Chiming In
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 we have planned just for you through our online and social [...]
Executive Notes
In the last issue of Overtones, I mentioned that Handbell Musicians of America (HMA) was working to develop new and improved ways to support handbell musicians.
Membership Matters
Bells have long had a history of ringing to signify a notable event. Bells have rung to call us to wake, to pray, to work, to feast, as a call to arms, and in times of trouble to join together.
From the President's Pen
Fall is one of my favorite seasons. I enjoy being able to experience the four seasons the way I do living in New Jersey, but fall is particularly special: the gorgeous changing leaves, apples and apple cider, the cool, crisp mornings, and my birthday.
Solo, Ensemble, Bell Tree Enthusiasts
Options
Playing suspended bell music on the table
I am a career church musician, and organ is my primary instrument. After ringing in a bell choir as a teenager, I pursued that activity wherever I served as organist. My solo ringing journey began in 1995 and continued until my last solo concert in 2016. Increasing deterioration in my hands shifted my focus to [...]
Handbells in Education
A “Light Bulb” Moment
Why My Handbell Ensembles Never Play Anything in 6/8
About three years ago, we stopped playing anything in 6/8. For an organization with the motto “Every Ringer Counts,” that probably sounds a little nutty. Like every director, however, we have struggled with helping our ringers internalize and conceptualize 6/8.
Community Connections
Getting Away
When a Retreat Gets You Ahead
The purpose of a community handbell ensemble is to bring people together to create music. For most of us, that includes the goal of performances and pushing ourselves and our art form to the highest expression of musicality we are capable of as an ensemble.
