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   The Twelfth Tone
 
Area 12 Newsletter
June 2014
In This Issue
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From the Chair
Nevada
Southern California
LA Metro
Northern California
Central California
Bay Area
Hawaii
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Malmark products

 

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877 426-3235

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For
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Toll Free  888-775-WEST 
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International Handbell Symposium 2014
Jeju, Korea.
Click the image for more info!

 
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Advertising Rates for the 2014 Publishing Year

The Twelfth Tone is published the first of each month, except July, by Area 12 of the Handbell Musicians of America (The Guild). The Guild is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the musical art of handbell/handchime ringing through education, community, and communication. The editor of this publication reserves the right to reject or modify copy.

Advertising Rates: 

We offer two different ad types

1.(a) Ad designed and formatted by you that is exactly 150 pixels X 300 pixels and sent in a jpeg or gif file. The ad will by hyperlinked to your website.
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Payment is due before publication. Submission DEADLINE is the 24th 

Please submit your ads via email to
Barbara Meinke, Communications Director

Make checks payable to
AGEHR Area XII
and send to:
Kathy Arnold, Treasurer
1228 Isabelle Avenue
Mountain View, CA 94040
Area 12 Bell Loan Program
cartoon bells  
 

It's all happening RIGHT HERE in Area 12 and we want YOU to join us! Check it all out below!
2014 Festival Conference Information

  

June 19-22, 2014
 
Embassy Suites  
 San Luis Obispo, California
  
Yes, you can still Shake, Rattle & Ring With Us!

It's not too late! You still have time to register for Shake Rattle & Ring! Just click here or call our fearless registrar, Kathy, 
at (650) 962-0375, and she'll help you sign up.  
Remember, this is your chance to work up close with all three of our conductors, and to experience our fabulous tracks.  
Here are just a few:  
 
Sticks and Drums
(learn hand and sticks/mallets from a professional percussionist) 
  
Six Ways to Four in Hand
(with this toolkit you'll never miss a note!) 
   
Listening & Recording Lab
(because we all need to know how to make great recordings) 
 
Go Pro: Planning
(everything you need to know about planning an event) 
 
Go Pro: Creative
(how to make your group look fabulous, and put fannies in seats) 
 
If Bells Grew On Trees
(yep, a real live bell tree track) 
 
Four by Four 
(yep, a real live quartet track)  
 
And so much more!  
 
With our track system, you build your own conference. Sign up by the half-day track and build a one, two or three- day conference that suits your schedule. Lunch comes with every track, and there's also a Manager's Reception with drinks and munchies every evening, so you can grab a glass of wine and some goodies and go shopping in our handbell marketplace!     
 
We'll have some exciting concerts every day right after lunch!
  
FRIDAY: Soloist Elizabeth Mays from Southern California. A member of Timbré Ensemble and handbell director at Westchester UMC, Beth is a Masters degree student at Azusa Pacific University studying handbell performance and conducting.
 
 
SATURDAY: Bell Appeal from San Francisco. A community handbell ensemble, their motto is "We bell outside the box." Repertoire includes jazz, classic rock, musical theater and pop music.
 
 
 
SUNDAY: Sonos Quartet from the San Francisco Bay Area. Members from Sonos Handbell Ensemble perform advanced quartet music. Plus, there will be a special edition of Handbell Theatre as the opening act!
 
Area 12 is known for the innovation and excellence of our events!  Sign up today!  
Click above or call Kathy at 650 962-0375
 
Scholarship Winners  
 
Area 12 would like to congratulate our scholarship winners!  
Mary Deauclaire has been awarded the Patty Marquart Scholarship to attend National Seminar this summer, and
Melissa Warren will be joining us at Shake Rattle & Ring through the Jim Scott Memorial Scholarship.
 
We're thrilled to be able to assist dedicated handbell artists in attending these events! Remember, you could be eligible! Area 12 offers these scholarships every conference year. 
  

 

At every Area 12 conference, we hold a silent auction. This year we are supporting the Handbell Musicians of America national program, the Heritage Fund. This endowment fund will disperse 90% of its earnings each year to augment other revenues in supporting the Guild's operational expenses. Click on Heritage Fund for more information about this project.

 

We welcome all kinds of items for this auction, from baskets of products from your region to homemade items like embroidered towels, pottery, quilts, and baked goods. Other ideas include local produce, cheese and wine, bagged candy, software and dried floral arrangements.

