Now and then I like to sign up to play really, really hard music at a really, really fast pace (DB East, Italian Symphony, somewhere around a tempo of 175-180 -sheesh!).

Now and then I like to show up at the last minute and fill in as a substitute ringer for a neighboring church group that's playing Level 1 music. Soooooo relaxing....

Now and then I like to push with my quartet Velocity to play something like the Blue Danube Waltz with only four ringers - we're sweating by the time it's all over!

And now and then I like to ring next to the brand new ringer in my church's beginner group and help her count just so I can see the huge smile on her face when she gets every note perfectly for the first time.

The great thing about now and then is there is now AND then, and Area XII's got now and then opportunities, too.

Now:

• There are lots of opportunities in February through May to ring at an Area XII event: from SoCal to the Bay Area to Reno - and even in Hawaii this year. You'll want to sign up NOW!
• The deadline for the Area XII Composition Contest is coming soon - get your entries in NOW!
• I just got my National ballot in the mail - I should send it in NOW (you, too....).

Then:

• If you started saving today and put away only $1 a day (skip the latte at Starbuck's or eat in), by next February THEN you will have saved enough to register for the Area XII conference at Disneyland.
• If you and your group attend an event this spring and everyone gets excited from seeing an incredible performance, THEN you can channel that enthusiasm to work on Level 3 (fill in your level here) music next year.
• If you're paying attention to our online communications over the next year, THEN you might be lucky enough to win a prize....

Life is full, so enjoy - now AND then.

P.L. Grove
Communications Director

Hi, everybody!

Busy, busy, busy! Everybody is busy making beautiful music with handbells! But no matter how busy you are, you'll want to check out these links:

 

Upcoming Concerts:  Las Campanas (First UU of San Diego) with Swarmius ensemble and composer Joseph Waters to premier Dragon at the New West Electronic Arts & Music Organization Festival at San Diego State University, Saturday Feb 26!

Handbell Opportunities:  Ringers wanted at Clairemont Lutheran Church (Clairemont Mesa) and San Carlos UMC (San Diego).  Handbell Director wanted at Village Church (Rancho Santa Fe).

Upcoming Events:  Don't forget to register for 2011 Spring Ring and Bronze Vision!  The Early Bird discount expires March 1st!

Check out our Facebook page for the latest SoCal handbell information!



My best,
-Michèle

Greetings from Central California!

Well, I hope you've all recovered from the holidays and life has gotten back to normal in this new year. I know my handbell choirs are back in full swing now, preparing for our worship and concert ringing.

How many of you are bell maintenance challenged? Recently I was surprised to discover just how little I could remember of the bell maintenance class I took a couple of years ago, when my C7 ringer watched her clapper go flying off into the church pews one night at rehearsal! (Yes, our handbells certainly keep us hopping - in more ways than one!) Fortunately, I keep a copy of the maintenance manual with my music folder for emergencies. Even something as simple as a clapper can look very complicated if you're mechanically challenged. Now, I've only been with the group with the "flying clapper" for a few months, so it simply takes time to cover all that needs to be covered in our hour and a half rehearsal each week. But as a director, I do feel it's important to teach my ringers how to do some of the simple, basic maintenance on their bells. It's just crucial to maintaining the "health" of the bells by properly caring for them.

On another exciting note, our Central Coast Spring Ring information is now available, so be sure to check the Area XII web site for the details. If you've never attended a Spring Ring, then you're missing a great experience! Local one-day festivals, in my experience, are a bit more informal and relaxed, and there are generally not such large numbers of attendees as at Area and National Conferences. So if you're looking for a more intimate, hands-on experience with more personalized attention, please check it out. I find the Spring Ring to be a little more accessible (closer to home), but you have a unique opportunity to learn new things from a wide variety of clinicians. I hope you will be able to attend!

As always, happy ringing!

Kathie Mackie

I'm sure you all know the famous saying "good things come in small packages." Well, that is what the Carillons Handbell Choir experienced on December 19 at Hope Baptist Church in Redding. This very small church of only 40 members invited us to play a short concert for them, as they are interested in starting a bell choir. We received such a warm and enthusiastic reception from them. The children were very attentive and asked great questions. We especially liked the question from one little girl: "How does Jesus make the bells?" At the end of the concert, the children had the opportunity to come up and play a song on the bells. What a blessing that afternoon was for us.

Now for all of you parade and rodeo fans, there is a unique "western" opportunity coming up in Redding on May 21 at 10 a.m. The Redding Marching Handbell Band is in the planning stages for their first ever "march," and they are looking for 48 ringers. Here is your chance to re-live those high school/college marching band days by becoming a part of this group. Of course, you will probably want to stay on and attend the Redding Rodeo. So get out your cowboy or cowgirl hat and march to this e-mail address for registration forms, bell assignments, music and more information: Julie Hunziker at jbhunziker@gmail.com.

