Lisa Arnold started ringing in 1976 with the Wesley Bell Ringers of Salt Lake City, UT. More recently, Lisa has rung with Bay Bells in California from 2004-2010 and with the Merrimack Valley Ringers in Massachusetts since 2010. She has rung handbells in 49 states and 9 Canadian provinces, as well as Italy, France, Spain, and the UK. Lisa has taught workshops on a variety of topics at many Area 1 events.

As a co-organizer of BFF WHOA/New England, Lisa often uses attendees as test subjects for new workshop ideas. She spends her free time traveling, learning Italian, and riding her bicycle(s).

 

Samantha Beschta is the Assistant Director for Chime In! Music with a Mission based out of Bethlehem CT.  In 2015 she co-created the Connecticut Handbell Musicians.  She is the Director of this process-oriented group of ringers who use the summer to stretch and grow, enhancing their skills and enriching their musical experience. Samantha rings full time with Chime In! as well as with the New England Ringers, and is one-third of the handbell trio FaLiSaD (pronounced “Felicity”), who thrive in tight harmonies, rhythmic impossibilities, and having too many bells to handle.  Samantha has always loved music, joining choir at age 6 and playing various instruments. She has been ringing handbells since 1995.  She received two B.S. degrees in Vocal Performance and Acting/Directing, and has studied conducting under Rick Wood, Dr. William Payn and Kevin McChesney.  She enjoys leading workshops and clinics for individual groups or large events.

Samantha lives in central Connecticut, where she and her husband Mike are raising two amazing up-and-coming bellringers, Dashiell and Penelope.

 

Diane Burke was inspired to take up bellringing by her mom over 30 years ago, and began her ringing career with the Sudbury Bellringers of Memorial Congregational Church in Sudbury MA. She is a charter member of the Merrimack Valley Ringers, an auditioned community choir with whom she still currently rings. Diane is the director of the Joyful Ringers at First Church Congregational in Marlboro MA, the Lincoln Ringers of First Parish in Lincoln MA, and the Sudbury Bellringers. She has been a clinician at Area 1 Skill Building workshops, and has taught several different class topics at MVR workshops and Area 1 Festivals, as well as classes about handbells outside of the “ringing world”. She is a co-creator of the Acton MA Fall Skill-Building/Rep Reading workshop, and has either taught or directed there each year since its inception. Diane is currently on the Board of the Merrimack Valley Ringers, and has served as the Area 1 Board Secretary for 2 terms. When not ringing or directing, Diane competes in ballroom dancing, sings gospel music, supports a menagerie of outdoor critters, and is a passionate fan of NFL football.

 

Susan Capestro has over 35 years of experience teaching piano, with a focus on rhythm, classical, and jazz styles. One of her former students is a Grammy-winning jazz artist. She is an active handbell director, ringer, composer, and clinician, currently directing the Jubilee Ringers in Bedford, MA, and ringing with the Merrimack Valley Ringers. When not immersed in music, she enjoys swimming laps.

 

Madeline Carey: Hello handbell community! My name is Madeline Carey, and I graduated from Cairn University in December of 2024 with my bachelor’s degree in Music Education. I have been ringing for 10.5 years, mostly performing bronze level music. During my student teaching semester, I had the opportunity to teach Music Theory I and lead advanced ear training sessions in Music Theory II. I have been attending handbell festivals for several years with my mom Kimberlee Strepka, and I am so excited that this is the first event where we will both be teaching!”

 

Holly Cerullo has been ringing handbells as a member of the West Chelmsford United Methodist Church Festival Ringers since 1980. After sixteen years of ringing with The Merrimack Valley Ringers, she has retired from that portion of her ringing career. As a member of Handbell Musicians of America, she has attended Area 1 Festival Conferences since 1985 and has led many handbell workshops at FC and other Area 1 events. She has served on the Area 1 board as Treasurer and Chair of the Chime Loaner Chair. Having retired in 2004 after 35 years of teaching middle school, she now has more time for gardening, travel, missions, and of course, handbell events.

 

Sue Chamberlin  has been ringing, directing, and repairing Schulmerich bells for over 40 years.  She was the Schulmerich sales representative for New England 2006-2013 and has recently moved to Ohio.

