Dena Byers currently teaches at Hillandale Elementary School and serves as the lead elementary music teacher for Durham Public Schools. She is also the current Artistic Director for the Durham Children's Choir. She has taught in Durham for 22 years and is National Board Certified. She has been honored by being a top four finalist for District Teacher of the Year and receiving the NC Symphony’s Jackson Pankhurst Award for Special Achievement in music education. An active member of the American Choral Directors Association and the American Orff-Schulwerk Association, Mrs. Byers has been a guest conductor for the All-State Honors Choir (MS) as well as District All-County Choirs in NC, GA, FL and AL. She has presented workshops for Orff Schulwerk chapters throughout the US and at National AOSA Professional Development Conferences. She received BA degrees in Music Education and Vocal Performance from the University of Connecticut, a Master of Music from the University of Minnesota and holds Level III and Master Level Orff Schulwerk Certifications from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and the University of Memphis, respectively.