Totally Tins
Date:
Saturday, March 8, 2025, 10 AM to 3:00 PM
Location:
Event Schedule
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10-10:30 AM: Morning session participants arrive and set up
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10:30-11:45 AM: Optional session on rhythm reading/tracking music
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11:45-12:30: Lunch/Remainder of participants arrive and set up
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12:30-1:45: Afternoon session: Applying movement and musicality to the repertoire
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1:45-2:00: Break
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2:00-3:00: Afternoon session continued
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3:00: Pack up and travel home safely
Contacts
Abigail Schoppe
Chair, Greater Boston MA & NH Region
Handbell Musicians of America, Area 1
[email protected]
617-676-8055
Susan Schultz
Event Registrar
Handbell Musicians of America, Area 1
[email protected]
978-273-2226
Event Details
Join fellow ringers from throughout New England for Totally Tins: A Workshop for Emerging Handbell Musicians. This event is designed to help even the most beginning ringers focus on creating a broad palette of musical sounds. Clinician Kimberlee Strepka will introduce participants to concepts from Laban Movement Theory that can be applied to their ringing technique. We will work on two pieces of music, which will be accessible for choirs of all sizes but also provide rich opportunity for musical expression.
Participants should purchase music in advance and mark it in whatever way is most helpful for them. For emerging musicians who would benefit from a review of note values and rhythm reading, clinician Abby Schoppe will lead an optional morning session designed to instill confidence in keeping one’s place in the music. All are welcome – even those who have never rung before!
Clinicians
KIMBERLEE STREPKA has been teaching music for 30+ years, and has been pioneering Laban-based handbell instruction since 2000. She is the author of Handbell Artistry from the Inside Out: Laban Movement Theory for the Handbell Musician (Chicago: GIA Publications, 2012), and a published handbell arranger working to bring the music of orchestral and choral composer, Dan Goeller, to the handbell community. Kim holds music education degrees from the Hartt School of Music, the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and Boston University, where ensemble ringing was the subject of her doctoral dissertation. Over the past twenty-five years, her youth handbell ensembles have toured the country, appeared on a number of television networks, performed at HMA’s National Seminar in 2009 and 2024, and were guest artists of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra for their 2017 and 2019 Holiday Pops tours.
ABBY SCHOPPE recently became 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!Ringing Repertoire
We have selected the following pieces for the event. Please purchase them in advance and mark them in whatever way is helpful for you. In accordance with the Handbell Musicians of America guidelines, all music used at the event must be original purchased copies. No photocopies will be allowed.
- Cathy Moklebust’s “Jesus, Jesus, Rest Your Head,” 2-5 octaves handbells, Level 1, Choristers Guild CGB240 (2-3 octaves) and CGB444 (3-5 octaves).
- Arnold Sherman’s “Jubilee,” 2-5 octaves handbells, Level 1+, Choristers Guild CGB472 (2-3 octaves) and CGB473 (3-5 octaves).
Food
Coffee and light snacks will be provided; please bring your own brown-bag lunch.
Who Should Attend & What to Bring
Full choirs, partial choirs, and individuals are all welcome at this event. Each ringer should bring gloves and comfortable shoes. Each choir (partial or whole) should bring bells, foam, table covers, music, and music stands. Individual ringers are also encouraged to bring their own equipment, so that they can ring in their preferred positions. If you are an individual ringer who is unable to bring equipment to this event, we will do our best to match you with an opening in another choir, but we cannot guarantee which position you will be placed in.
Registration Information
Registration available through March 1, 2025
Each ensemble should designate one person, the Group Registrar, to register the group and themselves as well, if they will be attending. Participating ringers may register individually or may register more than one ringer if they choose. The Group Registrar should note if your group is able to host any independent ringers.
| Registrant Type | Registration Fees |
| Ringing Participant | $15 |
| Non-Ringing Chaperone | $0 |
Youth ringers are welcome! Please register at least one Adult as a chaperone for every ten registered ringers under the age of 18.
Cancellation Policy
Cancellations may be made by contacting the Area 1 Registrar via email at [email protected]. Refunds will be issued for cancellations submitted before March 5, 2025 in the amount charged less a $2 processing fee. No refunds can be issued after that date.
Scholarships Available
Scholarships are available on a variety of levels for members of the Handbell Musicians of America and the ensembles they direct. If you are in need of financial assistance in order to attend this event, please review the scholarship information and application directions on the scholarships page of the Area 1 website.