Amanda Bettesworth was born in Suffolk, UK, and migrated to Adelaide with her family as a child during the 1960s. She took up the recorder in 1998 after hearing it being played at an Adelaide Baroque concert, and immediately being drawn to its cool, clear tones.

Amanda enjoys playing recorder and bodhran at regular folk music sessions with other musicians, including the other members of Rose 'n Thorns. Apart from being the newest member of Rose 'n Thorns, she at various times performs Renaissance and Baroque music with recorder consorts, is an occasional guest musician with other folk groups and is half of the early music recorder duo Lumiere. Over the past 6 years Amanda has been a member of two Celtic/medieval "costume" folk bands that have performed at most of the major folk and medieval festivals in South Australia; an early music wedding duo; and a "muso" for two of Adelaide's Morris dancing sides.

Amanda has a Grade 8 AMEB certificate in recorder performance and is part-way through her Certificate of Music (Classical) at the Elder Conservatorium. She also has a Licentiate with Honours in musicology from the Australian Society of Musicology and Composition, with her special research interest being the English broadside ballad tradition. Amanda regularly performs at Eisteddfodau and recitals, attends recorder schools and workshops locally and interstate, occasionally goes busking and of course loves performing with Rose 'n Thorns at their regular gigs.