A great line from the movie Brother, Where Art Thou, “C’mon in, the water’s fine,” reminds us that we can sit by and watch others take risks, or we can jump in and join the action. Handbell Musicians of America is an organization that says, “the water’s fine, jump in and see!”
A recent survey of our organization’s benefits indicates that the two most valuable membership benefits are the Overtones journal and our events. We can all enjoy the first benefit just by reading the tremendous variety of stories, educational materials, music reviews, and advertisements. The second benefit, events, really doesn’t mean much until you involve yourself…until you jump in to see that the water is fine.
This entire year, and more particularly this summer, you will have a plethora of opportunities to experience the great benefit of jumping in and involving yourself in a Handbell Musicians of America event. There are plenty of times when you could sit on the banks and watch others jump in, but let me offer some ways in which I think you will gain by testing the waters.
- Growing as a person and as a handbell musician – At any event you attend, you will be challenged to become a better ringer or director. Classes are designed to encourage participants to stretch their skills, to try a new idea, or to think more musically. An amazing variety of concerts helps attendees hear some of the best and dream about ways to move in that direction—they prompt programming ideas or create ideas for new sounds, and they show how to blend talents, time, and energy to enable a team to achieve something which might seem unattainable. Each class and each concert allows you to grow.
- Growing as an ensemble – When you are able to attend an event with other members of your ensemble, growth happens. Ringing together, working together, eating together, and creating memories together all helps to build the team. You’ll be amazed at how your group can change.
- Growing as a ringer – When you join forces with other ringers, wonderful things happen: If you’re not as assured in your ringing, you don’t have to worry because others are there to pull you through. If you’re an experienced ringer, you can focus on gaining one new technique or suggestion to help you improve while also realizing that you are an encourager for a new ringer.
- Developing lifelong friends – Every two years when I am able to attend an Area 8 conference, I reacquaint myself with friends who make my life better, people I stay in touch with. When I see these folks, it is as if we see each other every day. Every year at National Seminar, I see familiar faces that, even though separated by time and distance, are lifelong friends. This is a benefit to membership that cannot be quantified.
- Meeting those people you know only by the names listed on their music – Many handbell composers, arrangers, publishers, and handbell industry representatives come to our events, and it is fun to put a face with a name.
- Sharing ideas or dreams – When we gather, we talk, and what we talk about the most is handbells. We talk about their use in worship or in schools, we talk about what to do with the challenges in our groups, we talk about music, we talk about new ways to promote handbells in our communities, we talk about great performances, we talk about rehearsal strategies—you name it, we talk about it. This is an amazing benefit for anyone who rings or directs.
- We laugh and cheer – In a world that needs something positive, Handbell Musicians of America provides it. I recently heard that children laugh up to 300 times a day, adolescents laugh 30 times a day, and adults laugh less than five times a day. It’s time to act like a kid again, to laugh, cheer, and create goodwill through music.
These are the benefits of membership. These are the benefits of involving yourself in our organization’s events. This summer, there will be events in our eastern areas—the National Seminar will be held in Rochester, New York, in mid-July—or you could participate in the International Handbell Symposium in Vancouver, Canada, in late July. Of course, local events abound where two or three choirs join to ring together, or where a mentor works with your group, or when a “back to bells” event is held to inspire you. Let me encourage you to get involved by attending an event sometime this year, because once you do, you will see the benefit. Check out www.handbellmusicians.org for an event near you.
So, c’mon in, the water’s fine! I’ll look forward to hearing from you about the event(s) you attend. Share your story with me.
Ed Rollins [email protected]
Ed Rollins President |
