9 AM Classes

• Treble Techniques, taught by Evie Sessions (Evie is a member of the Merrimack Valley Ringers). Have you ever wanted to learn how treble ringers make music with all those bells on the table in front of them? This class will cover the basics of two common treble techniques – Shelly and Four in Hand. We’ll spend time discussing the two techniques, when they are used, and most importantly, learn how to ring them both! This class is a good fit for anyone who would like to improve their current treble skills or learn these techniques, which are most commonly used by ringers playing C6 and above.
• Counting beyond 4: Ringing in Compound and Asymmetrical Meters, taught by Abby Schoppe (Abby is the Director of Handbell Ministries at St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church and serves on the Area 1 board as chair of the Greater Boston MA/NH region). Much of our handbell repertoire is written in 4/4 or 3/4, but how comfortable are you when ringing in more complex time signatures? This class will explore the music theory behind different meters, and participants will sightread pieces written in each type of meter discussed.
• Adaptive Ringing, taught by Holly Cerullo (Holly is a member of West Chelmsford United Methodist Church’s Festival Ringers and was a long-time member of Merrimack Valley Ringers). Whether you are aging, injured, physically challenged, or finding something getting in the way of your ringing, we will discuss and share adaptations for ringing competently and joyfully with challenges. Some of these adaptations will be demonstrated and/or tried out.

• Should I Just Weave It?, taught by Emlee Kohler (Emlee is a member of the Back Bay Ringers). Do you struggle when a musical passage requires you to play 3 or more bells (or chimes) in a row? Would you like to play these passages more smoothly and be able to repeat what works? Come learn about how/when to “weave!” We will also discuss where to place bells, chimes, and mallets for quick changes and how to mark the music so you can make it all happen more than once.
• Ring with Confidence and Passion, taught by Holly Cerullo (Holly is a member of West Chelmsford United Methodist Church’s Festival Ringers and was a long-time member of Merrimack Valley Ringers). We will use some simple pieces to practice moving, smiling, and showing the audience why we love offering our musical talent. Let’s explore and share ways to play with competency while showing the passion of the piece with our face and body.
• Tips for Practicing Alone, taught by Abby Schoppe (Abby is the Director of Handbell Ministries at St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church and serves on the Area 1 board as chair of the Greater Boston MA/NH region). Have you ever been unnerved by the words “All participants are expected to learn their parts before arriving at the first rehearsal” in an event description? This class will discuss steps you can take to start learning your music on your own, whether or not you have access to bells. Topics will include marking music, planning for page turns, score study and analysis, practicing with metronome, and more.