Area 11 Camp – Ringing Through the Ages

   June 11-15, 2023 – Snow Mountain Ranch, Granby, CO

We’ve COMBINED our Young Ringers Camp AND our Adult Ringers Camp into ONE extraordinary camp for everyone of all ages(10+)!

Join us for this 5-day, 4-night event in the beautiful and refreshing Rocky Mountains of Colorado.  Throughout the week we will be ringing, participating in outdoor activities and have many chances to hang out with an amazing group of handbell musicians!

Barb Walsh

Barb Walsh was raised in Northglenn, CO and received her Bachelor of Music Education degree from Colorado State University.  She received her Master of Music degree from the University of Nevada, Reno and taught in the Reno area public schools for 33 years.

Barb started ringing in 1985, directing in 1986 and has been on the Handbell Musicians of America Area 12 board since 1993.  She has developed handbell programs ranging from elementary schools to community groups, including Tintabulations, known for their high energy, innovation and musicianship.

When not teaching, directing, or ringing, Barb plays flute/piccolo in local orchestras and shares backcountry adventures with her husband, dog and horses.

 

Ed Rollins

Handbells have been a huge part of Ed’s life. He started playing in high school, played for four years at William Jewell College in Liberty, MO, and then, from there, he became an AGEHR member.  While he loves ringing and directing, he found a deep desire to help Handbell Musicians of America grow and remain vital in the handbell world.  His leadership in this organization includes: he was Missouri State Treasurer, Missouri Chair, Area 8 Chair (on two occasions), Area 7/8 Representative to the National Board, and from 2011-2017 as the HMA President-Elect and President for the National Board of Directors. In 2020 (at the start of the pandemic) he was asked to act as Interim Executive Director for Handbell Musicians of America, which he did for almost two years.  When a new ED was hired, Ed became the Business Manager for HMA, a position that he now holds. As clinician and conductor, Ed was AGEHR’s second ever coordinator for the Young Ringers Festival in Ames, Iowa in the early 1990’s, he has conducted multiple young ringer events around the country, and he has conducted for festival conferences in Area 1, Area 5, Area 6, Area 8, the advanced ringers track for National Seminar, and he was the HMA conductor for the International Symposium in Vancouver. He has taught classes in over 25 states. 
 
In addition to his work for AGEHR, he co-founded the nationally recognized Columbia Handbell Ensemble back in 1989.  This organization has run continuously since that time except for a Covid break.  The group has been a featured choir for several area conferences, two national festival conferences and two National Seminars. This group has collaborated with an enormous number of musical organizations, most notably, the University of Missouri Concert Series, the Missouri Symphony, the Legion of Black Collegians, the Columbia Chorale, the Whiteman Air Force Base Christmas tree lighting, and the Odyssey Chamber Music Series.
 
When not working for handbells, Ed served as Associate Pastor for Music and Administration at First Baptist Church of Columbia, MO, where he served for 31 years. At the church, Ed directed the choirs, handbell program, and an instrumental ensemble. Administratively, he had oversight of budgets, personnel, facilities and a 7 million dollar endowment. Aside from that, he created the worship order each week, he preached, performed weddings and often led funerals. In his final ten years, he worked with another staff member to create liturgical art for worship.  They were invited to lead classes on creating liturgical art.   While at the church, he also founded the Odyssey Chamber Music Series, a staple of Missouri arts for 20 years.
 
Ed is married to Jess Wolfe, a teacher for the Columbia Public Schools program for gifted students (EEE).  He has four step children, Liam, Ophelia, Anya and Odin, and two years ago, Jess and Ed welcomed Iris Mae Wolfe Rollins into the clan. Along with the kids, there is one fluffy dog, George, three cats and a hamster.  Never a dull moment. 

Lodging and Meals are separate. Please see the Lodging and Meals tab for more information.

Registration Fees:

  • Early Bird (before February 15) $225 per person ($100 deposit required at time of registration)
  • Raised Rate (after February 15) $275 per person ($100 deposit required at time of registration)

Full Registrations Fees due by March 31, 2023.

Register Here

General Schedule

  • Rehearsals and Workshops each day
  • Camp activities and free-time throughout the week
  • Concert Wednesday afternoon
There are two lodging options. Youth/Chaperone will stay at the Silver Sage Lodge and Adults will stay at the Indian Peaks Lodge. All room rates include 5-days and 4-nights with cost of meals (12 meals total).
  • Youth Registrants: $275 per person (4 youth will be lodged together with one chaperone)
  • Youth Chaperone: $275 per person (1 chaperone per 4 youth)
  • Adult Ringer OR Adult Non-Participant: $450 per person (2 adults per room. Please contact camp.area11@handbellmusicians.org for option options)

Registration Fees are not included in room rates.  See Registration tab for more information.

Team Building Course

Tubing

Hike

Swimming

Barb Walsh:
Get Away from those Bells! (games for team building, note reading, rhythm reading, coordination, etc.)
Multiple bells – stuff like weaving and 4 in hand
Dancing – line, contra, folk

Ed Rollins:
Six Steps to More Musical Ringing
Articulations – deciphering and doing things like marts, mallets, PL, singing bell, etc.
Rhythm Decoding – how to figure out tough rhythms and just being more confident in this all-important skill, especially for bells

Youth and Adult Tracks Available!

Recommendations Coming Soon

Concert is the afternoon of  Wednesday, June 14.

Public and Non-registrants are welcome to attend.  Campers have additional activites after the concert and the next morning.