The sky's the limit!

 

Filling out the donation form and submitting it in advance helps Norma Rose plan the auction layout so you know right where your item goes when you arrive with it, but even last minute donations are welcome!

 
See you there! 
Message from the Chair - Michèle Sharik

  

Hi there, Area 12!

By now, many of us have finished out our church and school bell choir commitments - or will have soon! This is the perfect time to look to the very near future at the summer and the great learning opportunity Area 12 is offering. 

Of course, I'm talking about the 2014 Ringers' Conference in San Luis Obispo in June! I am very excited about all the amazing classes, the stellar performances, and the world-class clinicians we have. You are sure to have fun, whether you come with your entire group, or as an individual! It's not too late to register, so if you haven't yet, go do it now!  

Don't forget to check the calendar for other amazing opportunities throughout Area 12!

My best,
 

Michèle Sharik

Chair

chair.area12@handbellmusicians.org

Area 12 Biannual Election

ELECTION COMING SOON!

  

Our biannual election will be happening very soon!

  

Voting members, please watch your mail and VOTE! 

Nevada - Barb Walsh, Regional Coordinator

Barb Walsh Headshot 

Thank you, Jennifer Korngiebel,

for sharing this reflection with us!

 

Confessions of a Repeat Offender
(Lake Tahoe made me do it!)

Ok. I admit it. I am a repeat offender. And I am not alone. Year after year, with slightly sheepish grins, a collection of others like me laugh, raise our hands and confess. We've done it before; and we know we'll do it again. What makes us do it?

Is it those rows of shiny bronze contraptions, just begging to be touched? The come-as-you-are, no-prep-required, be-ready-to-ring-your-heart-out opportunity? The breadth of Lake Tahoe opening at our feet, just outside the rehearsal hall (and outside the dining hall, and outside the bedroom windows)? 

Maybe it's the chipmunks that greet me on the way to breakfast. Or perhaps the full-course meal of ringing groups: I get a well-balanced plate of massed, "half-massed", and ensemble ringing, plus two optional helpings of sight reading new music. (No harm, no foul with sight reading. Just fasten your seatbelt and have fun!)

Without a doubt, it is the people. Conference staff and ringers of all levels come from all over the country to ring and enjoy the beauty. We break for sunsets; measure 49 will wait! We laugh, we make mistakes (just keep counting!), we laugh some more, we keep ringing. We forge friendships that grow, year after year. 

And we become...repeat offenders.

 

Zephyr Point Handbell Conference

July 27 - 31, 2014

Lake Tahoe, CA

 

This event is endorsed by Handbell Musicians of Americai 

 

Barbara Walsh

Nevada Regional Coordinator

nv.area12@handbellmusicians.org 

 

For information on Nevada Region's concerts, events, and other opportunities, click here to go to the Nevada page. 
SoCal - Kari Jacobs, Regional Coordinator

 

Happy Summer SoCal!

 

     I am sure many of you have finished your spring concerts and had your last rehearsals, or are very close to winding down for the summer. Take time to thank each other for a great bell year and show your appreciation for all the hard work and dedication of the ringers and directors over the past several months! Before you lock your cases away, remember this is the best time to fix anything on your bells that may need attention and to give them a good polish. Don't forget to take care of your cases too; they are just as important to keep clean and maintained! Check out your bell manufacturer's website for great tips and answers to frequently asked questions.

 

     Summer months are also a great time to recruit for your upcoming bell season. Get the word out about your bell program, offer a get-together where people can get their hands on some bells and see how fun it is to ring and be a part of handbell community! Hopefully many of you will be taking part in the Ringers Conference coming up in a few weeks in San Luis Obispo. Another fabulous opportunity is happening in August - a workshop with Timbré! Click the blue link below for all the information!

  

 Workshop with Timbré

August 23, 2014
Escondido, CA
This event is endorsed by Handbell Musicians of America 
 
Have a wonderful, restful summer! 
 

Kari Jacobs

SoCal Regional Coordinator

socal.area12@handbellmusicians.org       

 

For information on SoCal Region's concerts, events, and other opportunities, click here to go to the SoCal page. 
   

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LA Metro - Scott Leggett, Regional Coordinator
  

Greetings LA Metro!

