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Volume 19 • Issue 4 • Back to Bells 2025
Happy August!
It’s hard to believe the year is halfway over! The first half of the year has been very eventful with Read & Ring, Ringers Camp, and Spring Rings in all of our 5 states. Last month, I had the opportunity to represent our Area at Pinnacle. We had two performing groups and 5 instructors from Area 11. We had over 30 Area 11 attendees and plenty more who have come to our Area 11 events. It was inspiring to connect with everyone and have such a large presence from our 5 states. The support was overwhelming and I want to give a huge shout out to all our Area 11 instructors, performing ensembles, and the Pinnacle Planning Committee for hosting a fantastic event.
Speaking of events, registration has officially opened for Fall Tune Up on Saturday, September 20 in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado and September 27 in Wyoming. Fall Tune Up is an educational event for ringers of all levels to participate in workshops to “tune-up” their skills. It’s welcome to all levels of handbell and non-handbell directors to learn tips and tricks to assist your ringers with their ringing skills. If you’re interested in hosting, please reach out to our wonderful Desert and Mountain Sub-Area Chairs so they can add your name and location to our list. All teaching materials are provided. You just have to coordinate equipment, offer a space, and find someone (or yourself) to teach. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with members around the state, encourage participation amongst your congregation, or give your students an opportunity to learn something new! Registration is open on our Fall Tune Up page, so make sure you head over there and register today!
September marks the beginning of the fiscal year for our Board of Directors. Our Board is thrilled to welcome our new Chair Elect: Sharon Schmidt. Thank you to everyone who voted and Karen Kaneko-Baker for running alongside Sharon Schmidt. I also want to give a special shoutout to our Nominating Committee for selecting such fine candidates for the position. The Committee consisted of LeAnna Willmore, Claudette Rothwell, and Shannon Casey.
Next month, our board is meeting at our festival location in Colorado to plan our upcoming year and finalize the details for Festival 2026. Make sure to keep an eye on your email for some exciting new opportunities and events!
Love and Bells,
Anne Kelley
Notes from the Chair-Elect
Greetings!
I’m honored that you have selected me to be your Area 11 chair-elect. I was in Area 8 (Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri) for many years and am eager to learn how Area 11 operates, connects with members, and presents events. I’m sure there will be some differences, but there will also be these similarities: We all love playing and/or directing handbells, making music together, sharing our talents, teaching and learning from each other, and being in community!
Since we moved to Colorado in September 2023, I’ve met a number of handbell folks in eastern Colorado and I look forward to meeting you at future events and concerts. If you’d like to help me get acquainted with Area 11, send me an email with your favorite handbell story from an area event, what you value about the area, and/or your suggestions on how the area can be more helpful to ringers and directors.
Until next time, just keep on ringing!
Sharon Schmidt
Upcoming Events
Fall Tune-Up 2025
Fall Tune-Up is a great way to get back into the swing of bells.
This is an educational event for ringers of all levels, from brand to very experience, “tune-up” their skills. Directors area also welcome to come learn tips and tricks to assist their ringers. Instruction will vary based on location. Registration is open!
Dates:
Saturday, September 20th for Arizona. Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah
Saturday, September 27th for Wyoming
Time:
9:00 am – Noon
Locations:
Mesa, AZ
Lakewood, CO
Thornton, CO
Albuquerque, NM
Lehi, UT
Kaysville, UT
Cheyenne, WY
Save the Date – Festival 2026!!
June 11-14, 2026 in Loveland, CO
We are excited to announce our Ringing Up 2026 Festival with clinician Dave Harris!
Registration will open soon! Be looking for email updates!
Registration coming soon
Bulletin Board
ISO Bell Choir Director Good Shepherd United Methodist Church - Thornton, CO
Come join the amazing bell ringers at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church in Thornton, CO. Our current director is retiring after 25 years of service, and we want you to help us continue this amazing ministry of music.
Bell Choir meets August through May, with practice once per week. Currently, practice is Thursday night at 6pm. The bell choir plays every third Sunday on average at both the 9:00 contemporary and the 10:30 traditional services. There are a few special events, too, such as Good Friday, Christmas Eve, and cantata services as needed. There are 13+ members and five octaves of bells! The participants are delightful and ready to continue to ring.
