The Newsletter of Area 1 Handbell Musicians of America | Vol. XXXIX* No. 2 | April 2025 | | *Editor's Note: In researching what was thought to be the 40th year of publication for Fundamental Tone, an error dating back to 2014 was discovered. Alas, it appears that 2025 is in fact the 39th edition, not the 40th. We shall save our celebrations for 2026! | |
IN THIS EDITION:
- Report from the Board Chair
- Notice of next Area 1 Board Meeting
- Area 1 Elections coming soon!
- Totally Tins Recap
- Festival Conference 2025 Update
- Notes from State and Regional Chairs
- Please be sure to scroll down/click "view entire message" to see - and support - our advertisers
| | IMPORTANT READABILITY NOTICE: There's lots of great things happening in Area 1! So much so that Gmail can't show you everything in one email. Many Gmail users have noticed (and perhaps some of you haven't noticed) that our newsletter gets cut off at the bottom. You must click "view entire message" at the bottom of this email in order to read the full newsletter. Also, regardless of your email platform, you must enable "external images" in order to see all graphics and activate hot links. If you want to see the photos embedded in the newsletter at a larger view, simply cilck on each photo. Sorry for all the extra steps, but you really don't want to miss out! | | |
Happy Spring to you all!
Spring is a great time for new things, for fresh green grass, buds on leaves, and thinking about starting up a kids chime choir! With that in mind, I’d like to spotlight our Chime Loan Program.
I’m passing along leadership of Area 1's Chime Loan program to Meredith Gaines. She is a music educator from Vermont with a deep knowledge of chimes, and is going to be an awesome resource for the program. Soon, all of the paperwork and the website will be updated with her information in place of mine. I deeply encourage anyone with a passion for handbells/chimes to consider starting a group of new ringers on their journey to obsession! We have a phenomenal area, but we need to continue to get instruments into the hands of the young and young at heart in order to continue to grow and prosper.
Chime Loan offers “the total package”. It’s really the greatest startup kit that will help set your new program up for success. You just need to commit to finding the ringers and the space, and to facilitating the work. You won’t be alone in your journey—Area 1 has many, many ways to support you.
I invite you to take the opportunity to apply for our sets of chimes and educational materials. Applications are due by June 30th, and priority is given to school groupings and youth ringers. I’ll be taking my own challenge right alongside of you. I have my own 3-octave set of chimes, with which I'll be offering many different experiences in the Spring, Summer, and Fall in my own church. My kids vocal choir has been playing along with a hymn each month, and we’re ready to tackle a chimes-only piece right after Easter!
If you have any questions, reach out to me at chair.area1@handbellmusicians.org. You can find our application link at the following address: https://area1.handbellmusicians.org/chime-loan-program/
Happy Ringing!
Jenn Stack
Area 1 Chair
chair.area1@handbellmusicians.org
| | Area 1 is grateful to Handbell Services for allowing us to use their handbell silhouette artwork featured in our 'Report from the Chair' header. | | |
Notice of next Area 1 Board Meeting
Area 1 Board Meetings are open to all members of the Guild and held three times a year, usually in January, May and September. Our next regular Board Meeting is May 17, 2025 and will be held virtually. Considering a board position? Just want to hear about all the cool stuff happening here? If you are interested in attending, please email Jenn Stack, Area 1 Chair.
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Area 1 Board Elections Coming Soon!
Read about our Candidates Now
Your Nominating Committee has been hard at work preparing for the bi-annual elections. Every two years, the Membership is asked to vote for candidates running for Treasurer, Secretary, and Chair-Elect. The person elected Chair-Elect then serves two years in that role, and then automatically moves into the role of Chair.
We will be holding elections ONLINE for one month, starting on May 1 and running through May 31. As we get closer to May 1, watch for a special e-mail that will contain voting instructions. In the meantime, you can visit the Area 1 Board Elections page to read about the candidates who have stepped up to serve.
All current members (Regular, Retired, or Business) are eligible to vote. Be sure to check your membership status with Handbell Musicians of America online so that you can participate in this important election.
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Area 1 Experiences Great Success with Totally Tins
On March 8, 2025, Area 1 offered its first “Totally Tins” workshop, an event designed to help even the most beginning ringers create a broad palette of musical sounds.
