preparation for performances.
“Maureen Yuen is a wonderful colleague. Her fine teaching has done great things for the violin area here at Fredonia. And it’s always great to sit down and play chamber music with her. We’ve always enjoyed these collaborations,” he said.
Janet Sung, former assistant professor of violin, now teaches at DePaul University but still recalls why she liked working with Yuen.
“I had met Maureen previously at a summer music festival and, when Fredonia was in need of an adjunct replacement, Harry Jacobson, the Head of the String Area, and I discussed the possibility of asking her. We were thrilled when she accepted and she immediately took on a full load of violin students, as well as chamber music groups, and she fit into the routine and culture at Fredonia seamlessly,” said Sung. “Since then, Maureen played a vital role in the exponential growth of the strings program at Fredonia. She often went above and beyond what was asked of her in the strings area and was always a thoughtful, extremely well-organized teacher. I’ve always admired her intelligent, clear, methodical approach and her students always knew what was expected of them. She helped to elevate the level of musicianship from the students and, in my view, the strings area would not have grown as quickly as it did without her presence.”
Sung has been at DePaul since 2010 and away from Fredonia but one thing remains even though they may be nearly five hundred miles apart.
“Maureen quickly became a valued colleague and even closer friend. She always had the ability to assess situations quickly and offer a practical solution–an invaluable asset at our weekly string faculty meetings! I, of course, miss being able to drop by each other’s studios, just to say hi or have a quick pedagogical discussion, which were always lively with her intelligence and her quick wit,” said Sung.
Yuen has this advice to offer to students, regardless of your major.
“My advice to students would be to work smarter, not harder — that they engage and apply their hearts and minds fully to the task at hand. This pertains to all aspects of our lives,” Yuen said. “Also, it’s important to take opportunities that are offered and to create opportunities where there are none, and not to let fear or insecurity hold us back — we should be excited to leap into the unknown.”