 

Jean Degan has degrees in Music Education, Organ Performance and a Masters degree in Liturgical Music.  A retired church musician, Jean has had as many as 5 handbell choirs of various levels and 3 vocal choirs at one time while maintaining her own performance schedule.  She is enjoying a simpler lifestyle of teaching piano and organ students while ringing with Shoreline Ringers.

 

Susan Ewing has been ringing handbells for over 25 years, starting in middle school with a church choir. She has been ringing with Shoreline Ringers since 2017 and loves playing in different positions and the teamwork involved in making the difficult passages sound musical. She can now ring almost any position and doesn’t have a favorite – though she does appreciate playing in positions where one can use four in hand instead of a weave to make a tricky passage work. Outside of bells, she enjoys crafts, woodworking and the outdoors.

 

Peter Grossmann has been ringing handbells for most of his adult life. In addition to ringing with BBR, where he serves as the bass section leader, he rings both handbells and tower bells with Christ Church Cambridge in Cambridge, MA. By day he designs microchips for Zero ASIC.

 

Charlotte Herbstsomer began her handbell journey while teaching elementary school music in Maryland a “few” years ago. She was awarded a set of handchimes from the loan/grant program in Area 3 and learned to combine her love for teaching music with her love of handbells.

 

Karen James of Pittsford, VT began ringing bells when her church, the United Methodist Church of Rutland, VT acquired a three octave set in 1983 and she became the director a year later.  Under her direction, the Bells of Joy, now ringing five octaves have performed locally, at Area and National Festivals, and toured the Atlantic States.  Since 1986, Karen has helped organize and direct the annual Vermont Spring Rings and has taught numerous handbell workshops for Area1, Area 2 and National Events.  Karen has rung many years with Distinctly Bronze, with the New England Ringers, and was selected to ring with the Dream Team at SEE, the Solo/Ensemble Extravaganza, in the summer of 2007.  In addition to her love of handbells, she enjoys accompanying recitals, and directing musical theater productions. She has taught music for over 40 years in the public schools and in her home studio, and is currently a part time piano instructor at Castleton University.

 

Carly Kinney is a ringer with the Old South Ringers in Boston. She has been playing bells ever since high school, when one of her friends dragged her to her school’s bell choir rehearsal because they didn’t want to go alone. Over two decades later, Carly still loves playing, even if her friend gave it up! When she’s not ringing or evangelizing her love of handbells, Carly is a market researcher who lives in Woburn with her poodle mix, Poppy. 

 

Emlee C. Kohler  has been ringing handbells for 45 years.  She discovered her passion for bass bells in 1977, ignoring the old adage “Never ring bells bigger than your head.” Since moving to New Hampshire in the mid ‘90s, Emlee has rung with a number of church groups, the Raleigh Ringers in Virtuoso, several all-star choirs, and at both Bay View and Carnegie Hall. She was a founding member of the Granite State Ringers. Emlee is currently ringing with the Back Bay Ringers in Boston MA, and still prefers to ring bells bigger than her head. When she’s not ringing, she knits, solves logic puzzles, and is raising two Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppies – who ironically don’t seem to be able to ring a bell when they need to go out.

 

Linda Krantz, Solo Handbell Artist, has been wowing audiences with her artistry and skill since 2005.  Linda combines the fluidity of a dancer with her virtuosity, creating an emotional, musical journey through grace and elegance.  Across the country Linda teaches the techniques and skills necessary for a solo handbell musician, encouraging young handbell musicians along the way.  She is considered the leading expert in Traveling 4iH, upholding the legacy of her mentor, Nancy Hascall.  Linda is the founding member of L. A. Bronze, as well as being a regular guest artist of the Pasadena Symphony’s Holiday Candlelight Concert.

 

Peter Larson  began his handbell career in 1993.  Having only taken about half a year off from ringing bells since starting, it is the activity to which he is most committed, biology notwithstanding.  He currently works as a computer systems integration analyst at Progeny Systems in Groton, CT. Pete also has two young children, who can sometimes be seen near the front row of concerts watching daddy (and mommy!) play bells.

