For more than four decades, Susan Ramsay has distinguished herself as one of Tennessee’s most influential music educators, teacher trainers, performers, and arts advocates. A graduate of Peabody College, she later earned a master’s degree in music education from Middle Tennessee State University and completed certification in both Kodály and Orff Schulwerk methodologies. Ramsay taught middle and elementary school students in Cheatham County and the Franklin Special School District for thirty-two years. She directed award-winning choirs and started an Elementary Mass Choir Festival in 1987, an event that still flourishes today. She mentored thirty-one student teachers and helped establish Franklin Elementary School as a Tennessee Arts Commission Arts Honors School. In 2002, she became the first teacher in Tennessee to earn National Board Certification in Early and Middle Childhood Music. She was named Franklin Special School District Teacher of the Year and was inducted into the Tennessee Music Educators Association Hall of Fame in 2016.
Beyond the K–12 classroom, Ramsay has devoted her career to training and inspiring fellow educators. For more than a decade, she taught music education courses at Belmont University, Vanderbilt University, and Middle Tennessee State University. As an Orff Schulwerk teacher trainer for eighteen years, she introduced hundreds of teachers to the Orff approach through certification courses across the country. A highly respected clinician and presenter, Ramsay has led workshops and conference sessions throughout the United States, including presentations for national conferences of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association, the Organization of American Kodály Educators, and the American Choral Directors Association. A gifted performer as well as educator, she played for many years as a clarinetist with the Nashville Wind Ensemble and also appeared with the Lipscomb and Vanderbilt orchestras. She is also widely known for her engaging storytelling performances, sharing stories at festivals, school programs, and community events throughout the region. Her service to the profession has included leadership roles in numerous organizations and long-standing involvement with the Tennessee Arts Academy, which she has faithfully supported and attended since the Academy’s inaugural year.
Marc Shaiman is an award-winning lyricist, composer, orchestrator, and performer, who has successfully created music and lyrics for television, films, recordings, and theater since entering show business at the age of sixteen. He has earned seven Oscar nominations for Mary Poppins Returns, Sleepless in Seattle, Patch Adams, The First Wives Club, The American President and South Park; a Tony Award for Hairspray; two Emmy Awards for The Oscars with Billy Crystal and Only Murders in the Building; and two Grammy’s for Hairspray and Some Like It Hot. Shaiman has co-produced and arranged award-winning recordings for music icons such as Bette Midler, Harry Connick Jr., and Mariah Carey, including the Grammy-winning recordings The Wind Beneath My Wings and From a Distance. Other performers with whom he has collaborated in concert, cabaret, film, and television include Will Ferrell, Kristin Chenoweth, Eric Clapton, Diane Keaton, Steve Martin, Barbra Streisand, Queen Latifah, Robin Williams, Eddie Murphy, and Robert De Niro. At the legendary after-party for SNL 40th, he jammed with Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney, and Prince and “completely lost his mind”. His television ventures include “The Sweeney Sisters” on SNL and countless award and talk show appearances with Billy Crystal, Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Lane, and Martin Short, the Emmy-winning SNL 40th, The Kennedy Center Honors, for which he arranged and performed in tribute to his friend Billy Crystal. His most cherished achievement for television is his collaboration with Bette Midler for her Emmy-winning appearance as Johnny Carson’s final guest on The Tonight Show. In 2014, Shaiman and Scott Wittman, his collaborator in the musical theatre world, were celebrated by the New York Pops with a spectacular concert at Carnegie Hall. Shaiman was honored with the Ambassador Award by the Society of Composers and Lyricists in December 2018, the Icon Award at the Guild of Music Supervisors Awards in February 2019, and an Outstanding Career Achievement Award from the Hollywood Music In Media Awards. Shaiman is also a New York Times-bestselling author after the recent publication of Never Mind the Happy: Showbiz Stories from a Sore Winner. Born and raised in New Jersey, he currently lives in New York with his husband Lou Mirabal.
Talmage Watts and Debbie Greenspan credit their education in public schools with igniting the spark that lit their passion for music.
Talmage Watts received a degree from Peabody College (now Vanderbilt University) and began a career as a music educator. He directed bands at McMurray Junior High School (now McMurray Middle) and Hillsboro High School, where he worked with Joe Giles, who would later become founder of the Tennessee Arts Academy. Watts played trumpet professionally and later joined the faculty at the University of South Alabama. After twelve years of teaching, he changed careers and earned his law degree at the University of Alabama School of Law. Watts spent thirty-five years as a trial and appellate attorney and concluded his career with a thirteen-year stint in the Tennessee Attorney General’s office. He was a member of the bar of both the Tennessee and the United States Supreme Court. Needing a musical outlet, he sang with the symphony chorus in New Orleans, where he met his future wife, Debbie Greenspan. He then sang for fifteen years with the Nashville Symphony Chorus, served as its president, and sang twenty-five productions with the Nashville Opera Association. When his long-time friend, Joe Giles, asked him to become involved with the newly formed Tennessee Arts Academy Foundation (TAAF), Watts wrote the original by-laws for the organization, joined the board, and served as its first president. For the last thirty-two years, he has held numerous TAAF roles, including assistant secretary and on-call legal consultant.