The bell choir director is budgeted at $5000 over eight months. The current bell choir director estimates between 5-8 hours per week in preparation and in leading the group.
Please contact the church at 303-457-9267 or email [email protected] for information or to set a time to come meet us!
ISO Director: Church at Litchfield Park - AZ
The Church at Litchfield Park is seeking a handbell director starting this fall. Our historic church is located in a beautiful suburb, west of Phoenix. Rehearsals are once per week and we play during worship once a month, plus Christmas Eve. We have a five octave set of handbells, plus chimes. If interested, contact the church at 624-935-3411 or by email at [email protected].
ISO: Director for Church Ensemble in Salt Lake City, UT
Our handbell choir of 12 people needs a new director! We rehearse on Monday nights 7-8:30 and play in church on the third Sunday morning of the month from September through May, We have 5 octaves of bells and a fun group. The church is at 17th and 17th. There is a stipend for this position. Interested? Please call Lisa Vitkus @ 216-965-5605 or email at [email protected].
ISO: Ringers at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Sandy, UT
Have you been looking for a bell choir? Well, we’re looking for you! We’re a church choir located in Sandy, Utah, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. We have all levels of experience some members have been part of the choir for over 15 years, others just 5. We usually ring L2+ -L3 pieces with a 12 ringer ensemble, but we’ve shrunk! Due to illnesses, moving out of the area, and retirements, we now have a 7-member choir. We have five octaves of bells, and three of chimes. We’ve been playing 2-octave material but we yearn to get back to those full-bodied songs! Our 4 and 5 octaves of bells are feeling abandoned! Please help us let our bells know we love them and want to get them singing again! We practice at the church every Monday, from 6 – 7:15 pm, except during the summer. Ages 14 and up, with the ability to read music are welcome! Please call Kate McGuire at (925) 435-0096 and leave a message with your name and number. Or call Good Shepherd at (801) 255-8181.
Looking forward to ringing in 2025 with you!
Kate
Handbell Tables for Sale -Denver, CO
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2 Wood handbell tables. 30″x36″ rectangle, independently adjustable legs. Portable with folding legs. Free Schulmerick Case D 4th Octave for G3-B3 and C#7-G7. Perfect condition both inside and outside of the case. No wheels
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Pinnacle
Board Member Spotlight
Chair-Elect
Sharon Schmidt became director of Bells of the Rockies in the fall of 2024 and has been involved in the handbell world since the 1970s. In 1992, she became a founding member of The Agape Ringers, an auditioned community handbell ensemble in the Chicago area. While in Illinois, Sharon directed multiple handbell ensembles at Gary United Methodist Church, as well as serving Handbell Musicians of America (HMA) in many capacities.
On the local level Sharon was a member of the Illinois Committee for nearly 30 years and was on the Area 8 Board for ten years. At the national level, she was chair for 11 Distinctly Bronze events and was the Certification Program coordinator for five years. Her handbell teaching experience includes numerous events in Area 8, events in Areas 1, 5, 7, and 10, multiple National Seminars, a National Festival, and an International Handbell Symposium. Sharon is also the substitute director for Rocky Mountain Ringers in Denver and owns a small business offering handbell maintenance and workshops.
In 2022, Sharon retired from her Illinois groups and moved with her husband, Gerry, from Naperville, IL to Lakewood, CO. An engineer by training, Sharon has built on her early piano, viola, and flute lessons by seeking musical education through her local community college, HMA National Seminars, HMA Conducting Masterclass, and participation in HMA certification programs in theory, handbell techniques, and conducting.
Sharon and Gerry enjoy the weather and vistas in Colorado, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, and scuba diving all over the world.
CHIME Loan Program
Thanks to the response regarding homes for our chime sets, the following groups will be enjoying chimes for the 2025-26 season:
- Heritage Elementary School in Centennial, CO
- Verde Valley Ringers and Running River Charter School in Sedona, AZ
- United Methodist Church in Casa Grande, AZ
- St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Aurora, CO
- Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic STEM School in Wheat Ridge, CO
Please be aware that chime sets are still looking for homes in New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona for the upcoming season. If you are interested, please complete the Area 11 C.H.I.M.E. Loan application at CHIME Loan application.
Upcoming Board Meetings
September 12-14
Loveland, CO
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