 

Sue Lee  first rang in the late 1970s, and was soon asked to direct the handbells choirs at a previous church, at a time when repertoire was quite limited. When she changed churches 25 years ago, Sue founded the Handbell ministries at St. Matthew’s UMC, Acton, MA, starting with 3 octaves of bells and chimes, now directing her choirs on 5 octaves of handbells and 5 1/2 octaves of hand chimes.  Sue has an undergraduate degree in Music Education and taught/directed all levels of music for 26 years before getting her Masters in Elementary Education and becoming a fourth grade teacher, now retired. Her other interests are playing her trumpet, baroque recorders, quilting, reading, pickle ball, or just enjoying time with family and friends. Sue has enjoyed ringing with the Merrimack Valley Ringers for 14 years.

Leslie Lewis began ringing in 1979 and has participated in all Distinctly Bronze East events as well as various other national events (Bay View Week of Handbells, Virtuoso, Distinctly Bronze West) and has attended the International Handbell Symposium 6 times since 2008. Was instrumental in obtaining 501(c)3 status for Queen City Ringers and Charlotte Bronze Handbell Ensemble and served as treasurer of both organizations at one point. Also served 6 years as treasurer of Area 3.

 

Karen E. Leonard  is the founding and artistic director of the Merrimack Valley Ringers.  She is a graduate of Boston University and UMass Lowell with degrees in church music, organ performance and conducting. She is now in her 56th year as Minister of Music at West Chelmsford United Methodist Church in North Chelmsford, MA where she directs a graded choral and handbell program and also serves as organist. Karen served the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers (AGEHR) as Chair of Area I and National President. In 2008, Karen was awarded Honorary Life Membership in AGEHR, the highest award given for extraordinary service to the organization. 

 

Cathy Marker was raised on her family’s dairy farm in West Hoosick, NY, where her grandmother encouraged her to play the piano and an Estey pump organ from a very young age. After studying piano and composition at the Sonata School in Bennington, VT and Juilliard Pre-College Division in NYC, she earned a BA in Composition at Bennington College. She has served as a church organist nearly continuously since age 14. She is a member of the Portland, Maine chapter of the American Guild of Organists (AGO). Cathay currently serves as Music Director at Madison Baptist Church in Madison, NH, where she directs a 3-octave adult bell choir. Her handbell compositions are available from AGEHR Publishing, Grassy Meadow Music, and most music retailers.

 

Dan Moore served as Area 1’s Malmark Sales Representative for 15 years and has received factory training in both handbell and Choirchime repair and adjustment. I have been using Malmark products for nearly 50 years!

 

Cade Murray began ringing handbells in 1989 at the First United Methodist Church in Winter Park, FL, both as an ensemble ringer and a solo ringer. Since then he has rung with a number of groups, including Bay Bells in the San Francisco area, and joined Back Bay Ringers in 2010. Cade graduated from MIT with a degree in Materials Science and Engineering and worked in the semiconductor industry for years before deciding to stay home and homeschool his two daughters. Cade has combined his love of music, science, and education on several occasions by giving talks on the physics and acoustics of bells, at high schools and other venues. He currently resides in Cambridge, where he also serves on the board of the Cambridge Forum, and as Vice-Chair of First Parish in Cambridge Unitarian Universalist.

 

Carlene Ruesenberg has been playing handbells since 2004 and directing and teaching since 2011.  For three years, she was the director of the Senior and Junior Handbell Choirs at the Lee Church Congregational, and is currently the director of the Memorial Bell Choir at South Congregational Church in Concord, NH. As a ringer, she became a founding member of the Granite State Ringers where she played for six years. In 2014, she joined the Merrimack Valley Ringers from Chelmsford, MA, where she currently rings. She served as Chair of Area 1 of Handbell Musicians of America and organized its biennial Festival Conference in 2022. She has taught many clinics and classes throughout New England. She has a Bachelor of Music in Bassoon Performance from Arizona State University, and a M.ED from Plymouth State University. She also has a Level 1 Certification from the Handbell Musicians of America.

 

Abby Schoppe is the Director of Handbell Ministries at St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church in Acton, MA; previously, she directed Ringers of Faith, the handbell ensemble of Faith Lutheran Church in Andover, MA. She serves on the Area 1 board as chair for both the Greater MA/NH region and the Cape Cod region. Abby has a degree in Piano Performance from Carnegie Mellon University and nearly 30 years of experience as an organist and choral director; her piano students have won numerous competitions and have performed in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall. But she finds handbells particularly exciting as a tool for engaging musicians of all ages and abilities in a musical community!

