Gillian’s Big Adventure

by J.R. Smith Instead of my usual ramblings in this issue, I’m using a Facebook post and some pictures from board member Gillian Erlenborn, who accepted the task of returning the truck with bells lent from manufacturers for National Seminar. Somewhere between Texas...

Practice Till You Can’t Get It Wrong

by J.R. Smith Julie Andrews’ voice teacher once said to her, “Amateurs practice until they get it right. Professionals practice until they can’t get it wrong.” While many of us are amateurs who play for the love of the instrument, we can strive to play professionally...

Let’s Support Each Other

by J.R. Smith As many of you may already know, I’m involved in many arts and performing organizations. Besides handbells, I’m also involved with community theater as well as barbershop chorus and quartet singing. In all these endeavors—all amateur—I get the...

Christmas with HMA

by J.R. Smith We all continue to say that we don’t want handbells to be considered primarily as a Christmas instrument, but there is no denying that the season is especially exciting to handbell musicians. In that spirit, we invite you to enjoy the season with things...

Getting Back to (a New) Normal

by J.R. Smith As I prepare the layout for each issue of this journal, I have found myself disheartened the last couple of years that the Events Calendar had been shrinking steadily during the time of COVID. What had once easily taken two pages, eventually dwindled...