*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
• Winter Workshop Recap
• FC 25 Pre-Registration is Now Open!
• New at FC25: Bronze/Tins Mentor Program
• Guest Article: Lessons from a Former Fifth Grader
• 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!

Report from the Chair

Jennifer Stack

chair.area1@handbellmusicians.org

Happy February!

In a year that felt like January has lasted forever and ever, I’m thrilled to welcome in February. Now that the year is underway, and all of the holiday concerts have passed, it is time to refresh and recharge.  

I'm planning to refresh my knowledge this weekend at the HMA Virtual Winter Workshop, and I enjoyed a very relaxing and refreshing time with friends at the Area 1 Winter Workshop at UMASS last weekend. To be a good leader or good ringer, it is so important to keep learning and growing. Part of that growth is practicing the skills you have, and part is building upon them and/or developing new skills. 

Recharging is also important to your overall health as a ringer and as a person. We’re offering so many opportunities between the Spring Ring events, our new Totally Tins event, and the ultimate recharge of Festival Conference. I encourage you to sign up for any or all of these events! Within all of these offerings, there is something for every ringer. Reach out to me or your state chair for more guidance in deciding what’s right for you or your choir. We’ve posted helpful information and registration forms on the website.

I hope you have the chance to get out to some concerts, sub in another choir, or ring with your friends this Spring! As always, if you have any questions or comments, you can email me at the address below.

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.

Winter Workshop 2025 Recap

Area 1 returned to UMass Amherst for Winter Workshop weekend, January 24-25. This “short, sweet, and fun” event gave the 76 participants a chance to ring, learn, and connect with fellow bell ringers from across New England. The clinicians were Jason Krug, Peter Larson, and Samantha Beschta. Thank you to all who attended. The committee is excited and ready to start planning for next year. 

Also, thanks to Tom Nolan, for capturing these photos of our weekend (desktop viewers may click on the collage to view it as a larger image):

Area 1 Festival Conference 2025 Pre-Registration is open now through February 15 

Sign up now to secure your spot! All who pre-register by February 15 with a $125 deposit will have early-bird access to classes from February 16 through February 28...and the ability to save $50 on your registration!

Group Registration is open now through March 15. One person from a group OR any Independent Musician (i.e. a group of one) must complete this step before February 16, and share the assigned "Group Registration ID" with anyone in your ensemble who also plans to attend.

Independent BRONZE Musicians (formerly Bronze Orphans), please complete the Bronze Independent Musician Application as soon as possible to obtain your acceptance and a Group Registration ID. If you attended as a Bronze musician in 2022 or 2023, either independently or as part of a Bronze ensemble, you will be automatically accepted as a Bronze Independent Musician. You may complete your pre-registration before being accepted as a Bronze Independent Musician.

If you don't wish to pre-register or have early-bird access, simply wait for Area 1 Festival Conference Attendee Registration to open, March 1 - March 31.

It's going to be another all-star weekend for handbell musicians! For all the latest news and updates on Festival Conference 2025, and to register, visit https://area1.handbellmusicians.org/festival-conference/

Join us in Worcester, Massachusetts this summer – sign up today! Questions? Contact Lisa Arnold, Festival Conference 2025 Chair at events.area1@handbellmusicians.org

Something new for Festival Conference 2025:

Bronze/Tins Ringer Mentor Program

TINS RINGERS: Have you ever wondered how the Bronze Ringers do all that and make it look so easy?

BRONZE RINGERS: Would you like to share your knowledge and experience with new ringers, but don’t want to teach a class to do it?

Let's make this happen! For those who request it, we’ll assign bronze "ringing buddies" to tins ringers.

They will stand side-by-side, ringing the same part for all tins and massed selections. Bronze mentors can share their knowledge and help tins ringers grow their skills. No extra cost to you! If you have questions, contact Lisa at events.area1@handbellmusicians.org. Otherwise, just sign up at the link below.

Tins Ringers must be:

• comfortable ringing next to a different ringer than usual.
• willing to accept helpful pointers and corrections.