 

Evie Sessions  started ringing handbells in 1995 with the Klipnocky Klangers in Oneonta, NY. She rang with several bronze-level choirs through the years before moving to Boston and finding a home with the Merrimack Valley Ringers in 2013. She works as a program administrator and teaches professional writing at Brandeis University. When she’s not ringing, Evie enjoys hiking and indoor gardening.

 

Jennifer Stack is the current Area 1 Chair.  She directs The Bells of St. Mary’s and rings with Merrimack Valley Ringers.   She enjoys diving full on into handbells in the summers and on the weekends, as during the week she is a PreK Teacher at a local public school.  

 

Dr. Kimberlee Strepka has been pioneering Laban-based handbell artistry instruction since 2000, and is the author of Handbell Artistry from the Inside Out: Laban Movement Theory for the Handbell Musician (Chicago: GIA Publications, 2012). Kim holds music education degrees from the Hartt School of Music, the University of Massachusetts, and Boston University. She is the founding director of the Bronze Ambassadors, an advanced-level teen handbell ensemble, celebrating its 22nd year. The Bronze Ambassadors have made appearances at local, regional, and national HMA events, as well as performed multiple concerts with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra.

 

Cheryl Townsend has been a ringer-member of The New England Ringers since 2014 and NER’s Music Director since May, 2023.  In 2005 she was introduced to handbells at a music conference, which prompted her to start a handbell choir, the Faith Ringers, at The Union Congregational Church in Groton, MA.  She finds it hard to believe that she will be celebrating 20 years directing this group in 2025.  Cheryl has been actively involved in music since she began piano lessons at 6 years old, played trumpet through high school and earned a Bachelor of Music at the Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam, NY. She has been teaching piano since 1985 and especially enjoys accompanying choral groups, instrumental soloists, and musical theater. Cheryl has worked professionally in Sales Support, Client Engagement/Success roles in the Learning & Development industry. In her limited free time, Cheryl enjoys spending time with her family and friends, reading, and gardening.

 

Andy Wallace is the Music Director of Shoreline Ringers and is the Music Director at the Dunn’s Corners Community Church, Presbyterian, in Westerly, RI where he has been directing the handbell and choral programs since 1996. Andy has been ringing handbells in choirs and ensembles since 1991, is active as a solo ringer and as a clinician throughout Area 1. He is a middle school history teacher and has received several outstanding teaching awards including the prestigious Milken National Educator Award, the “Oscars” of education.

 

Kimberly Vars Whitehead began ringing bells as a teen, and joined the Merrimack Valley Ringers in 2003. She serves as Minister of Music at The First Congregational Church in Milford NH, and as Collaborative Pianist for Handel & Haydn Society’s Youth Chorus of Tenors & Basses, Souhegan Valley Chorus, and Milford(NH) High School where she also directs the Bells&Chimes ensemble she started there. Kim is Music Director for many youth and community musicals at The Amato Center for the Performing Arts, is a founding member of The Mosaic Piano Trio, and teaches privately as well, but being ‘Mom’ to K, I & M is her favorite job of all! She is an avid educator, director and performer, and is honored to have been chosen for HMA All-Star Choirs, Zenith ’24 and ’25, and most recently, as a Foreign Guest Ringer with Ministry of Bellz in Singapore.

 

Kim Visbaras has been ringing handbells for over 30 years, currently with choirs in Auburn and Falmouth, Maine.  He has both full choir and ensemble experience, and has been a frequent clinician at Maine and Area 1 Festivals, both on various handbell topics and his offerings of African drumming.  He’s glad to be back again to enhance this year’s Festival Conference!

 

Gina Marie Williams lives in Ledyard CT and has been ringing for 26 years and is a current member of the New England Ringers. She became the Director of Music and Worship Technology at St. Luke Lutheran Church in Gales Ferry CT in 2013 where she directs four handbell choirs and a senior vocal choir. Beginning in 2011 as the “church musician”, Gina directed two beginning youth handbell/handchime choirs. When she is not directing and finds the time, she is an avid arranger of handbell music as well as music for concert band and other various small ensembles. Commissioned by the Houston Chamber Ringers, her arrangement of “I Can See Clearly Now” premiered at the National Convention in St. Louis in 2019. She has two handbell arrangements published through “From the Top” music – “Black Magic Woman” and “Waltz No 2” by Dmitri Shostakovich.

