Classes: Art, Music and Theatre Classes at VAALA Studio

The Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association (VAALA) currently offers the following tuition-based, small size (no more than 15 students per class) classes.  Classes are taught by qualified professionals at the VAALA Studio, 14772 Moran Street, Westminster, CA 92683.

Children’s Voice Class “Em Hát Tiếng Việt” taught by Le Hong Quang (photo by Trong Vu)

Children’s Music, Arts & Crafts Class (7 – 11 years old)

Instructor: Yvonne Trinh 
Class meetings: Every Saturday, 10 a.m. – 12 Noon, from 5/3/08 – 7/19/08

Tuition: $200/class (12 weeks) 
Students will study the four concepts of line, shape, color, and form by learning and practicing drawing and painting techniques with an emphasis on watercolor.  Students will also create crafts throughout the quarter.

Adults’ Voice Class I (beginning)

Instructor: Le Hong Quang 
Class meetings: Every Monday, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., from 5/5/08 – 7/21/08

Tuition: $180/class (12 weeks) 
This class aims to provide students with basic training of singing techniques including voice and breathing strengthening, methods of enhancing self confidence and successful performance of Vietnamese songs.  Students will have opportunities to become familiar with the stage performance by performing in a recital at the end of the course.


Adults’ Voice Class II (intermediate)

Instructor: Le Hong Quang 
Class meetings: Every Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., from 5/6/08 – 7/22/08

*Prerequisite:  complete a Beginning class or intructor’s approval

Students continue to receive training of singing techniques. Students will also focus on power, emotions and flexibility in vocal expressions.  

Children’s Guitar Class

Instructor: Khoa Nguyen 
Class meetings: Every Tuesday, 5 p.m. – 6:15 p.m., from 4/23/08 – 7/9/08

This class teaches classical guitar, simple chords, and children’s songs on guitar.    Students also learn how to read notes and play in a guitar ensemble setting.  All students will participate in a recital at the end of the 12-week session.  The class also aims to create the ability to be expressive through music.  

Adults’ Guitar Class

Instructor: Khoa Nguyen 
Class meetings: Every Thursday, 6:30 p.m. – 7:45 p.m., from 4/24/08 – 7/10/08 
Tuition: $225/class (12 weeks)

It’s never too late to start! This class aims to create enjoyment and appreciation of the guitar.  Students learn classical as well as pop songs.  All students will participate in a recital at the end of the 12-week session.   
Requirements for guitar classes:  Each student must have his/her own acoustic guitar and a foot stool. 

Violin

Instructor: Nguyen Luan Vu 
Class meetings: Every Monday, 5pm – 6pm or per student’s and instructor’s availability 
Tuition: $100/month, three students maximum/class 
This class aims to create the joy for playing the violin.  Students will learn the basic and advanced techniques as well as perfecting pitch and rhythm.  

Theatre for Youth (8 – 13 years old)

Instructors: Uyen Huynh & Associates 
Class meetings: To be announced

This class is designed for 8- to 13-year-old children who are interested in learning new techniques of performing arts or developing existing performing arts skills.  They will be engaged in exercises of voice, movement, monologues, dialogues, costume making, set design and basic theater terminologies.  They will also learn how to write a script for a play, which is based on true personal stories and fiction.   

Children’s Voice Class (Em Hát Tiếng Việt) (8 – 13 years old)

Instructor: Le Hong Quang 
Class meetings: To be announced

This class focuses on developing the basic techniques of voice performance such as breathing, strengthening voice, as well as learning basic music theory and Vietnamese pronunciation.  “Another important thing is to make the students feel joyful when they sing in Vietnamese [by having] a very interactive and friendly atmosphere,” said voice instructor Le Hong Quang.  
Pre-requisite: Students must be able to read Vietnamese.  

Instructors’ Bios

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Tina Huynh (Children’s Music, Arts & Crafts)

Tina Huynh has been teaching piano and flute privately since 1999.  Tina currently plays with the Orange County Symphony and the Vietnamese American Philharmonic.  Tina Huynh graduated cum laude from California State University, Long Beach with a bachelor of music in instrumental music, and bachelor of arts in French. In addition, she also holds a Professional Clearance Credential in music and subject matter authorization to teach French.  She obtained Level 1 Kodaly methodology certification in 2002.  Tina Huynh uses a combination of teaching methodologies, including Kodaly, Dalcroze, Gordon, Orff and her own creativity, to teach children to become better people by learning and loving music.