Bronze Mentors must be:

• friendly, approachable and easy to talk to.
• able to offer aid and corrections without coming off as critical.
• willing to ring the bronze selections with extra bells on the tables and rins ringers sitting behind you.
• willing to be assigned to the same position for all songs.
• prepared ahead of time, noting possible spots to review with your mentee.
• If you regularly ring with a bronze choir that is on the ringing floor as a group, you must give up your spot with that group to an independent (orphan) bronze ringer - and your director must agree!

Complete the Sign-Up Form to reserve your spot early. Space and position choices are limited, so signing up is no guarantee of acceptance, but we’ll try to accommodate as many as we can.

Some Thoughts From a Former Fifth Grader

Guest Article by Steve Mazeau (Area 1 SnagASub Coordinator)

When I was in the 5th Grade, which would have been the 1969-1970 school year, I decided to try my hand with the school band. At that time, I wasn’t especially musical and drums looked easy enough. Mom went out and got me a small, wooden drum pad with a 6-inch square piece of rubber in the middle and a pair of drum sticks to practice with. Inexpensive, of course, easy to carry around, and it didn’t make much noise, so everyone was happy. I went to drum practice at school and did what I had to do, but my drum “career” ended abruptly with the first concert. I was a bit shy and my emotional fortitude just wasn’t quite there yet. A few days before the concert, I quit the band.

Finding one’s self-confidence and being able to just get up on the stage is a big part of personal growth, and I imagine that’s why public and private schools have programs like school band or the high school plays and musicals. Even as adults, many of us have difficulty with public speaking or interpersonal communication, and these are critical skills in both business and personal life. In my case, things took a

positive turn when I was about 32 years old, and I learned square dancing. Bell choir came about 6 or 7

years after that, and the rest is history.

With that story in mind, one of my personal goals for 2025 is to start a 4-H club in South Central Connecticut, with a focus on Expressive Arts. In Connecticut, 4-H is administered by the University of

Connecticut as part of the Cooperative Extension Service. Their mission statement is “to assist all youth

ages 5-18 in acquiring knowledge, developing leadership and life skills while forming attitudes that will

enable them to become self-directing, productive and contributing members of their families and

communities.”

For many 4-H clubs, this involves working with plants and animals, where youth learn the science and responsibility that goes along with this. Other clubs may focus on diverse projects such as robotics or farm machinery or baking and home arts. Even Expressive Arts can have a very broad focus and can include dress making and photography. However, one thing that I’ve noticed is that when the annual summer 4-H fair comes around, the scheduled talent show tends to be a non-event. I’m sure it’s not because there are no talented youth out there. There are probably plenty of them. More likely, they have the same difficulty that I had in 5th Grade.

Starting an Expressive Arts focused 4-H club is going to be a real challenge for me. Maybe that’s part of

my road to personal growth. One of my reasons for writing this article for the Fundamental Tone newsletter is to see if there are any 4-H alumni out there in Area 1. Feel free to contact me at steven.mazeau@gmail.com.

I’ve heard it said that handbell ringing is simply “ringing the right note at the right time.” But if it were as easy as that, we would have waiting lists of people wanting to join, wouldn’t we? We all encounter invisible obstacles, but with a little persistence, imagination and creativity, it’s possible to work around them. Whatever your goals for 2025 are, wherever your journey takes you, I wish you well!

Happy New Year!

Are you looking to challenge yourself in the upcoming year? Here are some bell related items:

Ring somewhere new, introduce yourself to a stranger, attend a concert, send items to this newsletter, or offer to volunteer. I encourage everyone to try something new. 

Area 1 has a new spring event: Totally Tins: A Workshop for Emerging Handbell Musicians. Pre-registration is now open for June's Area 1 Festival Conference and local Spring Ring events in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Visit the Area 1 Events page for all the details.

Read on for items submitted by others. Thank you to all who submitted.

Wishing you a wonderful year filled with music, friendship, and happiness.

Suzanne Neafus

Connecticut State Chair

Hello, Maine Ringers!

This past fall I visited handbell choirs around the state, all of them at the Tins level, to ring with them during their rehearsals, make a personal connection and learn more about them. I’ll continue to reach out to more choirs through this winter and spring. As well as my own church, I also ring regularly with the Cumberland Church choir, Penobscot Bay Ringers, and (in the summer) with the Temple Bells at Ocean Park. All of this is broadening my knowledge of Maine ringers and choirs.