Clinician Abby Schoppe led an optional morning session for those ringers who do not yet read music, leading them through a number of pre-color-coded etudes to introduce note values, rests, ties, and more.
In the afternoon, clinician Kimberlee Strepka introduced participants to concepts from Laban Movement Theory. Ringers applied the concepts of “glide,” “press,” “dab,” and “punch” to two Level 1 and 1+ pieces of music.
Because most groups attended as full choirs, Tins-level ringers were able to experience a true massed ringing event - but without the stress of a public concert at the end! 65 handbell musicians from Massachusetts and Rhode Island (many of whom had never before attended an Area 1 event) participated, and the feedback has been unanimously glowing.
The Area 1 board anticipates offering Totally Tins as an annual or biennial event going forward!
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Get Ready for Area 1 Festival Conference 2025
Registration has closed, and we are pleased to report that we have more than 340 attendees signed up to attend Festival Conference at Worcester State University this June! Over the next few weeks, Festival Conference committee members will be busy putting the final touches together.
Here are some opportunities where you might be able to help us out…
Assist Independent Musicians in Pairing With Host Choirs
Now that your group has completed registration, do you have any gaps where we can assign an independent ringer to help fill out your group? If so, update your group registration to this effect OR send an email to events.area1@handbellmusicians.org and Lisa will update the information for you. Because we have limited floor space, we appreciate anything you can do to help us accommodate everyone.
Practice Festival Music
Would you like to host an open practice session for Festival Music? Are you interested in attending such an event? If either of these is true for you, contact your State Chair or Lisa Arnold, and we’ll help you set it up and get the word out. Practicing with friends is so much more fun! One such opportunity is happening on May 31 at the Wilbraham Ringing Skills Workshop. Find out more and sign up now.
Contribute to the Area 1 Raffle!
Do you have a business, or enjoy a hobby in the creative arts? Consider a contribution to our fundraising raffle! Contact Holly Cerullo at hbcteach@comcast.net to let her know.
Say 'Yes' to Sponsorship - now through April 30
Check out our sponsorship opportunities which are designed to provide you and/or your organization with promotional value while demonstrating your support for Area 1. You choose the level of sponsorship, and we’ll deliver many lasting impressions and goodwill. Please complete the Area 1 Sponsorship Form 2025 by April 30. Once your artwork is ready, you can submit it to the Area 1 Sponsorship File Upload FC2025. Please direct questions about exhibitor space requirements to Carlene Ruesenberg at cdruesenberg@gmail.com.
Thank you all for your support and participation. It truly takes a village! We look forward to ringing and learning with you this summer.
Lisa Arnold,
Festival Conference 2025 Chair
events.area1@handbellmusicians.org
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Notes from CONNECTICUT
Suzanne Neafus, Connecticut State Chair
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Welcome Spring!
As the days grow longer and the scent of fresh blooms fills the air, spring cleaning finds its way onto our to-do lists. For musicians, this season isn’t just about tidying up—it’s a time to reflect, rediscover, and reconnect with our musical journey.
Perhaps you’ll uncover an old piece of sheet music that once challenged you, or maybe a program from a memorable concert—bringing back the emotions of that night: the nerves, the triumph, the shared music. These little relics remind us of how far we’ve come and the joy music has brought into our lives.
This year’s spring cleaning unearthed a time capsule—a March/April 1988 edition of HMA’s national newsletter, Overtones. What a fascinating glimpse into the past! Much like watching old television shows, the ads are often the best part. Seen below are two featured in that issue.
Looking ahead, Area 1’s Festival/Conference this June, along with many local spring concerts, offers new opportunities to make memories. Join us in making new musical moments by attending!
Happy spring cleaning, and keep on ringing!
Suzanne Neafus
Connecticut State Chair
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Notes from MAINE
Dana Humphreys, Maine State Chair
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Dear Maine Ringers, Got earworms??
You’re a musician, of course you do! I’ve been ringing a lot of different arrangements over the last few months, so have quite the mash-up of music floating around in my head. And sometimes I’d like a little respite from it. An earworm is sometimes called “stuck song syndrome,” which makes sense. The thing about earworms is that they’re usually a snippet or loop of a song we’re working on or enjoy ringing or singing. One way to chase the earworm away is to listen to the entire song, beginning to end, so your brain can get out of the looping mechanism. Or play another tune that you don’t enjoy as much and isn’t likely to repeat itself.