Uyen Huynh (Theatre for Youth)

Uyen Huynh is the artistic director of Club O’ Noodles.  She has 15 years of experience in performing arts.  Uyen holds a bachelors degree in psychology/linguistics from UC Irvine.  She has had 5 years of study under Nobuko, artistic director of Great Leap (Japanese-American Performance Art Organization) and participated for two years collegiate with Rad Asians (Asian American Workshop Series).  Uyen recently directed “Love Stories” and “Finding Home.” 



Le Hong Quang (Voice)

Le Hong Quang received an master’s degree in vocal performance from California State University, Fullerton. He has been one of the featured tenor vocalists in the Ngan Khoi Chorus. He also is a member of the Chamber Singers of Fullerton College and University Singers of California State University, Fullerton. Quang has performed in Europe, China and the United States.



Jenni Trang Le (Theatre for Youth)

Jenni Trang Le graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology. She has spent the last eight years focused on theatre, community work and, most recently, film. Jenni performs, markets and produces for Club O’ Noodles (CO’N), a Vietnamese American theatre troupe where she holds the title of vice president. She has performed and written for CO’N since 1999 (“Stories From a Nail Salon,” “Laughter From the Children of War,” “Love Stories,” “Club O’ Noodles Show”).  Jenni works for Van Son Entertainment where she stage manages live concerts in the United States as well as abroad such as Japan, Taiwan, Philippines and Singapore. 
Jenni has worked as a crew member on many film productions such as JOURNEY FROM THE FALL and HOLLY. She has also held the role as first assistant director of FINDING MADISON, OWL AND THE SPARROW and, most recently, THE REBEL.  In January 2007, Jenni received the Armed with a Camera Fellowship through Visual Communications where she wrote, directed and animated a 5-minute claymation entitled, “OH MOMMY!” (Mẹ Ơi!), which was her directorial debut.

Hiep Nguyen (Art for All, All for Art and Children’s Music, Arts & Crafts)

Hiep Nguyen is an interdisciplinary artist with a life long passion for teaching.  He was born in Viet Nam and settled in the United States in 1991.  He received his B.A. and teaching credential in art education at California State University, Long Beach.  He has worked as a muralist, stage designer and art teacher.  Hiep has organized and facilitated many art and performance programs for children and adults.  As a dedicated artist and teacher, Hiep believes that creativity holds enormous power to impact change, and that we all must use our creative power. His motto is “All for Art, Art for All,” which is also the name of an interdisciplinary art and music class that he has developed.  Currently, Hiep is spreading his phenomenon Circle Painting Project (www.circlepainting.com) around the country and oversea.



Khoa Nguyen (Guitar)

Khoa Nguyen received his association of art at Orange Coast College in 2004.  Khoa is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in music (classical guitar) at California State Universtiy, Fullerton.  He toured with the CSUF Guitar Orchestra and performed in many cities in North California.  Khoa believes that it would never be too late to learn a musical instrument because music is a vital part of life.



Nguyen Luan Vu (Violin)

Nguyen Luan Vu graduated from the Conservatory of Music in Saigon, Viet Nam in 1996.  Since then he has performed in many concerts.  Luan Vu immigrated to the United States in 2000 and has continued teaching the violin.  In the same year, he co-founded The Friends, a classically trained musicians’ group who performs Vietnamese pop and ballad songs.  The Friends’ performances have been very well received by the audience in Northern and Southern California.  Luan Vu also appears on many videos made by the Vietnamese-American production houses.



Yvonne Trinh (Children’s Music, Arts & Crafts)

Yvonne Trinh graduated from California State University, Fullerton with a bachelor’s in general studio art.  She was also an exchange student at Marino Institute, Dublin, Ireland, for a program focusing on watercolor. Yvonne has joined the VAALA teaching team since summer 2007.  Yvonne’s art teaching philosophy is to have fun with art.  Learning art is helpful for problem solving. It is useful in academics and with everyday situations in life.  It makes students learn to see things from different perspectives.