Our Staff

Jon Noyes retired in June 2021 as a public school music educator after a forty-year career. He served as Adjunct Professor of Music at Fairfield University from 2002 – 2012. A Massachusetts native, Mr. Noyes received Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford. He holds a fourth-year certificate from the Kodaly Musical Training Institute and is a Past President of the Southern New England Kodaly Educators. He has completed post-graduate studies with Doreen Rao, Betty Bertaux, Henry Leck, Leon Thurman, Edwin Gordon, Gabriella Thesz and Tibor Szabo.

The Connecticut Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association named Mr. Noyes Choral Director of the Year for 1998. He has conducted all-state, regional and national festival choirs, including the 2011 National Children’s Choir for the Organization of American Kodaly Educators. He has presented in-service workshops throughout the United States and has published articles in local, state and regional journals.  Under his direction, the Fairfield County Children’s Choir has performed in New York at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Madison Square Garden and West Point, at Tanglewood, and in Boston, Denver, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., New Orleans, San Francisco, Oakland, Hawaii, Canada, England, Ireland, Austria and the Czech Republic.

Ashley Zadravecz is an elementary general music teacher and choral director with the Fairfield Public School system. She graduated from Western Connecticut State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Music Education, emphasizing in voice. Ms. Zadravecz earned her Master in Education degree concentrating in choral conducting at the University of Hartford’s Hartt School of Music, and holds Levels 1, 2, and 3 Kodály Certifications. Having begun choral singing at a very early age– including five years with the FCCC – Ashley continues her love of music as a soprano in CT Chamber Choir, Voce, and is also an Alto Section Leader and Cantor with the Church of St. Peter choir in Danbury, CT. She has sung around the world, including England, Ireland, New Orleans, Pennsylvania, and Canada, and she has performed at various celebrated venues, including Carnegie Hall.

Lisa Bettke is an elementary music specialist at McKinley School in Fairfield. She received a B.A. in Piano Performance and French from Gettysburg College and an M.S. in Music Education from the University of Bridgeport.  Ms. Bettke completed her Orff Teacher Training levels I/II at Central CT State and Level III/Master Class at the University of Memphis.  She has served as President of the CT Chapter of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association and on the National Board of Trustees as a Regional Representative.  Ms. Bettke has studied conducting with Doreen Rao (Levels I-III) and Henry Leck (Levels I-II).  She also conducted the first-ever CT Children’s Honors Choir for the CT Music Educators Association.  As an accompanist, she has worked with Doreen Rao, Henry Leck, Mary Goetze, Joan Gregoryk, Jean Ashworth Bartle and Rollo Dilworth.

Mrs. Powers has been teaching music since 1995. Currently, she is the K-5 General Music, Band, Chorus, and Theater teacher at Cos Cob School in Greenwich, Connecticut, where she co-directs the Greenwich Public Schools Honor Choir (GPSHC). During her time with the GPSHC, Chris has had the good fortune of collaborating with world-renowned conductors and composers such as Rollo Dilworth, Henry Leck, Nick Page, and Jim Papoulis. Chris received her undergraduate degree in Music Education as well as her Kodály Certificate from The Hartt School, where she first met and studied with Dr. John Feierabend. She is now the director of the Kodály Certification Program at the Hartt School, as well as the Methodology III professor. Chris also holds a Master’s Degree in Education from Sacred Heart University. As an Endorsed Teacher Trainer for the Feierabend Association for Music Education (FAME), Chris presents professional development workshops and FAME certification courses around the country. Chris is a contributing author to the Feierabend Fundamentals book and is the author and curator of the Feierabend Repertoire Database published by GIA Publications. She has studied conducting with Doreen Rao. In 2019, received the Greenwich Distinguished Teachers Award.

Rodney Loren recently moved to Connecticut from San Diego, California following early retirement in Milwaukee Wisconsin.  Prior to arriving at Wilton Presbyterian Church as music director, Mr. Loren had a lengthy career teaching university and public school students and serving as church organist.  He holds a B.A. in Music Education and Sacred Music, an M.M. in Organ, and Ph.D. in Music Education.  He taught general/vocal music at a nationally recognized Blue Ribbon school, and on the faculties of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and University of Illinois, teaching courses in music education and technology. An advocate of integrated arts education, Rodney was named Music Teacher of the Year by the Civic Music Association and served as program director Arts in Community Education—a program sponsored by National Endowment of the Arts and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. While studying on a Fulbright-Hays scholarship to Hungary and the Czech Republic, he became interested in the folk music of the Hungarian and Moravian people.

Barbara Peck  joined Fairfield County Children’s Choir in 2003. A former administrator in theater management, she has overseen hundreds of national tours for the educational field including drama, comedy and ethnic dance performances.

Alicen Gachi joined FCCC in 2006.   Mrs. Gachi earned her undergraduate degree from Arizona State University, and her Master’s Degree from Sacred Heart University.   She taught elementary school in Fairfield, CT along with children’s cooking classes and extra reading support.  Alicen currently is taking time away from teaching to raise her children, and resides in Easton with her husband and three young boys.