Brittany Platt Gardner received a cello as a gift on her 8th birthday and has been enjoying making music with it every since. After receiving degrees in music at Case Western Reserve University/Cleveland Institute of Music, and the University of Michigan, Ms. Gardner returned home to Utah to become involved in the vibrant music community there. In addition to teaching, both in a large private studio and at the Gifted Music School, Ms. Gardner performs regularly throughout the community with such groups as Sinfonia Salt Lake (where she serves as principal cellist), the Utah Symphony, Pioneer Theater Company, The Salty Cricket Composers Collective, and others. She is founder and co-director of the cello choir “Amichevoli”, and she also recently retired from serving for ten years as Assistant Principal cellist with the Orchestra at Temple Square. Passionate about supporting families in their musical journeys, she has been a guest speaker and clinician in Utah, Arizona, Minnesota, and Colorado, and has had articles and presentations published by the Suzuki Association of the Americas (SAA). Her most popular lecture, “Advice and Encouragement for Suzuki Parents” was translated into Spanish and distributed by the SAA to countries in both North and South America. A Suzuki parent to two darling girls, Ms. Gardner also enjoys running, studying human development and interaction, and performing with her family.