Debbie Greenspan discovered her love of singing and performing at age ten, when she participated in a scene from Carmen presented to her classmates. She sang in choirs throughout her school years, winning a place in all-state choruses and first-place awards in solo and duet vocal performance competitions. Her passion for singing persisted in college, and as a senior in nursing school, she won a position in the chorus of the Fort Worth Opera Company’s production of Bernstein’s Mass. While pursuing her now fifty-year career as a nurse and nurse practitioner, she sang in the symphony choruses of Indianapolis, New Orleans, and Nashville, and the opera choruses of the New Orleans and Nashville opera companies. Greenspan served as a cantorial soloist at two different synagogues in New Orleans and was the soprano quartet soloist for Congregation Micah in Nashville for twenty years. She served as president of both the New Orleans and Nashville symphony choruses and as a member of the first board of directors of the Tennessee Arts Academy Foundation.
Rozelle Elementary School for Creative and Performing Arts, located in Memphis, Tennessee, is a vibrant institution dedicated to nurturing both academic excellence and artistic talent. As part of the Shelby County Schools district, Rozelle offers a unique Creative and Performing Arts program that integrates arts education into the core curriculum. Students have the opportunity to explore their passions through activities such as dance, drama, music, strings, visual arts, and more. The school earned significant accolades as a Model School in 2024, and since becoming a 2024 Arts Rich School of Merit, has been named a Model School and a 2025 Magnet School of Distinction for commitment to excellence in education and the arts. These honors underscore Rozelle's dedication to fostering a love for creativity and learning. Rozelle has demonstrated significant academic growth over the past few years. In 2022, Rozelle was designated as a Level 5 Reward school by the Tennessee Department of Education for academic growth. Emphasizing a culture of respect, responsibility, and readiness, the school inspires students to excel academically while encouraging creativity and self-expression. Rozelle Elementary’s holistic approach ensures that students are prepared to become future leaders, innovators, and positive contributors to their community. With its focus on academic rigor and artistic excellence, Rozelle Elementary continues to shine as a beacon of inspiration and opportunity for young learners.
South Doyle Middle School (SDMS), located “south of the river” in Knoxville, Tennessee, is a Title I school serving approximately 800 students in grades six through eight. The faculty includes specialists in academics, special education, English language learning, and the related arts. SDMS’s mission is to become a magnet that draws people to the community and a foundation for residents of South Knoxville. Its vision emphasizes creating a culture of belonging and engagement to support students’ academic and social growth. The faculty includes specialists in academics, special education, English language learning, and the related arts. The school’s daily KEE Time develops the core behaviors of Kindness, Energy, and Effort. All students participate in daily related arts classes, choosing from more than thirteen options, including chorus, band, beginner guitar, general music, performance arts, and news production. After-school offerings such as honors band, art club, ensemble, and Cherokee Singers expand access to creative learning. The SHADES after-school program further enhances engagement through STEM, culinary arts, and media workshops. Students regularly participate in local area arts events and various music competitions and showcases. Serving a richly diverse student body, SDMS values inclusive practices that reflect its commitment to equity and belonging. The school’s dedicated and collaborative team of professionals recognize the role of the arts in supporting students’ cognitive, emotional, and academic growth and is dedicated to providing meaningful opportunities that connect students with their community and the world.
Collierville High School’s diverse population remains steadfast in upholding the district’s core values of scholarship, integrity, and service. The school, located in Collierville, Tennessee, strives for academic excellence, fostering a love for learning that shapes the students’ futures. The commitment to integrity ensures that the school’s actions are guided by honesty, responsibility, and ethical conduct. Dedication to service, an emphasis on the importance of the fine arts, fostering artistic literacy, and a commitment to offer an extensive range of arts classes provides students with opportunities for growth and challenge in their artistic pursuits. The requirement for all students to take at least one year of fine arts classes ensures that every student can explore their creativity and develop skills in the arts. Sixty-six percent of the student body is engaged in the arts. A high percentage of students continue to advanced classes, including honors and AP courses. Community involvement in performances, competitions, and shows not only supports and celebrates the achievements of students, but also fosters connections between the school and the community. In the past year, students participated in approximately 123 community art opportunities. These performances and contests provide valuable experiences for students to share their talents and passion for the arts with others. The Collierville High School Fine Arts Department is making significant strides in fulfilling its mission to cultivate artistically literate students who are actively engaged in the arts as lifelong learners.
