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Volume 16 • Issue 2 • Spring 2023
A Joyful Season of Ringing
Thanks to many wonderful organizers, Area 11 handbell choirs and individuals have already been enjoying ringing together in several events this year. I attended the Super Bell Saturday, Read and Ring in Utah with twenty-three ringers as we sight-read new music and had a great experience mingling together and renewing friendships. We had great participation throughout all Area 11 states and we hope to see it continue to grow into something bigger.
The Utah Spring Ring was the largest group ever with more than 20 choirs and Andrew Smith as this year’s chair. I was happy to participate in that event as well as the Spring Ring in New Mexico. Nancy Roberts Small and her husband Don have worked hard to get a New Mexico Spring Ring going once again and even though numbers were small it was encouraging to be there and feel the spirit of those who attended. It was especially wonderful to see how much love each ringer has for ringing and their friendships with each other. This is just the beginning of our plan to gather and grow in the upcoming years.
We welcomed to our board a new representative from Wyoming, a member-at-large, Sara Oedekoven. We now have a voice from each of our five states on the Area 11 board.
Up next, we are looking forward to Arizona and Wyoming hosting the upcoming Spring Rings. There is a limited time left to register for Summer Camp for Youth and Adults. Keep checking our website for events and registrations.
Holy Week is here and there will be a lot of beautiful ringing that will happen on Easter Sunday. This is a most sacred day to share your music and talents. Some of you ring in more than one ensemble and more than one church. Thank you for your service to handbells and for keeping the Art of Handbells alive and well in Area 11.
LeAnna Willmore
Chair, Area 11
Area 11 Camp – Last Chance to Register!
Ringing Through the Ages – June 11-15 2023
Snow Mountain Ranch, Grandby, CO
We’ve COMBINED our Young Ringers Camp AND our Adult Ringers Camp into ONE extraordinary camp for everyone of all ages(10+)!
Registration closes this week 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!
10 Reasons to Go to Area 11 Camp
1. Make new friends
2. Have fun ringing
3. Two top-notch clinicians
4. Small group workshops
5. Improving sight-reading skills
6. Summer tubing hill
7. Swimming & hiking
8. S’mores by the campfire
9. Mountain views
10. Colorado sunshine
Ensemble Spotlight
Area 11, Handbell Musicians of America is proud to spotlight ensembles that have made their mark (not mart!) in Area 11.
Thank you to these ensembles for their dedication to advancing the art of handbell ringing throughout Area 11.
Click on the pictures for more information on these great programs.
Community Ensemble
Pikes Peak Ringers
Youth Ensemble
Greenfield Elementary School Handbell Choir
Spring Rings
Two of our Area 11 Spring Rings have taken place in Utah and New Mexico. What a turn out!
Can we still call it “Spring Ring”, if it snowed the night before? Utah Spring Ring had 181 ringers and 22 choirs at the event. The clinician, Michael Glasgow, was outstanding! Some ensembles performed solos including The Bells on Temple Square, Bells of Joyful Sound, Utah Valley Handbell Choir and Lehi Jr. High combined with Skyridge High School. We had a lot of choirs that had been to multiple Spring Rings before, but also a few choirs that it was their first time in attendence!
There is still time to register for Arizona’s Handbells Rising and the Wyoming Spring Ring. Don’t miss your chance to particpate in these state events!
Area 11 Endowment Fund
Are you looking to make a lasting impact in the lives of young musicians? Do you want to honor someone who has inspired you by giving back to the music community? Then consider donating to our Area 11 Endowment Fund, to provide scholarships for talented members to attend our 2024 Festival.
The Area 11 Festival is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for aspiring musicians to showcase their skills, learn from seasoned professionals, and network with like-minded individuals. However, not all members have the financial means to attend. That’s where the Area 11 Endowment Fund comes in.
By donating to the fund, you will help ensure that deserving members have the opportunity to attend the festival and further their musical education. Your contribution will go directly towards scholarships that cover registration, lodging, and travel expenses.
We suggest a donation of $5,000.00, but any amount is greatly appreciated. And to make your donation even more meaningful, consider giving in honor of someone who has inspired you in your musical journey. This is a wonderful way to pay tribute to a loved one or mentor while making a positive impact on the next generation of musicians.
So, what are you waiting for? Make a difference in the lives of young musicians and honor someone who has inspired you by donating to the Area 11 Endowment Fund today. Together, we can create a brighter future for the music community.
