Nominations are now open for a special election, and while the nominating committee is hard at work looking for great candidates, we wanted to get the word out and open the door a bit wider in the search for nominees.

 

Because of the recent vacancy, the term of office for the next Chair-Elect will begin immediately upon election and will go through summer of 2020, making it a 6-1/2 instead of the normal 6-year term (approximately).

 

Candidates must be voting members of the Handbell Musicians of America, must reside within Area 12, and must consent to their nomination. More information on the position can be found in the Area 12 Bylaws and Rules of Procedure, which are posted on the Area 12 website.

 

Nominations will be taken through December 15th, and ballots will be mailed by January 15th, so watch your mailbox in January for the special election ballot.

 

(Don't forget that the regular election for secretary and treasurer will be held next year, so if the chair-elect position is not for you, there are still other ways to serve Area 12.)

 

The nominating committee for this special election is Rima Greer, Barbara Meinke and P.L. Grove. Note that your Past Chair, Rima Greer, has appointed P.L. to preside over the committee for this special election, so please send inquiries and nomination suggestions to P.L. at webmaster.area12@handbellmusicians.org.

 

Spread the word that we need volunteers to help Area 12 continue its history of great handbell education and events!

Conference Repertoire List Now Available on the Area 12 Website!

June 19-22, 2014
 

Embassy Suites  

 

• Perform in our Conference Ensemble
• Learn from real drummers to use mallets and play hand drums
• Perform in handbell theatre
• Learn tricks to arrange music, even if you're not a composer
• Learn all six four-in-hand configurations
• Take an All Ring Track and ring until you drop

The month of November is a time most people reflect on their blessings and give thanks. We are so blessed to be part of a larger community of handbell musicians who love to share, learn, and spend time with each other. In my experience, handbell musicians are the most generous, fun-loving people on the planet and I can't get enough of spending time with them, learning and sharing together.

To be involved in "uniting people through the musical art of handbell and handchime ringing" (quoted from our national vision statement) has been a tremendous blessing to me! I encourage you to find a way, big or small, to find the blessing in bringing handbell musicians together. Whether you volunteer 30 minutes making phone calls from home, a couple hours helping at a local event, or serve on the Area 12 board, our many hands really do make light work and the handbell blessings for which we are thankful will continue to flow. Your regional coordinator or any board member can offer ideas for serving short term or long term. I invite you to join me and enjoy the blessing of uniting handbell musicians.

Thanksgiving blessings to all my handbell friends, known and yet to meet,

Five Area 12 members headed east again to mart, shake, mallet and ring some of the most challenging handbell music around at the Guild's premier event for ringers held in New Bern, North Carolina last month. Distinctly Bronze (DB) is the brainchild of the late David Davidson, and the event still carries his spirit of discipline, excellence, quality performance and camaraderie, even though he is no longer with us.

From Left: Julie Vaquilar, Linda Krantz, Michèle Sharik, Tessique Houston and P.L.Grove

This was the first year with Dr. William Payn on the director's podium, and the ringers really responded to his musicianship and ability to embody the music through his conducting. And it's a good thing he was so well liked, otherwise he might have been in trouble with the treble ringers over the inclusion of his latest piece Aria on the repertoire list. DB ringers are used to tough music and fast tempos...but 32nd notes at 60 to the quarter note? Really? We should never have doubted that we could do it, and in the end the group pulled it off along with two other Bill Payn gems: Four Resonances and Elegy.

While making really great music is always a key ingredient to DB's popularity, this year the Silent Auction took on a life of its own when two different elements converged to make the weekend a bit crazy. 

First, Area 12's own Michèle Sharik got the bright idea to donate a free "quickie" hair color job to the auction. The color: pink, of course, the same as Michèle's. Second, this year's auction proceeds would go towards the Guild's newly created Heritage Fund. So when Jenny Cauhorn made a comment that she would "dye my hair pink if the ringers donate $300 to the Heritage Fund," a new weekend goal was born. The "Jenny Cauhorn Pink Hairatage Fund" started as a dare to raise $300 for turning a section of Jenny's head pink (oh...and yeah...add the $300 to the Guild's Heritage Fund along with the rest of the Silent Auction money). By Saturday evening, the stakes had been raised to $1,000, and in exchange Jenny's entire head would be dyed pink and gelled to look just like Michèle's.

 

Much to Jenny's surprise (and chagrin), the ringers raised the $1,000. However, there were some technical difficulties with spiking Jenny's hair (not to mention the fact that it occurred to some that the Executive Director of the organization might actually need Board approval to represent the Guild with spiked hair at an event concert), so the ringers had to settle for just pink all over.

  

 

I can't wait to see what happens at DB East next year to top that! And I guess if others can't wait either, there's always DB West!

P.L. Grove
(C&D4 ringer...whose arms were sore - like all the other C&D4 ringers, including Julie Vaquilar - after four days of playing Carillon and Velocity!)

I was making a mental list of all the instruments I've seen incorporated into handbell music. "Summertime" has a wonderful clarinet intro that is reminiscent of "Rhapsody in Blue". Windchimes, triangle, and finger cymbals for "Greensleeves" (What Child is This?) add a hauntingly, ethereal quality to this mesmerizing piece. I've seen great success with trombone, saxophone, trumpet, flute, piano, organ, strings, and lots of variety with percussion. What about some slightly lesser known instruments?  Didgeridoo? (Oh, I kinda doubt it.) Boy, was I wrong! Searching around on YouTube, I found a church bell ensemble featuring this instrument. And it was a fantastic pairing!

The didgeridoo (didjeridu) comes from the northern part of Australia, developed by the indigenous people of that area approximately 1,500 years ago. The wooden pipe of various lengths, but often four feet, produces a drone sound with interesting affects, playing a continuous note by incorporating circular breathing (breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth without stopping).

Adding a featured instrument to your bell arrangements can create depth and texture to your performance. Look around in your church, school, and community for musicians just waiting for a creative opportunity to share their talent. Though it may seem an odd pairing at first thought, it will likely develop into an often requested arrangement for your group! 

 

Contact Michele Sharik to learn more about

how you can serve our Southern California Region! 

 

Could Be You! 

SoCal Regional Coordinator

socal.area12@handbellmusicians.org