Gina began her musical career as a flutist when she was 12 years old studying with Dayna Hartwick, a highly sought after Motown musician. While enrolled at the University of Michigan, School of Music, Gina performed under the guest batons of Eugene Ormandy (conductor emeritus, Philadelphia Orchestra) and performed in master classes with Jean Pierre Rampal. As principal flutist with the world renowned Detroit Concert Band, she had the privilege of performing under the baton of Meredith Wilson (The Music Man). She has performed as a pit musician (piccolo; flute; clarinet; bass clarinet; oboe; bassoon; soprano/alto/tenor/baritone saxes) in well over 110 different musical productions. From 2000 until 2013 she was the conductor of the Silver Cornet Band (Gales Ferry CT) a professional concert band. She is the founding director of the Thames River Big Band in Gales Ferry CT and is currently the lead alto saxophone. She has four grown adult children and a cat named Jackie.

 

Martin Winter graduated from London School of Economics and Goldsmiths College and had a successful career in high school education. After 17 years as a Vice Principal he retired in 2017. He was introduced to Handbells in 1980 and his role in the early years was as an all-purpose ringer in a variety of positions. In 2000 the purchase of a 5 octave set of bells allowed him to discover and develop his real ringing passion as a bass ringer. He rings with The Wandle Ringers and HRGB South East Region Bell Orchestra, he has attended every international symposium since 1998, all of the biannual UK Bronze events, and a number of HMA national events. In 1997 when Sandra was invited to conduct in Japan and went to learn Japanese he had to step in as Director of Sanderstead All Saints Ringers, his church handbell team, a role he continues to this day. Martin has been a member of HRGB South East region committee for over 25 years and is a past Chair. He is a member of HRGB’s National Executive Committee, and is the Event Co-ordinator for the 2026 International Symposium to be held in Aberdeen Scotland in August 2026.

 

Sandra Winter graduated from Trinity College of Music, London and post graduate from Goldsmiths’, University of London, and has taught all age groups from pre-school and nursery through to adult, and been involved in school, church and community handbell ringing for fifty years. She has directed The Wandle Ringers for thirty nine years, and is the joint conductor of the HRGB South East Region Bell Orchestra. She gives concerts, demonstrations and talks to many groups and societies as a solo and duet ringer.  She is a published composer and arranger of handbell music, and regularly conducts and gives classes in the UK, the USA and at International Symposia, where she has been the HRGB massed ringing conductor on five occasions: in Makuhari, Busan, Osaka, Jeju and most recently in Hamamatsu, Japan. Sandra was honoured to conduct Festival choirs at both the 30th and 40th Anniversary celebrations of the Handbell Ringers of Japan, in Fukuoka and Sendai.  Sandra was the National Secretary of HRGB for sixteen years and was conferred Honorary Life Member in 2011. She is a past Chair and current Secretary of the South East Region.  Her ‘day job’ is with Bells of Whitechapel Ltd.

 

Rick Wood is a retired elementary school teacher of computers and technology with a secret night life in the handbell world as Director of Music for Chime In! Music With a Mission. (Currently, 62 ringers participate in Chime In!  along with 30 singers in We Sing! Children Choir of Connecticut.) Ringers from Bethlehem have engaged many audiences throughout New England in lively performances and in 2015, Rick led handbell ringers from around New England to Carnegie Hall.

 

Justin Wooten hails from the western foothills of North Carolina.  After finishing a high school career dominated by athletics, he received a degree in music theater and moved to Los Angeles for the sunny days, bodacious beaches, and life as a fitness trainer.  Throughout all his adventures in life, handbells have always been a constant. He began playing handbells at the ripe old age of 7 years old, later ringing with L.A. Bronze and Charlotte Bronze.  His one rule in life is: “If it’s heavy, try to pick it up. If it’s too light, make it heavier. If it’s too heavy, get stronger.” This should explain why he only hangs out in the low bass. Post-pandemic, Justin has traded in the big city vibes for the quiet country, living on a farm with cows, donkeys, dogs, watermelons, blueberries, and a friendly family of raccoons in his backyard.