And as always, check the Northern California web page for upcoming concerts and events in the area. We have the upcoming concert by Bel Tempo on February 6 and the RiverBells workshop in April. If your group is hosting an event or concert, don't forget to let me know so I can put it on the calendar.

Rincerely,

Nancy Schmitt

To misquote Meredith Wilson's certain shy librarian, "There were bells in the hotel, but we never heard them ringing; no, we never heard them at all, 'til there was you." The 19th Annual Las Vegas Twelfth Night Handbell Festival Concert was a resounding success thanks to the excellent organizational abilities of Janet Ty and Dixie Bailey. Tim Waugh returned as the event's "music man," and through his extraordinary leadership and conducted, he coaxed several hundred ringers out of their comfort zone and into creating some great musical sounds. He made us believe that handbell music should be visual as well as auditory and, to continue the misquote, "There was music, and dancing, and laughter in the air..." It was an uplifting weekend - the kind that can change a ringer's approach to music!

Our next event is the Ninth Annual Sierra Spring Ring on April 9. Held in Reno, Nevada this year, the music for massed ringing is lovely, accessible and "ringer friendly." Tess Houston will once again be our clinician, and she is ready to help us turn separate notes into lyrical music. This event is known for its hospitable atmosphere that is ideal for learning.

Are you wishing for more of the wide open spaces that Nevada has to offer? Well maybe the First Annual Sierra Radical Ring is the right fit for you! Beginning Friday evening, April 8, and continuing amidst the Sierra Spring Ring on April 9, the Radial Ring features music that is a bit more of a challenge. We will color the air with our bells as we boldly tackle Level 4 music! Tess Houston will once again be our fearless leader, and Reno's own Tintabulations Handbell Ensemble will help facilitate the fun!

For more information and to download a registration form, visit the Nevada section of the Area XII Web site or contact me at nevada@areaxii.org.

Barbara Walsh

Aloha all!

I am excited to report we have scheduled our Aloha Ring for Saturday, May 28, 2011 at Kailua Elementary School. This event is even more exciting because we have two talented clinicians coming from the mainland. Former Area XII chair P.L. Grove will be on hand to teach classes, and our guest conductor is none other than the incredible Tim Waugh! I am really hoping you can all attend and will spread the word to all the handbell choirs and ringers on the island. Registration information will be available soon, so watch the Hawaii web page of the Area XII web site for updates.

Karen

The National office has announced the candidates for the 2011 elections of its board, and if you are a member of the Guild, you should have received your ballot in the latest issue of the Overtones. This election is significant since it will yield the board members for the newly named Handbell Musicians of America, who will play a major role in shaping the future of the organization as it moves forward with its new initiatives.

One of the new initiatives is a commitment to the use of technology to unite our membership, and as a means of underscoring that commitment, this year's candidates have submitted online video interviews. Please take advantage of the opportunity to read the candidates' statements and view their videos online to get a better sense of what they have to offer.

The list of candidates, along with their video interviews, can be found on the National Web site at http://www.agehr.org/election/. All ballots are due to the National office by March 15, 2011, so don't delay.

Speaking of new initiatives, there are lots of things happening, and while most of them have been behind the scenes until now, you are probably beginning to see evidence of the work. One major change is the availability of online registration for the first time for the National Seminar taking place this summer in Minneapolis. If the idea of online registration scares you, don't let it get the best of you! There is now an online tutorial to assist members with the online registration process and renewing and updating your membership online, so make sure you check it out.

• To view the online tutorial, click here.

• For information on this summers National Seminar in Minneapolis, click here.

• And for the latest news on the Handbell Musicians of America new initiatives campaign, click here.

Advertising Rates: 2011 Publishing Year

Two different types of ads are offered:

1.(a) An ad designed and formatted by you that is exactly 100 pixels X 300 pixels and sent in a jpeg or gif file. The ad will by hyperlinked to your website.

Cost:  $10 an issue    6 issues for  $54    11 issues for $94

1. (b) Ad  designed and formatted by you that is exactly 100 pixels X 600 pixels and sent in a jpeg or gif file.

Cost:  $18 an issue    6 issues for $97  11 issues for $168

2.(a) A 1.5in. X 4in ad which can contain a picture or logo sent as a jpeg or gif file and will be hyperlinked to your website. You provide the text that will be formatted by the editor. 

Cost:  $15 an issue      6 issues for $81    11 issues for $140

2.(b) A 1.5in. X 8 in. ad which contains a picture or logo sent as a jpeg or gif file and will be hyperlinked to your website.  You provide the text that will be formatted by the editor.

Cost:  $27 an issue    6 issues for $146  11 issues for $252

Payment is due before publication.
DEADLINE is the 24th of the month

Please submit your ads to P.L. Grove, Communications Director via e-mail at info@areaxii.org.