But now, on to the BIG NEWS! The Maine Spring Ring Planning Committee is thrilled to announce that the two clinicians/directors for the April 2026 MSR will be Kevin McChesney and Samantha Beschta! I’ll venture that 98% of ringers will recognize the name Kevin McChesney or have played at least one composition or arrangement by him. (Look in your music folder, you might have one in there right now.) Kevin is a highly regarded handbell musician, arranger, composer and educator. He has over 450 titles in print and is one of the very few musicians who makes handbells a full‑time vocation. Kevin enjoys working with all levels and ages of handbell ringers and is a much sought after clinician at spring rings and festival conferences. Kevin lives in Colorado Springs, and we are so excited that he will be coming to our State of Maine next April.
Our second clinician is Samantha Beschta. Sam is a very special Area 1 ringer and director, living in Connecticut. She has been ringing for 30 years and directing for 15. She rings full time in three different ensembles – Chime In! Music with a Mission, New England Ringers, and a trio named FaLiSaD (pronounced felicity). Sam was specifically chosen as our second clinician since Kevin is currently mentoring her in the art of handbell directing. Sam has lots of positive energy and enjoys exposing ringers of all levels to new levels of musicality in their music.
Maine Spring Ring will be held on Saturday, April 11, 2026, and our host choir is the Cumberland Congregational Church Handbell Choir. A lot more information about the repertoire, location and schedule will be available by early fall.
Until then, have a Happy Easter!
Dana Humphreys
Maine State Chair
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Greetings from Greater Boston!
By the time you read this, registration will have closed for the 37th annual Massachusetts Spring Ring. If you’re not already planning to ring with us on April 5, I hope you will at least consider attending the closing concert! We’ll be in the gym at Tewksbury Memorial High School; after a full day of rehearsals, our 3 PM concert will be free and open to the public and will feature over 100 handbell musicians from MA and NH under the direction of Marilyn Becker. Come experience the beauty of massed ringing!
Looking a little farther ahead, our community choirs all have spring concerts coming up soon.
Please consider attending one near you! It is always informative and inspiring to hear what a top-
tier auditioned bell choir can do! Below are links to the dates and locations of the many
upcoming concerts in our region:
· Back Bay Ringers
· Granite State Ringers
· Merrimack Valley Ringers
· New England Ringers
Of course, the biggest thing on our horizon right now is Festival Conference 2025, happening in Worcester (our own region) this June. I hope many of you have registered! Are you an independent ringer searching for a group with which to rehearse the repertoire? Don’t hesitate to reach out to me for information about another attendees located near you!
Whether in Tewksbury, Worcester, or another location around MA or NH, I’m looking forward to seeing many of you in the months ahead. Until then, happy ringing!
Abby Schoppe
Chair, Greater Boston MA/NH Region
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Greetings, Cape Cod!
By the time this article is published, Cape Cod Spring Ring 2025 will have already occurred! It’s always wonderful to spend a day making music with you!
As we look ahead to the 2025-26 year, I’m curious to know what Cape Cod ringers are interested in seeing for programming. I trust that another Spring Ring will occur next March, but in addition to that, are there particular workshops you would like to have offered or skills with which your choir needs some help? Don’t hesitate to reach out to me at ma.area1@handbellmusicians.org.
Until next time, happy ringing!
Abby Schoppe
Chair, Cape Cod & Islands Region
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Hello Western Massachusetts!
After the crazy winter we’ve had, I’m glad spring is finally here. And just like the crocuses (or croci) popping their petals through the snow all around the house, it’s time for all those handbell workshops to pop up all around the region.