 

     I am sure that most of you, like me, are finding the end of this program and school year a busy time, with extra rehearsals, concerts and planning for the upcoming Area 12 and/or national handbell conferences. Despite the chaotic time, I find it exciting and rewarding!

 

     I hope you are planning on attending Shake, Rattle and Ring in San Luis Obispo so I can meet you face to face and have some community time with you! If you cannot attend the entire conference, consider coming for a portion or join us on the last day for our concert and I can meet you then!

 

Mark your calendar now...

 

LA Metro Fall Ringers' Workshop

October 4, 2014

Pasadena, CA

Ramona Miller, clinician

 Details and registration forms coming soon!

This event is sponsored by Handbell Musicians of America 

 

     I am very excited about what we are planning as we focus on beginning a new season with classes on basic and intermediate ringing techniques, as well as ways to improve and enhance the performance experience for both yourself and the audience.

 

     Lastly, if you know of any bell choirs in our region that are not part of our organization, or do not participate in our events, please send me their information and I will personally reach out to them and let them know the benefits of being a member of Handbell Musicians of America.

 

Ring Well!

 

Scott Leggett

LA Metro Regional Coordinator

lametro.area12@handbellmusicians.org    

 

For information on LAMetro Region's concerts, events, and other opportunities, click here to go to the LAMetro page. 
 

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NorCal - Nancy Schmitt, Regional Coordinator
Nancy Schmitt
 

Dear Handbell Musicians, 

 

     Well, it's that time of year when all good things come to an end for a while as most bell choirs take the summer off for a much deserved rest. It is also that time of year for appreciation dinners and lunches for our ringers who deserve to be thanked for giving so much of their time for the last nine months of ringing for church and community events and attending festivals and workshops. Let's also remember to thank their families for sharing their ringers with us once or twice a week!

 

Be sure to mark your calendars!

 

Redding Handbell Festival

October 11, 2014

Simpson University in Redding, CA

 This event is endorsed by Handbell Musicians of America   

 
I encourage you to check the Northern California part of the Area 12 calendar for the registration forms for and other upcoming events in our area. Enjoy your summer!

 

Rincerely, 

 

Nancy Schmitt

NorCal Regional Coordinator  


For information on NorCal Region's concerts, events, and other opportunities, click here to go to the NorCal page.
CenCal - Lori Smith, Regional Coordinator
Lori Smith

Hello, CenCal!

     I've fallen in love with the sound of a bell tree. Last month, I attended the Bay Area Spring Ring in Cupertino. Barbara Brocker, innovator of bell trees, offered classes on this delightful art form. It must be the continuous LV effect that draws my ear. Memories of piano lessons came back. Although my teacher didn't appreciate it much, I'd experiment with the sustain pedal, determining how many notes could be added before the melody and harmonies became muddy. And with my foot sustaining a chord, how many seconds before the tones truly faded away? When just the right amount, the tones are delicate and ethereal.

     I've had the privilege of watching bell tree solos by Michèle Sharik, Ruben Mendoza and Carol Smith. All really wonderful. In Barbara's class, I finally got up close to the configuration and now understand the strategy. She indicated there could be several ways to string bells, depending on what works best on a particular piece. That day she demonstrated something similar to keyboard order; naturals (white handles/keys) on the first string and accidentals (black handles/keys) on the string behind, as a keyboard turned up on end. The whole thing was a bit of a mind-bender, but then the light-bulb went on and I found my way through simple melodies!

     Barbara said one accessible way to get started is to ring the descant lines on certain songs from the church hymnal. "O, Come, All Ye Faithful" leaps to mind (though I remember the descant as a 1st soprano part just a bit out of my vocal range!)

I'll be researching this a bit more during the summer. You might find it a fun summer project too! 

 

Lori Smith

CenCal Regional Coordinator  

 

For information on CenCal Region's concerts, events, and other opportunities, click here to go to the CenCal page. 
Bay Area - Julie Vaquilar, Regional Coordinator
Julie and Martalina

 

Julie Vaquilar 

Bay Area Regional Coordinator

bayarea.area12@handbellmusicians.org 

 

For information on Bay Area Region's concerts, events, and other opportunities, click here to go to the
Bay Area page.
 

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Hawaii - Karen Carlisle, Regional Coordinator
Karen Carlisle

Karen Carlisle
Hawaii Regional Coordinator

For information on Hawaii Region's concerts, events, and other opportunities, click here to go to the Hawaii page.