President – Betsy Greene

BetsyGreenBetsy Greene is a general music teacher, grades K-5, and an elementary choral director, grades 4-5, in Burlington, Vermont. In addition, she helps manage a First Steps in MusicTM Program at her school, which she began with the help of parent, Karen Downey since 2000. Betsy received her B.M. Ed. from the Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam, NY and her M.M.Ed. from the Hartt School of Music, University of Hartford, CT. Betsy is both Orff-Schulwerk certified (University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN) and Kodaly certified (Hartt School of Music, University of Hartford, CT).   She received the “Outstanding Arts Advocate” award from the Vermont Arts Alliance in 1998 and the “Music Educator of the Year” award by the Vermont Music Educators Association in 2008.

In an effort to spread the work of Dr. Feierabend, Betsy is a frequent presenter of workshops and graduate courses of First Steps in MusicTM and Conversational SolfegeTM throughout Vermont. She is an active member of and workshop presenter for her local professional organizations – the Vermont Music Educators Association and the Northern Lights AOSA Chapter.

Betsy is also an active member of Music-COMP (formerly the Vermont MIDI Project). Music-COMP (Music Composition Online Mentoring Program) is an online forum for students to post their music compositions for feedback from practicing composers with opportunities for live performance of their work by professional musicians. Music-COMP also offers support and resources for music teachers on composition as well as sponsoring Ms. Greene’s summer course work offerings for music teachers in Conversational SolfegeTM. Betsy is also a contributor to Music-COMP’s online resource Approach to Composition in which her section “Create within a Music Literacy Program” highlights Dr. Feierabend’s work Conversational SolfegeTM. Betsy presented the session:
“Conversational Solfege – More than Literacy” for the 2014 FAME Conference.

For the last 25 years since I completed my graduate degree under Dr. Feierabend, I have been sharing and teaching his work with anyone and everyone.  The development of FAME and the remarkable opportunity to be part of it has re-affirmed my commitment to the Feierabend Approach and has solidified my desire to continue the great work we have begun through FAME.  I have experience serving on our FAME board since its founding as well as in the past on my state’s music educators’ association board (VMEA).  In addition, I have many years of experience with Dr. Feierabend’s work to bring to the table as FAME moves forward.   I am ready to continue the FAME journey in this important leadership role and would be very honored to serve as President- Elect.

She is a co-author of First Steps in Music with Orff Schulwerk: Sing, Say, Dance, Play. This project aims to infuse The First Steps in Music Curriculum with Orff Schulwerk practices. Betsy is a member of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra Chorus under the direction of Robert DeCormier. She performs regularly as a clarinetist for the Hinesburg Artist Series and Hinesburg Community Band, Hinesburg, VT.

Learn even more about our FAME Board President!