Pioneer in traditional music education and choral arranging leaves legacy of joy and community song
BRATTLEBORO, VT – October 4, 2025 – Peter Amidon, renowned folk singer, storyteller, music educator, and advocate for the American Orff-Schulwerk Association, passed away on October 4, 2025, following a battle with prostate cancer.
Together with his wife and musical partner Mary Alice, Peter formed the acclaimed duo The Amidons, dedicating their lives to preserving and sharing traditional American folk music, singing games, and storytelling with generations of children and educators.
For over four decades, Peter and Mary Alice immersed themselves in traditional music, from their early days in Cambridge, Massachusetts’s vibrant folk scene in the 1970s to their home in Brattleboro, Vermont, where they became pillars of the community. The Amidons were expert arrangers of choral music for small choirs, publishing several beloved collections of arrangements for small church choirs that have enriched worship services across the country.
Peter’s impact on music education was profound and far-reaching. As an advocate for the American Orff-Schulwerk Association, he championed experiential, joyful approaches to teaching music. He and Mary Alice spent decades as elementary school music teachers and artists-in-residence, leading workshops across the United States and inspiring countless music educators with their innovative integration of traditional dance, singing, and storytelling.
The Amidons released their first album, “Things Are Going My Way,” in 1984, followed by numerous recordings at Brattleboro’s Sound Design Studio. Their music carried forward the traditions they learned from legendary singers like Bessie Jones and Lucy Picco Simpson, as well as influences from English traditional singers John Roberts and Tony Barrand.
Peter’s gift for storytelling was equally celebrated. After studying with master storyteller Laura Simms, he brought stories to life for thousands of schoolchildren through assembly programs and residencies throughout Vermont, New England, and the Northeast.
The Amidon musical legacy extends through their sons, Sam and Stefan, both accomplished musicians who performed with their parents from childhood.
In recent years, Peter and Mary Alice devoted themselves to choral singing, arranging, and publishing. Peter sang with the Guilford Community Church Choir and the hospice singing group Hallowell, bringing comfort and beauty through music until the end of his life.
Peter Amidon is survived by his wife and musical partner Mary Alice Amidon of Brattleboro, VT; sons Sam and Stefan Amidon and their wives Beth Orton and Zara Bode; grandchildren; and a vast community of friends, fellow musicians, students, and educators whose lives he touched through song and story.
Peter’s life embodied the power of traditional music to build community, preserve cultural heritage, and bring joy to people of all ages. His voice, his stories, and his arrangements will continue to resonate in churches, schools, and gathering places for generations to come.
Information about memorial services and donations in lieu of flowers to be announced.