Gretchen Paxson Abberger holds a Bachelor of Liberal Arts from Bennington College; a bachelor?s degree in Music Performance from the Manhattan School of Music; and a master?s degree in Historical Performance from the Mannes College of Music in New York City; as well a 2-year Long Term Certificate in Suzuki training from the School for Strings in New York City studying with Louise Behrend. Further teacher development has been short-term training courses with the following: Ronda Cole; Daphne Hughes; Allen Lieb; Carol Smith; Ed Sprunger; Carey Beth Hockett; Brian Lewis; and Alice Kay Kanack. Gretchen has been teaching privately; free-lancing; as a guest teacher at Suzuki workshops in the Toronto area since moving here in 1994. She has also taught in the summer at the Southwestern Ontario Suzuki Institute; and Camp Noronto. She teaches all levels at the North York Suzuki Program; as well; is the artistic director for the Miles Nadal Jcc Suzuki Program; now in its 28th year; and directs the MNjcc Suzuki Summer Music Camp now in its 10th year; and recently took on the position of Manager of Music Programs at the MNjcc. Gretchen founded Thanks to Dr. Suzuki Concert Performances; a charitable organization whose mission is to create community among students and teachers of Toronto area Suzuki schools in a yearly collaborative gala concert. She approaches the Suzuki philosophy from 2 sides of the Suzuki triangle; as a teacher; and also as a parent of two children who learned violin by the Suzuki method studying at the MNjcc Suzuki Program.