The Maine Spring Ring Planning Committee is actively working on our 2026 event. We are hopeful and excited that we’ll be contracting with another nationally known clinician for MSR26.

I recently discovered that an Episcopal church near my church has a set of Petit & Fritsen bells that have not been used since before Covid. I’ve exchanged emails with their Minister of Music who knows of the bells but has not had a reason to use them. If the church governance is interested in selling them, I offered my services to look at the bells, inventory and photograph them, and help facilitate that. If that happens, I’ll be sure to advise the Board to make sure I’m handling this properly. 



Dana Humphreys

Maine State Chair

Notes from GREATER BOSTON, MA/

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Abigail Schoppe, Chair

ma.area1@handbellmusicians.org

Greetings from Greater Boston!

It feels like we’ve just barely gotten through the holiday season, yet it’s already time to think spring! Registration is now open for the 37^th annual Massachusetts Spring Ring. It will be held on April 5, at Tewksbury Memorial High School - but registration closes on March 22, so don’t wait to sign up! Full choirs, partial choirs, and orphans are all welcome, and with a location that’s convenient to both I-93 and I-495, we hope that those from Massachusetts and New Hampshire alike will be able to join us. Lots more information is available at the link above; please come ring with us!

Additionally or alternatively, I hope some of you will consider attending Area 1’s first-ever Totally Tins, an event for emerging handbell musicians. This is truly an event for all of Area 1, but it so happens that it’s being held in our region, at the Village Congregational Church in Whitinsville, MA. This event will help even our newest ringers focus on creating a broad palette of musical sounds, while requiring minimal preparation. Many more details can be found at the link, and all are welcome (even if you don’t consider yourself a Tins ringer)!

Looking farther ahead, Festival Conference (also held within our region) will be here before we know it. Do you need advice on preparing the music? Want to host a rehearsal for other ringers in your area? Have questions about registration? Just don’t know what Festival Conference is? Don’t hesitate to reach out for help with these or other questions (whether related to Festival Conference or to anything else handbell-related).

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

Notes from CAPE COD & ISLANDS

Abigail Schoppe, Chair

ma.area1@handbellmusicians.org

Greetings, Cape Cod!

Registration is open for the 2025 Cape Cod Spring Ring – but we don’t have any registrants yet. Registration closes on Feb. 22, so please do sign up sooner rather than later if you plan to attend! Cheryl Townsend will be a wonderful clinician, and we programmed repertoire that is particularly accessible for choirs of all sizes and abilities. Won’t you consider joining us? The most important details are below, but more info, and the registration form itself, can be found at the link above.

Date:              Saturday, March 22, 9 AM to 3:30 PM

Location:       Harwich Community Center, 100 Oak Street, Harwich, MA

Clinician:       Cheryl Townsend, Artistic Director of the New England Ringers

Registration: $15

Repertoire:

· Jason Krug’s Inception, 2-5 octaves handbells, Level 2, Lorenz LC202020L (3-5 oct.) and LC202021L (2-3 oct.)

·  Brenda Austin's Hashivenu (Rise up and Sing), 2-6 octaves handbells with optional 2-5 octaves handchimes, Level 2, Hope HP3208 (3-6 oct.) and HP3047 (2-3 oct.)

·  Arnold Sherman’s Song of Gladness, 2-6 octaves handbells with optional 3 octaves handchimes, Level 2+, Red River Music RRHB0064

Hoping to see you in March!

Abby Schoppe

Chair, Cape Cod & Islands Region

Notes from WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS

Audrey Pierce, Western Massachusetts Chair

westernma.area1@handbellmusicians.org

Hello Western Mass – Happy New Year! 

The New Year has arrived and with it comes many new ringing and learning opportunities. Hopefully some of you were able to enjoy Winter Workshop held at UMass Amherst at the end of January. Now let’s look forward to some more amazing opportunities coming your way. For those with newer ringers or simply ringers that need more confidence, this one’s for you! Area 1 has put together a whole new type of workshop, Totally Tins: A New Event for Emerging Handbell Musicians. It may not truly be in Western Mass, but this one will be well worth the drive. Please visit the Totally Tins page to get more information.

