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Music and Music Education have always been central to Betty B. Radford’s career pursuits and leisure activities.  Betty has had a varied music teaching career which encompasses elementary music classes, choir, piano, band, music in early childhood, and the University of Alberta as well as leading workshops and inservices.  She regularly composed and arranged works for her students and choirs.  

Betty has been recognized by the Alberta Kodaly Association and the Province of Alberta for her contribution to Music education.  During her teaching career, Betty actively participated in handbell ensembles. Now in retirement, Betty has turned her compositional skills to creating music for smaller ensembles (quartets, bell tree and solo ringing) and larger handbell choirs from level 1 - 5. The Alberta Guild of Handbell Ringers has honoured Betty with the Note-a-Bell Award. Betty has had numerous compositions recognized by Alberta Guild of English Handbell Ringers (ALGEHR)’s Fred Merrett Award for New Compositions. Handbell Musicians of Canada selected So Glorious and Free to represent Canada at the International Handbell Symposium in Vancouver, and Mosaic for the International Handbell Symposiums in Hong Kong and Nashville, USA. Beyond the Horizon has been chosen for the International Handbell Symposium in Hamamatsu, Japan. Several of Betty’s compositions are available through publishers in the USA (see publication page). Exploring Handbells Books 1 & 2, published by Themes and Variations, are instructional books for teachers & directors where details are provided on many handbell techniques with music featuring those techniques. Betty continues to ring in two handbell ensembles and enjoys participating in music making.