Miss. Brenda Lee Villard

I am one of the first Suzuki cello teachers to have grown up as a Suzuki student. I received my Bachelor of Arts in 1986 from U of Wisconsin/Stevens Point, and my Master of Arts with Suzuki Emphasis in 1988 from U of Illinois/Macomb. I am SAA certified to teach all 10 Suzuki Cello books and spent 16.5 years teaching at MacPhail Center for the Arts in downtown Minneapolis. Since 2003 I have been running my own Suzuki Cello Studio in Edina, Minnesota. My studio holds 3 solo recitals a year, plus there are several group concerts called Celli Jelli’s. The kids get weekly group lessons plus private lessons, and I have an extensive cello choir program. My students would say that I am a fun teacher who holds them to task and expects them to do their best. They would also say that the best part of being in my studio is the annual fall Cello Retreat and my cello choir program. The parents would say that I am a fun, creative teacher who keeps the standard high and helps each child meet his/her goals. My goals have always been to be a thoughtful, caring teacher who helps my students be the best cellist that they can be while having a lot of fun. When they are adults I want them to be able to say, “I had an awesome cello teacher who made learning fun and cared about me.”