Area 11 Bulletin Board
Malmark Chimes for Sale - Arizona
6 Octave Malmark Chimes for Sale in Tucson, AZ – Contact Margi Zearly for more information
Arizona held their annual Arizona Music Educators Association (AMEA) State In-Service Conference on February 3-4, 2023. This conference was held at the Mesa Convention Center and featured three classes highlighting the joy of handbell ringing.
The first session was called “Hands On Handbells” led by Katie Gant. Twenty educators with different backgrounds and levels of experience met to put their hands on handbells and ring a variety of handbell music. The class started with Katie giving a great description of how to ring both handbells and handchimes. Participants practiced ringing and then they were thrown straight into the music. Everyone had a blast sight reading different music that was generously loaned from Jeffers Handbell Supply. From “Popcorn” with Boomwhackers to “Africa,” everyone put their sight reading skills to work and had a fun time embracing the joy of handbell ringing.
Once participants got a taste for the joy of handbell ringing, they had an opportunity to learn everything they needed to know by attending “Handbells 101” taught by Anne Kelley. This class was a one hour presentation about handbell basics, reading/programming handbell music, handbell maintenance, directing a handbell choir, and starting a handbell program. There were 10 interested educators who attended and Anne taught a few of them how to ring! This was a very educational session that taught attendees everything they needed to know about handbell directing and ringing!
In addition to these informative and interactive classes, there was a third session titled “Choirchimes in the Middle School Choir” taught by Andrea Jenkins. This session highlighted our Area 11 CHIME Loan program and the Chimeworks.com curriculum. Andrea invited her middle school chime choir to showcase their talents and explain she uses choirchimes to enhance her music program. The ensemble showcased some of their spring repertoire and even created accompaniment to some familiar Kodaly songs on the spot! The teachers were enthusiastic and curious to learn more about the CHIME Loan program. There were many questions and lively discussions throughout the class. Andrea described her positive experience with the CHIME loan program and encouraged teachers to apply.
For readers who may not be familiar with the Chime Loan Program: The Chimes and Handbells in Music Education (CHIME) Loan Program was established in the early 2000’s to get handchimes into the hands of student musicians and to generate excitement for learning and making music with this unique instrument. For those who apply, Area 11 loans – for FREE– a 3-octave set of handchimes, music samples and educational materials to any school or church for a year so they can see how fun and useful handchimes can be as part of any music program.
Find out more about or to apply for the CHIME loan program
In addition to these sessions, handbells were also highlighted in the exhibits! 2012 Ring of Fame Recipient, Doug Benton managed a Mallmark booth where he networked with fellow educators, answered questions about maintenance, educated curious bystanders, and encouraged educators to buy a set of handbells or handchimes for their programs.
The 2023 AMEA Conference was very successful in sharing the joy of handbell ringing in schools, churches, and the community. Area 11 is looking forward to the next AMEA Conference to spread the word about handbell and handchime ringing!
Our Area is Blooming with Music!
Although it may not feel like it, spring is officially here! Arizona is filled with wildflowers blooming along our mountains and highways. It’s absolutely gorgeous and a nice change from our desert landscape. Much like the wildflowers, our area has been blooming with wonderful music!
We recently had our Utah and New Mexico Spring Ring where we had over 260 ringers spend the day working with Michael Glasgow in Utah and LeAnna Willmore in New Mexico. These events are a wonderful opportunity to learn new tricks, catch up with old friends and meet other ringers in your state. It is one of the many wonderful things our area provides for our handbell community and area members.
The Arizona Spr
ing Ring, Handbells Rising, is coming up on April 22, and I’m excited to connect with our state members and celebrate our local clinicians and composers. If you want another opportunity to ring, feel free to register and check out our beautiful wildflowers while you’re in town! HMA members always get a discount on their registration for area and national events.
This is another wonderful reason to become a member and save a few dollars on your registration fee. If you have questions about membership, I am always happy to help!
Love and Bells,
Anne Kelley
Joyfully Ring!
News from National
National Seminar 2023
Join us at the Westin Irving Convention Center as Los Colinas in Irving, TX (part of DFW metroplex), for National Seminar 2023.
Event dates are Tuesday, July 11 through Saturday, July 15.
Upcoming Board Meetings
April 10 – 7:30pm MDT
Newsletter Archive
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