Cellist, artist-teacher and Suzuki Association of the Americas (SAA) registered Cello Teacher Trainer, Abbey Hansen, maintains an active teaching and performing schedule in the Cleveland area where she has lived and taught since 2016. As founder and director of Cleveland Cello School, Ms. Hansen maintains a full and active studio of cello students ages 3 and up and their families. In addition to her work with Suzuki students, she conducts a two-year graduate Suzuki teacher-training program, part of a unique dual Master's degree in Cello Performance and Suzuki Pedagogy at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

Prior to her appointment at CIM, Ms. Hansen served on faculty at the Music Institute of Chicago, Rockford College Music Academy, Community School of the Arts at Northern Illinois University and Music Academy at Lawrence University. An in-demand guest clinician, Ms. Hansen has taught and lectured at workshops and institutes from coast to coast. Ms. Hansen has also performed in several chamber music ensembles in the Chicagoland area and has been featured on faculty and alumni recitals throughout the Midwest. In 2006, she had the privilege of performing in a friendship concert at the Suzuki Talent Education Institute in Matsumoto, Japan. In 2016 Ms. Hansen became the youngest ever registered Suzuki Cello Teacher Trainer. She is also the recipient of the Suzuki Association of the Americas' Certificate of Achievement for excellence in Suzuki education.

Ms. Hansen's students have served as principal players in Chicago area youth orchestras, Interlochen, Blue Lake, Chicago Suzuki Institute, Lev Arrionson Festival, National Youth Orchestra, and SPHINX summer festivals, have participated in the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra and Contemporary Youth Orchestra, Cleveland Youth Pops Orchestra, and have been selected to join the Suzuki Youth Orchestra of the Americas. Hansen Studio cellists have placed in numerous Chicagoland and Cleveland area competitions including Granquist, Protege Philharmonic, Rockford Women's Club and Midwest Young Artists, earned unanimous superior ratings at OFMC, and have continued their cello studies at top conservatories including CIM and CIM’s Young Artist Program and Oberlin Conservatory and at such universities as, Amhurst, Drake, Brown, The Ohio State University, Swarthmore College, and University of Illinois. In addition to being a Suzuki cello teacher, Ms. Hansen is a Suzuki mom, having worked with her two children as both mom and teacher since they were each 3 years old.

Ms. Hansen grew up in Iowa City, Iowa and began her cello studies in the public school system. She graduated from Lawrence University earning a Bachelor’s of Music in cello performance and continued her education as the Dutton Low Strings Fellow at Northern Illinois University, earning both a Masters of Music (Cello Performance and Pedagogy) and a Performers Certificate. In addition to extensive pedagogy training throughout her collegiate career, Ms. Hansen holds registered Suzuki training all units. Her primary cello teachers include Betsy Hawtrey, Janet Anthony and Marc Johnson.

Suzuki Method:

As a registered SAA Teacher Trainer, Abbey teaches in the Suzuki style. The Suzuki Method is a positive philosophy of music education which follows the precepts that:

Every Child Can be a successful music learner

Achievement is determined largely by the environment

Positive reinforcement promotes success

Music learning can be accomplished the same way that children acquire language

Parental involvement is the key to success

Learning happens as a part of community

Students of the Cleveland Cello School learn to play the cello well, not just the notes to new songs. Foundation and setup are the keys to success and are always in the foreground. Once a great playing posture has been established, the focus of playing can shift to tone production and intonation. Tone and intonation work happen in the context of new pieces and in the growth of musicianship that comes from continuing to improve the songs that seem easy. So that music exists on the inside, students begin their cello studies by ear. Once they have a context for the sounds they want to make, and it is developmentally appropriate, note reading is taught. This typically happens by mid book 1 and after Kindergarten has been completed. Reading music exists alongside learning repertoire by ear until Suzuki book 3-4 when the two skills are equally matched. After this point, students learn new repertoire by ear and continue the study of music reading and theory with supplemental materials.

For more information please visit the Suzuki Association of the Americas Website: https://suzukiassociation.org/about/suzuki-method/

Lessons: Individual lessons are geared to the individual student/family and occur on a weekly basis and are 30, 45 or 60 minutes in length. Parent attendance and participation is mandatory for pre-school and elementary aged students and is recommended for middle school aged students.

Group Class: Music does not exist in isolation. Focused on skill building, ensemble skills, community, and fun, weekly Suzuki group classes provide a consistent opportunity for students to make music together. Classes for students from beginner through Suzuki Book 5/6 take place Saturday mornings at Hawken lower school. Students book 6 and above are invited to audition for CelloBration, a cello ensemble that explores and performs a wide variety of music from Classical to the Beatles and engages in outreach concerts. Rehearsals take place Wednesdays, 8-9pm at University School lower school campus. CCS works in cooperation with the Cleveland Center for Suzuki Studies and the Cleveland Music Performance Club to build a larger community for group class, chamber music and performance opportunities.

Performance: In addition to bringing the CCS community together, recitals provide motivation, encouragement and an opportunity for goal setting. Formal recitals take place near the end of each semester, informal performance (Center Stage) is scheduled each Saturday in conjunction with group classes.