The next local workshop for our area will be Saturday, May 31 at the Wilbraham United Church. This workshop will feature the Merrimack Valley Ringers as your clinicians showcasing almost a dozen different classes for your choosing. Take a close look… there’s something for everyone! There will even be a directors round table where you can bring your challenges and get some friendly advice. And just for fun, there is a ringing session as soon as you come through the door (right beyond registration). Classes don’t start until 1:15 pm, but come early (registration opens at 11:45 am), and jumpstart your afternoon with this open ringing session. We will be ringing through the Festival Conference 2025 massed music, so bring your music and bring your questions. Ring your position or challenge yourself by ringing somewhere new. To round out the day, after the classes, there will be a potluck dinner at 5:30 pm followed by a concert entitled "Celestial Light" performed by the Merrimack Valley Ringers at 7:00 pm. Visit the webpage now to register.
If this workshop doesn’t fit into your schedule, take a look at the other Area 1 sectors, as there may be a workshop or spring ring near you. Also check out these amazing tutorials sponsored by Handbell Musicians of America (HMA) - Hope Publishing Guide to Handbell Ringing. You can get to them from the HMA website under Education or simply click Handbell Techniques.
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We are very excited for Festival Conference this year, and I hope to see many of you in Worcester at the end of June. If you missed registration, maybe watching and listening to 300 +/- ringers making beautiful music will fill your happy place. You can either attend in person and watch it live or you can watch it from the comfort of your home – it will be livestreamed! Check back here for updates - Festival Conference 2025 - Area 1 Handbell Musicians of America. (pictured at left is one of our Festival Conference clinicians, Stevie Berryman, and me at National Seminar last July)
Directors: If your ringers would like to receive the Fundamental Tone newsletter directly, please send them this link: Sign up for the Fundamental Tone newsletter.
Happy Ringing!
Audrey Pierce
Western Mass Chair
westernma.area1@handbellmusicians.org
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Spring (Ring) is in the air!
First, “Totally Tins” was totally awesome! Several RI ringers attended the March 8 event at the Village Congregational Church in Whitinsville, MA. It was a fantastic workshop led by Abby Schoppe and Kim Strepka! Created specifically for beginner ringers, it was amazing to hear the musicality coming from 60 people! We practiced dabbing, punching, and gliding our way through the music. The feedback surveys were incredibly positive, and people would like to attend more workshops! This is how we will build our ringing future: giving attention and experiences to our beginners!
Please help me update my list of ensembles around RI. Do you know of a church or a school who has handbells sitting in their closet? Was there a strong handbell choir in or near your community that has now gone quiet? Help me reach out to those who may want to revitalize their choir but don’t know where to start. Please send me an email, and I will follow up! ri.area1@handbellmusicians.org
Lastly, if you are an intermediate to more advanced ringer in the Blackstone Valley area, I’d like to connect with you! I would like to build a community choir, performing at places around the state. Would you like to try it out? Send me an email: ri.area1@handbellmusicians.org Let’s see where this group goes!
Upcoming RI events:
RI Spring Ring - “Ring-a-Palooza” - workshop style: Saturday, April 26, 2025, from 9 am to 12 pm at Dunn's Corners Community Church in Westerly, RI, led by Jane Nolan. No matter your age or experience level, this half-day event will let you “sample” a handbell workshop. $10 per ringer. Please bring gloves and a split-back binder. There is no music to learn ahead of time. We will have fun, all while ringing and learning!
Rehearsals for Festival Conference - TBD. I will be organizing some rehearsals for those attending the Area 1 Conference in June at Worcester State. More details to come! If you’d like to host a rehearsal please let me know!
Happy ringing!
Jill Boday
Rhode Island State Chair
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Hello from Vermont!
Since the end of COVID, we have been able to identify less than thirty church, school, and community ensembles still ringing in our state. Although most are smaller ensembles, their impact in their communities continues to be great. The Tall Spire Ringers of FCC Manchester Village directed by Rosanna Moran, exist to welcome and strengthen human connection through outreach and partnership, and the Bronze Ambassadors of the United Christian Academy in Newport frequently ring at North Country Hospital and area nursing homes. “Tintinnabula” of Grace Congregational Church directed by Alastair Stout, and the “Bells of Joy” of Rutland United Methodist Church directed by Karen James, will be giving their second combined concert this June. Their collaboration raises money for organizations such as “Companions in Wholeness,” which feeds members of the unhoused community. Vermont ensembles are separated by many rural miles but are united in their commitment to uplift their neighbors with music.
Kimberlee Strepka
Vermont State Chair
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