About Haide Lefebvre

• Over 35-years of teaching experience for all ages
• B.A. Music from California State University, Fullerton
• Founder and member of Brandenburg Strings for 12 years
• On staff at Pasadena Conservatory of Music, California for 13 years teaching both cello and piano private lessons and group cello lessons
• Studied Cello Suzuki Pedagogy with Rick Mooney and Piano pedagogy with Professor Rita Fuszek
• President of Fort Collins Music Teachers Association from 2014-2016
• Current co-president of Fort Collins Federation of Music Clubs
• Member of the Music Teachers National Association, MTNA, and the American String Teachers Association, ASTA

My Musical Journey

I started taking class piano lessons at the age of 7. I was also active with dance-ballet and tap at this time. By the time I was 10, I was told I had to choose either dance or piano. Not sure why at the time, but I picked piano. By the time I was 12 years old, I was very excited to learn that I could have private lessons and approach music with much more passion.

In high school, I had a best friend who played violin, and she often invited me to her string quartet rehearsals. I just fell in love with the sound of the cello. So at the old age of 16, I added cello lessons to my daily activities.

I entered the university as a piano major but had so much fun in ensembles that I switched to the cello after my 1st year. I did take piano pedagogy lessons at the university, and it was there that I was introduced to a logical, systematic way of teaching, which was not something I had not experienced before in my lessons. So I decided to make it a point with my students to present materials in a logical step by step manner.

In 1977 I went on a European tour with the university orchestra, and we played at the famous Musikverein Hall in Vienna and at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg, among other venues in Europe.

I eventually found my way to Rick Mooney, who is a nationally acclaimed cello Suzuki Instructor and teacher trainer. With him, I continued private lessons and added Suzuki teacher training to the mix.

After attending Mr. Mooney’s National Cello Institute, I decided to try to get students together in large and small ensembles whenever possible. Playing in ensembles brings so much enjoyment that I wanted my students to get that experience.

Shortly after college, I started playing chamber music and have attended several summer workshops in Humboldt, California; Ashland, Oregon; and the SoCal workshop in Claremont, California.

From 1992 – 2005, I was on the faculty, alongside Rick Mooney, at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music, where I taught private piano and cello lessons as well as assisting with the cello group lessons.

We moved to Colorado in 2008 to raise our triplets, who are now young adults. I now have more time to devote to teaching, and I am excited about all of the opportunities for students here in colorado. The professional organizations to which I belong have so many fun events for students to participate in if they so desire.