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   The Twelfth Tone
 
Area 12 Newsletter
January 2015
In This Issue
From the Chair
Southern California
LA Metro
San Francisco Bay Area
Central California
Northern California
Northern Nevada
Hawaii
Southern Nevada
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Tip of the
Month

Do you remember that non-adhesive first aid wrap we talked about using on chimes to keep them from clinking when playing 4-in-hand (Nov. 2014)? It is also great for wrapping fingers that have to take the abuse of a multiple bell hold or the wear and tear of the heavy lifting!
 

Passages,  the album, epitomizes The Raleigh Ringers 25-year musical journey, featuring classical arrangements, cutting-edge original compositions and signature rock arrangements by The Rockin' Raleigh Ringers on the group's second double CD.


 

Over 100 minutes of music!

 

 To buy your copy,

click here!

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New years bells
 

Message from the Chair - Mich�le Sharik

 

Happy New Year, Area 12!  

 

I hope you all have recovered from the hectic holiday season. I know I'm looking forward to the next few months as we work on music for spring. There are Spring Rings, church services, end-of-year concerts, and all manner of events to prepare for. Check out our calendar for events near you. I hope to see you there!
 

My best, 

 

Mich�le Sharik

Chair

[email protected]

Special Feature - Area 12 Bells on Loan in Hawaii

  

My name is Lisa Wells and I teach music to students in grades K-8 at a public charter school in rural Hawaii. Our remote area and school have been in the national news a lot recently due to the active lava flow that is threatening to engulf our school and drastically restrict access to the rest of the island for many of our students. You can learn more about our situation at hopeforhaas.org, a webpage created and maintained by a few of our high school students.

 

I have used the bell set with a fifth grade class, a sixth grade class, a 5-6 combo class and a middle school (grades 7 and 8) elective class. All classes received the bells well, especially since most had never experienced them before! A favorite is an original arrangement of Carol of the Bells for bells and Orff instruments. We also have played processionals and holiday music.


The fifth grade class will be using the bells to perform a processional to open their holiday concert and will perform our arrangement of Carol of the Bells. The middle school class will use the bells during a performance at the Yukio Okutsu State Veteran's Home in a couple of weeks. All teachers and aides who have experienced the bells are enchanted by them, and we're looking forward to a good reception when we take them out into the community.

 

The most rewarding aspect of the bells has been how completely engaged all students are while using them. Many students who struggle in other aspects of school feel successful while playing handbells. It's been amazing to see a classroom full of diverse learners come together to make beautiful music with handbells. Students know they are experiencing something special and are making the most of it!

 


So. California - Kari Jacobs, Regional Coordinator

 

 

April 24-25, 2015

 featuring Margi Zearley


 

 

See the Nov. issue of The Twelfth Tone for a repertoire list and watch for registration information by postcard and on our website!

 

Blessings and happy ringing,

 

Kari Jacobs

Southern California Regional Coordinator

[email protected]       

 

For information on Southern California's concerts, events,
and other opportunities, 
click here. 
   

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LA Metro - Scott Leggett, Regional Coordinator
  

Happy New Year!

 

I hope everyone had a great holiday season and as bell ringers I know many of you were very busy ringing in all kinds of venues. I think of January as the midseason restart as I file away the Christmas music and bring out music and plan for the upcoming liturgical seasons, new school sessions and concerts during winter and spring. 

 

January is also a time for New Year's resolutions and one of my yearly resolutions is to be better at what I love to do in the New Year than I was in past year. So, for 2015 I will be a better director and ringer than I was in 2014! No matter how many years you have been a musician, you can always refine and improve!

 

Our Spring Ring for LA Metro is set for Saturday May 2 to be held at the Master's College in Santa Clarita with Christine Anderson as our clinician. It will be a bronze level ringing event, rehearsed and sight-read, and will also feature directed focused education time for new or aspiring handbell directors. Look for the registration information soon!

 

Till next time,

 

Scott Leggett

Los Angeles Metro Regional Coordinator

[email protected]    

 

For information on LA Metro's concerts, events,
and other opportunities, click here.
 

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San Francisco Bay Area

 

2015 Bay Area Spring Ring

 

Saturday April 11, 2015

(Intense Ring begins Friday, April 10)

 

Valley Church

10885 North Stelling Road

Cupertino, California

 

 

 

featuring
Lee Afdahl
conductor

immediate past president of the

Handbell Musicians of America

 

Early Bird Registration is only $35

Intense Ring is only $25

Regular registration price goes up after February 15

and Intense Ring price goes up after April 1st, so don't delay!