If that is a bit too far away, then let’s look more local. On May 31st Wilbraham United Church and the Merrimack Valley Ringers (MVR) are pleased to present a Ringing Skills Workshop, where you can enjoy a fun-filled afternoon of classes. Complete your evening with a fabulous Concert by the Merrimack Valley Ringers. Classes are taught by some of MVR’s enthusiastic and knowledgeable handbell artists. Save the date - Details coming soon! 

And it’s definitely not too early to start thinking about Festival Conference 2025 slated for June 26-29 at Worcester Sate University. Please visit the Festival Conference page to learn more and register under the early bird special. 

Before I close, I want to share a helpful tool that I put in every ringer’s music folder. Maybe you already have this, but maybe you don’t. I realized this might be helpful when talking to an emerging Tin ringer and they innocently asked… “there’s more to do than ring and damp? What else can I do with a bell?” Well, just to see what else there is to learn, click on this link here to get a free Handbell Notation Guide then check out a workshop near you to learn all these really fun techniques.

Looking forward to seeing you soon at one or more of the fantastic Spring offerings. 

Keep ringing!

Audrey Pierce

Western Mass Chair

westernma.area1@handbellmusicians.org

Notes from RHODE ISLAND

Jill Boday, Rhode Island Chair

ri.area1@handbellmusicians.org

Happy Winter from Rhode Island!

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? I want to 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

Are you struggling with reading notes? Apprehensive about ringing with new people? Need a refresher on rhythms? Then the Totally Tins workshop on March 8 is just for YOU! Even though we are in the middle of winter, there are many Spring Rings and workshops coming up soon! If you haven’t rung in a while or have been ringing every week, there is a place for you! Please see the list below. Most of these events are fairly close to us and are highly recommended. Check out the Area 1 events website https://area1.handbellmusicians.org/events/

Lastly, if you are an intermediate to more advanced ringer in the Blackstone Valley area, I’d like to connect with you! I have started a more advanced (approaching Coppers) level choir with about 6 ringers at my church, Slatersville Congregational. My intention is to invite others from the area to join us to ring as a community choir, and I’d like to perform 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!

Mark your calendars! Upcoming events: 

• Totally Tins: A Workshop for Emerging Handbell Musicians, Saturday, March 8, 2025 in Whitinsville, MA.
• MA Spring Ring - Saturday, April 5, 2025 at Tewksbury Memorial High School
• RI Spring Ring - “Ring-a-Palooza” - workshop style: Saturday, April 26, 2025, at Dunns Corners Community Church in Westerly, RI, led by Jane Nolan. More details to come!

Happy ringing!

Jill Boday 

Rhode Island State Chair

Notes from VERMONT

Kimberlee Strepka, Vermont Chair

vt.area1@handbellmusicians.org

Happy New Year, handbell friends!

Now that concert season has ended for most, it's time to get excited about all of the great learning and gathering events that will take place over the next six months. We would love to hear from those of you who attended the Area 1 Winter Workshop in Amherst, MA, and the HMA Virtual Winter Workshop last month, and what you found valuable in those formats. Totally Tins, an event created through the collaboration of all of the Area 1 State Representatives, will offer handbell artistry instruction to Tins-level ringers on March 8th in Whitinsville, MA. Watch out for a Spring Ring in your area, and make sure to register for Festival Conference in Worcester, June 26-29. Ringing with hundreds of other handbell musicians at Festival Conference is an inspiring and moving experience, and it's well worth the investment. I would also encourage you to check out the national event, Pinnacle, happening in July in Wichita, KS. Some of the best ensembles in the world will perform. Go to https://area1.handbellmusicians.org/ to register for Area 1 events, and to https://handbellmusicians.org/ to explore events outside of New England. I’m so thankful for all of the exciting upcoming opportunities to make music together. Wishing you all a wonderful 2025!

Kimberlee Strepka

Vermont State Chair

Fundamental Tone is a publication of Area 1 Handbell Musicians of America,

published six times a year: February, April, June, August October, December.

Editorial copy and advertisements are due by the 18th of the month preceding publication.

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