 

Registration forms can now be downloaded

directly from the Handbell Ventures web site!

 

Watch for updates at handbellventures.org/springring or sign up for email updates with the Spring Ring Registrar by contacting

[email protected]

 

This Handbell Ventures event is
endorsed by Handbell Musicians of America.

We are now seeking a new

San Francisco Bay Area

Regional Coordinator!

If you are interested,

please contact Mich�le Sharik

 

For information on San Francisco Bay Area's concerts, events,
and other opportunities, click here.

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International Symposium 2016
click the image for all the details!
Central California - Lori Smith, Regional Coordinator
Lori Smith

Hi, CenCal folks!

 

I had a wonderful time playing Christmas concerts with my  ensemble and I trust you all had some great ringing opportunities! A few months ago, I wrote that I was challenged by several measures needing chimes stacked in 4-in-hand style, and I was forever clanging the handles together. Barbara Meinke had a great solution in her "Tip-Of-The-Month" column. The stretchy first-aid tape wrapped around the chime handles worked beautifully! Easy to apply and remove, no sticky residue, and not bulky. (Now, if it just came in silver/grey, as well as black...)

 

I also attended two Christmas concerts in the Bay area.  Tapestry was in fine form. Cindy Krausgrill put together a wonderful program with lots of enthusiasm. And their processional entrance was enchanting!

 

Bay Bells also had a delightful presentation. Director Kendra Scott has quite a talent for arranging pieces to accommodate their current ensemble of six ringers. What first appeared to be smaller in numbers proved mighty in sound, texture, rhythm, and dynamics. There's a nice advantage to being a smaller group - the opportunity to watch and hear each other, builds cohesiveness almost automatically! I saw a technique used that was new to my eyes. There was a piece that required an extended mallet roll on the bass bells to emulate the growing timpani roll in the original orchestral setting. Along with gradually increasing the intensity of the roll, they also delicately started the roll further down the casting toward the handle, then worked their way up to the commonly malleted spot on the bell. It was quite effective visually and aurally!

 

Looking forward to lots of good ringing in the New Year!


Lori Smith
Central California Regional Coordinator


 For information on Central California's concerts, events,

and other opportunities, click here. 
No. California - Nancy Schmitt, Regional Coordinator
Nancy Schmitt
 

Dear Handbell Musicians,

 

Wow!  Wasn't December a crazy month with so many concerts, worship services, and other bell events to attend or participate in? Now that a new year has started, perhaps you can breathe easier and relax a little bit before moving on to the upcoming spring and Easter events. Perhaps this is a good month to reflect on 2014 and what you found inspiring with bells or what didn't work. Maybe you wish you had done more or maybe you wish you had done less. After you are done reflecting on 2014, make January your month to set some realistic goals for 2015.

 

Please remember to send your upcoming events to me so they can be posted on the Area 12 calendar. I wish you all a Happy New Year of ringing!

 

Ringcerely, 

 

Nancy Schmitt

Northern California Regional Coordinator  


For information on Northern California's concerts, events,
and other opportunities, click here!
No. Nevada - Barb Walsh, Regional Coordinator

Barb Walsh Headshot

 

Howdy!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! The narration for Tintabulations' recent concert focused on sharing a special Christmas memory.  It was such a special gift to both our audiences and to each other to hear about each individual's special Christmas memory. Do you have a special/fun bell memory you'd like to share in this space next month? If so, please send me and our fabulous 12th Tone editor, Barbara Meinke, your memory. Also, don't forget to send us your bell happenings so that we can post them on our calendar.

Have a Happy and Blessed New Year!
 

Barbara Walsh

Northern Nevada Regional Coordinator

[email protected] 

 

For information on Northern Nevada's concerts, events,

and other opportunities, click here. 

Hawaii - Karen Carlisle, Regional Coordinator
Karen Carlisle


Karen Carlisle
Hawaii Regional Coordinator

For information on Hawaii's concerts, events, and other opportunities,
So. Nevada - Alison Pruett, Regional Coordinator

 

 

Alison Pruett

Southern Nevada Regional Coordinator

[email protected]  

 

For information on Southern Nevada's concerts, events, and other opportunities, click here. 

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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.

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